Maine Saint Croix Island Historic Site map and highlights

St. Croix Island  International Historic Site in Northeast Maine, near Calais. St. Short  description of the Croix Island International Historic Site.    

St. Croix Island International Historic Site in Northeast Maine, near Calais.    

Pierre Dugua Sieur de Mons and his company of 78 men attempted  to establish a French settlement on St. Croix Island in 1604-05.  Preceding Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620), Sieur de Mons' outpost  was one of the earliest European settlements on the North Atlantic coast  of North America. The settlement was short-lived. In the summer of  1605, the French moved to a more favorable location where they  established the Port Royal Habitation on the shores of the present-day  Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia. The first international historic site in  the National Park System was authorized as a national monument in 1949  and redesignated in 1984.    

WHAT TO SEE & DO    

Picnicking, walking to interpretive shelter with view of island.  Facilities: Interpretive sign, hiking trails. Programs & Events:  400th anniversary of settlement (summer, 2004). Tips & Hints: Plan  to spend a half hour; dress warmly for constant breezes. Summer  temperatures average around 80°F. No facilities, so bring snacks and  drinking water.    

FOOD & LODGING    

E Hotels: None in park. In Calais: Heslins Motel (U.S. 1, tel.  207/454-3762; 11 rooms, 10 cottages; $55-$100; closed Nov.-Apr.). In  Robbin-ston: Redclyffe Shore Motor Inn (U.S. 1, tel. 207/454-3270; 16  rooms; $62-$73; closed Nov.-Apr.). X Restaurants: None in park. In  Calais: Calais Motor Inn (633 Main St., tel. 207/454-7111; $7-$15; no  lunch Mon., breakfast only Sat.), Wickachee (282 Main St., tel.  207/454-3400; $5-$24).    

FEES, HOURS & REGULATIONS    

Free. No fires. Site open daily dawn-dusk.    

HOW TO GET THERE    

120 mi north of Bar Harbor via U.S. 1; from Bangor, take Rte. 9  to Calais, then U.S.I south for 6 mi. Access to island by private boat  only. Closest airport: Bangor (90 mi).    

CONTACTS    

Superintendent, Saint Croix Island International Historic Site  (c/o Acadia National Park, Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, tel.  207/288-3338, ). Calais Regional Chamber of Commerce (30 Swan St.,  Calais, ME 04619, tel. 207/454-2308 or 888/422-3112, ).   

St. Croix Island International Historic Site  in Northeast Maine,  near Calais. St. Short description of the Croix Island International  Historic Site