Deer Isle

An Island That Works for a Living

Deer Isle sits in the middle of Penobscot Bay, connected to the mainland by a narrow suspension bridge that sways gently in the wind. The bridge itself is a statement: you are leaving the mainland behind. On the other side, the pace changes. Lobster boats work the bay. Granite quarries that once supplied stone for buildings across the East Coast have filled with emerald water. Artists and craftspeople have settled here for generations, drawn by the light, the isolation, and the community that forms around both.

The island is actually two main landmasses connected by a causeway, with the town of Deer Isle in the north and the fishing village of Stonington at the southern tip. Between them, narrow roads wind past blueberry barrens, spruce-lined coves, and weathered Cape Cod houses. It is roughly 9 miles from the bridge to Stonington, and the drive feels longer because you stop constantly to look at the water.

The Deer Isle Bridge

The Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge, opened in 1939, spans Eggemoggin Reach between the mainland town of Sedgwick and the northern end of Little Deer Isle. It is a suspension bridge, 1,080 feet long, and driving across it for the first time is slightly unnerving. The road deck is narrow, the cables hum, and on a windy day the bridge moves perceptibly. The views from the bridge, looking down the reach in both directions, are worth a moment of white knuckles.

Stonington

Stonington, at the southern tip of Deer Isle, is one of the most active fishing harbors in Maine. The waterfront is stacked with lobster traps, and the harbor fills with working boats that head out before dawn and return by early afternoon. This is not a tourist port dressed up to look like a fishing village. It is the real thing. Lobstering, scallop dragging, and urchin diving are the economic backbone.

The town sits on a granite hillside that drops steeply to the harbor. The main street has a handful of galleries, a bookshop, a hardware store, a few restaurants, and the kind of general store that sells both bait and coffee. From the town dock, the mail boat runs to Isle au Haut, where a remote section of Acadia National Park offers some of the most secluded hiking on the Maine coast.

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts

The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts sits on a steep, wooded hillside above Jericho Bay on the southern side of Deer Isle. Founded in 1950, it is one of the most respected craft schools in the country, offering intensive summer workshops in ceramics, glass, metals, wood, fibers, and printmaking.

The campus, designed by architect Edward Larrabee Barnes in 1961, is a modernist masterpiece. Wooden walkways and stairs descend through the spruce forest to studios cantilevered over the rocky shore. The buildings are simple, the materials are honest, and the integration with the landscape is extraordinary. The campus was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2022.

Public tours are offered on Wednesdays during the summer session (typically June through September). The tours are free and give you a chance to see the studios, the campus design, and often work in progress. They fill up, so check the Haystack website for scheduling and any reservation requirements.

Granite Quarries

Deer Isle and neighboring Crotch Island were major sources of granite in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The stone from these quarries went into landmarks including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Rockefeller Center in New York, and the John F. Kennedy Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.

The quarries are no longer commercially active, but several have filled with water and become popular swimming holes. Settlement Quarry, owned by the Island Heritage Trust, is a preserve with walking trails and views across the water to the Camden Hills. The actual swimming quarries are on private land and access is informal. Ask locally about which are currently accessible and respect posted signs.

When to Go

Practical Notes

Deer Isle has limited services. A few restaurants, a small grocery store, and a gas station, but stock up in Blue Hill or Ellsworth before crossing the bridge. Lodging includes inns, B&Bs, and rental cottages. Summer reservations should be made well in advance.

Cell service is spotty. You will get a signal in Deer Isle village and Stonington but lose it on the back roads.

The island is excellent for kayaking. Merchant Row, the archipelago between Stonington and Isle au Haut, offers some of the best sea kayaking on the East Coast. Several outfitters in Stonington rent kayaks and run guided trips.

Getting There

From Route 1 in Orland (between Bucksport and Ellsworth), take Route 15 South through Blue Hill and Sedgwick. Cross the Deer Isle Bridge and continue on Route 15 to Deer Isle village and Stonington. The drive from Bangor takes about 90 minutes. From Portland, expect about 3 hours via I-95 and Route 15. From Bar Harbor, it is roughly an hour via Routes 3 and 15.

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