Schooner Head Overlook

Schooner Head Overlook is located on the east side of Mount Desert Island, just outside Acadia National Park. It can be reached from Bar Harbor without entering the national park via Schooner Head Road or via the Park Loop Road, just prior to the entrance gate to Sand Beach. There is an adequate parking area that overlooks the Schooner Head. The parking lot overlook provides views of Egg Rock and the Egg Rock Lighthouse.

The island got its name from locals who would travel to the island to collect both eggs for meals and exotic feathers for the fashion industry. Keep in mind, the lighthouse is a speck in the distance, where it is nestled in the middle of Frenchman's Bay. The better views from this spot require a 0.2-mile walk down a paved trail to the rocky shoreline.

From the shore, you can see Schooner Head and the mansions built on it. When the pavement ends, continue in the same general direction (north). You will come to a set of natural stones built into a staircase that takes hikers to the shore. Below there is a small sea cave. Take extreme caution if deciding to venture toward this site. The rocks can be extremely slippery with with jagged edges. Alternatively, you can travel along the rocky shore south for a glimpse of Oak Hill Cliff. The area is at its most photogenic during sunrise, as are most locations along the eastern coastline.

Schooner Head Overlook provides the quintessential views of the Maine coast without the need to purchase a National Park Pass. However, the views from this location are somewhat limited. Then again, so are the crowds.