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Easternmost municipality in the contiguous United States and is the closest continental location to Africa in the United States
General Information
From Acadia National Park (95 miles): Head southwest on ME-233 W toward ME-198 S/ME-3 W. Turn right onto ME-198 N/ME-3 E. Turn right onto ME-102 N/ME-198 N. Turn left onto ME-3 W. Turn right onto ME-204 E. Turn left onto ME-184 N/ME-204 E. Turn right onto ME-204 E. Turn left onto Mud Creek Rd. Turn right onto US-1 N. Turn left onto ME-182 E. Keep left to stay on ME-182 E. left onto US-1 N. Turn right onto ME-189 E. Turn right to stay on ME-189 E.
Lubec is a town in Maine and is the easternmost municipality in the contiguous United States and is the closest continental location to Africa in the United States.
Lubec is the easternmost town of the contiguous United States. West Quoddy Head in Lubec is the easternmost point in the contiguous United States. It is adjacent to the Quoddy Narrows, a narrow strait between Canada and the United States, one of the entrances into Passamaquoddy Bay. Since 1808, West Quoddy Head Lighthouse has been on the site to guide ships through this waterway. The present lighthouse with its distinctive red-and-white stripes was built in 1858.
Lubec is crossed by Maine State Route 189. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge connects the town to Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada.
Quoddy Head State Park is a state park located four miles off Maine State Route 189 in Lubec, Maine on the easternmost point of land in the continental United States. On its 541 acres (219 ha), purchased by the state in 1962, the park features 5 miles (8 km) of hiking trails, extensive forests, two bogs, diverse habitat for rare plants, and the striking, red-and-white striped lighthouse tower of West Quoddy Head Light.
In 1808, West Quoddy Head Light became the easternmost lighthouse in the United States. Its light and fog cannon warned mariners of Quoddy's dangerous cliffs, ledges, and Sail Rock. Among the first to use a fog bell and later a steam-powered foghorn, this lighthouse greatly reduced shipwrecks in this foggy area, even as shipping increased. In 1858, the present red-and-white tower replaced the original. Monitored and serviced by the United States Coast Guard, its light still shines through its original third-order Fresnel lens. After automation in 1988, the light station became part of adjacent Quoddy Head State Park. The tower is closed, but visitors are welcome to enjoy the lighthouse grounds and explore the visitor center and museum run by the West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association.
For a few weeks around the equinoxes, West Quoddy Head is the first location in the United States to see the sunrise. Quoddy Head State Park is also the closest geographic point in the United States to the African continent.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lubec, Maine", and "Quoddy Head State Park", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
