Monhegan Island, Maine | Island Day Trip

A ferry departs the classic fishing village of Port Clyde, Maine, and returns to Monhegan Island.
Credit: Winky Lewis When you land, stay starboard for a view of Manana, inhabited for decades by Ray Phillips, the so-called “Hermit of Manana,” and later by the Bates family, whose children were long the subjects of painter Jamie Wyeth. It’s best to hike Monhegan—and it is hiking, so bring proper footwear— before the day heats up. More than 17 miles of trails crisscross 480 protected acres, about two-thirds of the island. Get a map at the wharfside Barnacle café (operated by The Island Inn just up the hill), where you can also score a cappuccino and a homemade blueberry muffin. No matter which trail you choose, you’ll first climb a spur to a gravel road through the heart of the village. Monhegan has no cars; the only motorized traffic you’ll encounter is the occasional freight truck on its way to the wharf. Instead you’ll pass island kids selling cookies alongside hedges redolent of beach roses, and women on their way to buy milk. Watch for the tiny-but-lovely library on the northern end of town and, on the southern, an old wooden church where sing-a-longs are held on many a Sunday night.