Way DownEast
Cobscook Shores , Race Point @ Taylor Walker
Calais , DownEast Acadia ’ s gateway to Canada
North of Eastport is Calais . First settled in 1779 , it takes it name from the French town in tribute to France ’ s support during the American Revolution . One of the smallest cities in Maine , it sits on the St . Croix River offering three crossings into New Brunswick , Canada .
Calais is truly a crossroads , where the Bold Coast Scenic Bikeway , East Coast Greenway , and US Bike Route 1 meet up and connect to the Coastal Link Trail between St . Stephen and St . John , New Brunswick . It is also marks the junction of the Bold Coast National Scenic Byway and Fundy Coastal Drive .
Stroll along the Calais River Walk , part of the East Coast Greenway , for views of Whitlock Lighthouse , or visit the Wabanaki Cultural Center & Museum , overlooking the riverfront . For a Two Nation experience , walk across the Ferry Point Bridge to St . Stephen — dubbed ‘ Canada ’ s Chocolate Town ’— where one can visit the Ganong Chocolate Museum and browse local shops . Enjoy a day trip to St . Andrews with a visit to Kingsbrae Gardens .
Set on a promontory overlooking the St . Croix River , Devil ’ s Head Site is a prehistoric archaeological site with a shell midden dating back over 2,000 years . The Calais Observatory Site features two granite fixtures that supported early scientific equipment used in a variety of astronomical observations .
Unspoiled Nature Cobscook Shores is a new collection of parklands offering access to miles of undeveloped beaches , bluffs , coves and islands . Inland around Whiting , Pembroke , and Dennysville you ’ ll find lakes and flat-water rivers perfect for paddling and fishing , swimming , and camping with the kids . The Cutler Coast boasts some of the most dramatic hiking trails on Maine ’ s coast , along with vast acres of blueberry barrens , woodlands , and peat lands , pocket coves , cobble beaches , and spectacular steep cliff view . Each fall , thousands of waterfowl , songbirds , shorebirds , and raptors migrate southward through Cross Island National Wildlife Refuge just off shore . Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge consists of nearly 30,000 acres near Calais with over 50 miles of dirt roads and trails for hiking , biking , Nordic skiing , and snowshoeing .
St . Croix Island International Historic Site commemorates the early French explorer Pierre Dugua ’ s first attempt at a yearround settlement years before Jamestown or Plymouth .
Ocean view from Cutler St . Croix International Historic Site
Visitors can walk the interpretive trail , enjoy a picnic , or bird watch in the mainland portion of the site . The island is visible from the accessible trail that features bronze figures of the French and Passamaquoddy
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