Exploring Great Cranberry Island

A couple of years ago, I made a very important decision. I decided that from now on, I would always be camping or doing something outdoors on my birthday. This idea stemmed from no longer enjoying the stress and hustle and bustle of birthdays. Instead of stressing over stupid details, I wanted to celebrate another year of living the best way possible: outdoors.

This year, I decided to spend my birthday exploring one of the many beautiful islands surrounding Mount Desert Island. I settled on Great Cranberry because it had hiking trails, was not overly crowded, and was easily accessible. Great Cranberry was named for the wild cranberries that grow there in the Fall. It’s part of the Cranberry Isles, which also includes Little Cranberry, Sutton Island, Bear Island, and Baker Islands. All of these islands are accessible by boat or ferry from either Northeast Harbor or Southwest Harbor.

After doing some research online, my husband and I decided to take a ferry from Southwest Harbor to Great Cranberry. The process for finding the docks and buying tickets for the ferry was quite comical. The only information provided by the ferry company came from a random, poor quality Youtube video.

We risked it for the biscuit and showed up at 7:00a.m. for the 7:15 a.m. ferry. Parking was convenient and free, right next to the docks. The ferry ride was great. For the first 15 minutes, we were the only ones aboard. Then, we stopped at Manset and we were joined by local painters, carpenters, etc, that were on their way to work. I was so envious of them riding the ferry to work.

After getting off the ferry, we found ourselves walking past the post office and general store, down Great Cranberry’s only main road in search of hiking trails. After walking for about 0.2 miles, we found the teeny tiniest sign for Preble Cove Trail. Score.

Preble Cove Trail was a short trail. What it lacked in length, it made up for in looks. The trail brought us through a luscious forest filled with bright green moss, spruce trees, and plenty of wildlife. We became encompassed in it’s serenity.

Minutes later, we found ourselves on a rocky beach in a beautiful, secluded cove. We walked the beach, took in the views, and waited for others to join us, but no one came. We were baffled to have such a beautiful place all to ourselves. Then, we made our way back to the road. There were no camping or fires allowed on this trail, but it was dog-friendly, which was nice.

We walked down the road further, to the center of the island, which is home to the history museum, the gift shop, church, Cranberry House, and a restaurant called Hitty’s Cafe. Due to how early we arrived, none of these places were open yet. So we decided to complete the second hiking trail and come back later.

Right behind Hitty’s Cafe, we found the Whistler’s Cove Trail. Making our way down the trail, we were stunned by it’s beauty and tranquility. We made our way through the dense forest and found ourselves (yet again) on a stunning, rocky beach completely devoid of people. It provided great views of Tremont, Southwest Harbor, surrounding mountains, and nearby islands.

While making our way back to the town center, we checked out Cranberry House and the history museum. Both of which were quirky, yet charming. We had originally planned on getting lunch at Hitty’s Cafe (which had excellent reviews), but it wasn’t opening for lunch until 2:00p.m., and I was getting hangry.

Instead, we caught the 1:50p.m. ferry back to Southwest Harbor. During the ferry ride, we saw two dolphins—YES DOLPHINS following the boat. We were stunned. After docking, we ordered drinks and apps at The Upper Deck, which had outdoor seating that overlooked the ocean. It was the perfect spot to enjoy some margs and nachos.

Looking back, I have a few tips for visiting Great Cranberry. I would suggest taking the earliest ferry if you want the hiking trails to yourself. Catching the second ferry means a more crowded ferry ride, but you’ll arrive later in the day, which means most of the attractions will be open. Lastly, bringing a bike would help you cover more ground and therefore see more of the island.

Happy exploring, friends!