If you’re heading to Maine or even thinking about cruising in Maine this summer, there’s still plenty of time to go all the way Down East to Somes Sound, the only fjord on the east coast of the United States and one of the prettiest cruising destinations around. The sound, about four miles long and often 150 feet deep, basically cuts Mount Desert Island in half and has the iconic boating communities of Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor at its lower end. And we’re approaching the best time of the year for cruising there, since that part of Maine generally has less fog in August and September than it does earlier in the summer.
To get there, you have to make a commitment to cruise beyond the popular towns and harbors closer to home, but the trip is definitely worth the extra effort. (I’ve done this many times over the years, and have enjoyed it more each time.) From Rockland and Camden, head along the east shore of Penobscot Bay and then down Eggemoggin Reach (worth the journey in itself) to Bass Harbor at the tip of Mount Desert Island. Then go 7.5 miles up the peninsula and you’ll reach the wide open approach to Somes Sound at Southwest Harbor.
Most people go to Mt. Desert Island today for the bustling resort town of Bar Harbor or to visit Acadia National Park, with its 55 miles of hiking, biking and horse carriage trails, but only 100 years ago it was the preferred summer destination of wealthy families from Philadelphia, New York and Boston. John D. Rockefeller had a summer cottage there, and was instrumental in developing the park.
For its part, Somes Sound was formed 14,000 years ago as the last glaciers retreated. Large boulders left by the melting ice sheet now mark The Narrows, the entrance to the sound just above Southwest Harbor. Somes Sound now is a protected cruising ground, overlooked by Cadillac Mountain, at 1,530 feet the highest point on the Eastern seaboard.
There is some dispute among purists whether Somes Sound is a fjord or a fjard, since it doesn’t have the high side cliffs that are on the classic Norwegian fjords. It is now often referred to as a fjard, which defines a drowned glacial bay. Either way, it offers peaceful cruising with beautiful vistas and few signs of human habitation, since it’s next to the national park.
On the way to the sound, stop in Southwest Harbor, with its one main street and a working lobster fleet. It also is the home of iconic Down East builders including Hinckley, Wilbur, Ellis and Jarvis Newman, with John Williams just up the sound. At the north side of the harbor, Beal’s Lobster Pier is a working lobster area with a gas and diesel fuel dock and a seafood restaurant with picnic tables. You can tie up the dock; they’ll also deliver fresh seafood to your boat.
For a more upscale experience, the Claremont Hotel is just around Clark’s Point leading to Somes Sound. Opened in 1884, it’s a six-acre waterfront resort with the casual Boathouse restaurant on the water.
Two miles away, the protected little village of Northeast Harbor is even smaller and more peaceful with fewer tourists. I’ve stayed at the Northeast Harbor Marina there; it has 56 slips and dozens of moorings. For a treat, eat lunch or dinner at the Asticou Inn at the head of the harbor; it’s been there since 1882, and has a spectacular view of the harbor.
