A Guide to the Ecological Diversity of the Area

sunset at Herring Run B & B

While the Maine coast is mostly granite, evidence of volcanic activity can be viewed at road's end in Machiasport (Point of Maine, Rt 92). There black, green & red lava flows look like they only recently solidified! Don't miss Jasper Beach on the way.

A few miles south on Pineo Ridge in Columbia, glacial history can be noted in the Great Heath, ancient dune lines, and kettle holes. In addition to pockets of post-Pleistecene refugia, the now depleted forest displays a rich juxtaposition of northern hardwoods & sub-boreal conifers. Beware the black flies (spring only)!

Speaking of depleted, nearby Shipyard Cove empties into the confluence of the Machias and East Machias Rivers–two once-famous Atlantic salmon rivers. A much more frequent visitor today is the striped bass, readily available to our guests. Our area is also known as the Lakes Region, and a refreshing swim in Gardner Lake is less than 5 miles away.

fish at Herring Run

Local kayak rentals open up estuaries & islands of Machias Bay or the pristine & sheltered Cobscook Bay. Launch your own kayak from our backyard dock. Local boat captains provide opportunities to view seals, whales, light-houses & the cliffs of the Bold Coast. Only a few minutes away, hiking is available on the Bold Coast trails, Roque Bluffs State Park (also with a bathing beach here), Cobscook Bay, Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge, & West Quoddy Light. A moose encounter is not unlikely!

Birding is available everywhere, from a variety of alcids & pelagic birds off shore to our local glory–the numerous nesting wood warblers. Puffins may be the crowd pleaser, but the overlapping of temperate & sub-boreal species make this location a destination for the avid birder. From your chair under our pergola, you can see eagles & osprey attracted to the herring run, a wide variety of song birds, other raptors & shore birds in season, & such recent arrivals as the cardinal & great egret.

Herring Run Lodge map

Historical & cultural resources peak each summer at the Blueberry Festival and area summer concerts. Machias, as county seat, boasts a fine hospital and a branch of the University of Maine. Original coastal settlement patterns are more apparent here than in the more heavily developed coast elsewhere. Town settlements are on the "fall lines" of the rivers, where mills could harness waterpower & sailing vessels could depart for the rich local fisheries or coastal trading. Fishing villages sprang up along the river's exit to the sea, often miles in length down the peninsulas. Rt 92 in Machiasport offers the best picturesque examples of such original settlements. Visit the Machiasport Historical Society on Rt 91 and Machias' restored Burnham Tavern.

Few vernacular dwellings survive from 18th and early 19th centuries, although some larger Federal Period structures, and especially the Greek Revival are abundant. Note the fine brick Custom House in Machias, the inventive "fusion" Greek and Gothic revival churches throughout the region, and the sophisticated Bullfinch/Palladian church at nearby Columbia Falls and at Washington Academy in East Machias.

Two border towns, Eastport and Lubec, should not be missed for their settings, orginal historic fabric & separate charms. Speaking of charms, the various villages and coves of Canada's Campobello & Deer Islands deserve a day of easy site seeing. Whales & porpoises are often seen at East Quoddy Light. And the ferry rides from Deer Island to/from Maine are a great value, giving a salty taste of open ocean with murres, guillamots and ocean ducks in abundance.

Don't expect the commercialism and ambiance of the southern Maine "Gold Coast". This part of Washington County blends seamlessly with Canada's Maritime Provinces, only an hour away. By lunch time, you can be at the warm-water French-speaking Acadian Coast of New Brunswick on the way to dinner reservations on the Gaspee Peninsula. Or munching a lobster roll overlooking the tidal bore on the head of the Bay of Fundy, trying to decide between the bridge to PEI or the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton!