Monhegan Associates Trail Map

This text and map from the Monhegan Associates is presented as information to those off-island who want to get an idea of the "lay of the land" before coming out. The Trail Map is available for a nominal cost from the boat ticket booths of the Monhegan Boat, the Hardy Boat, and the Balmy Days, and at various shops around the island.
Please pick up the "real thing" as you arrive.

Welcome to Monhegan, cherished for generations by artists, writers and nature lovers.The island thrives on a delicate balance of wild lands, village life, and visitors. Its fragile beauty depends on the respect and sensitivity of those who come here. Step lightly and leave the wild lands as beautiful as you find them. Outside the Village, in the Island’s wild lands, roughly 17 miles of hiking trails are maintained by the Monhegan Associates, a private land trust. Those visiting the island for a single day are encouraged to use the hiking trails marked in green.

To help preserve our wild lands:

NO SMOKING OR FIRES outside Village

NO BIKES OR STROLLERS on trails

NO PICKING OF WILDFLOWERS

or uprooting plants or moss

NO CAMPING

NO DOGS OFF-LEASH

NO TECHNICAL CLIMBING

NO TRASH: Pack in, Pack out

Please use toilets on the boat or public pay restroom behind the Monhegan House.

There are no trash cans or toilet facilities on trails.

Caution:
Stay on the trails to avoid poison ivy
and ticks which may carry Lyme Disease.

Trail Highlights:

All directions below are from Village.The Island is about .7 of a mile wide and 1.7 miles long. Trails on this map are not drawn to scale; distances are sometimes distorted to emphasize direction. Monhegan is hilly: time required to walk a trail is greater than that needed on level ground.

From the wharf:Up the hill to the main north-south road. Turn right (south) to reach the center of the Village, restaurants and public toilets, Burnthead Trail, and Lobster Cove. Turn left (north) to reach the Library, the Schoolhouse, the Lighthouse Museum, Whitehead Trail (#7), etc.

About the Trails on this Map:
The trails, running through island woodlands and over cliffs, are on private land;
please stay on the trails. Please do not pick wildflowers or uproot plants or moss.

Trails on the map are indicated by number,name, and level of difficulty, and marked at each end and at junctions with white trail numbers on small green blocks of wood on trees. Trails crossing ledges are also marked with cairns (small stacks of stones). Please do not disturb or build cairns.

Trail 1: Cliff. Parts difficult (see map). The trail around the island begins at Lobster Cove. Spectacular views but several hours are required to complete this trail; many parts are exposed and strenuous. #1a bypasses some difficult spots.
Trail 3: Underhill. Easy. Fairly level trail through woods, gentle incline to Burnthead. Take Lobster Cove road beyond Trailing Yew and turn left into woods just beyond red house with picket fence.
Trail 4: See above.
Trail 5: Gull Cove. Moderate. Next to Monhegan House, ascend steep Horn Hill. At the top, turn left toward Hitchcock House and look for Trail #5 on right. Fairly easy trail to Gull Cove, where you can view the headlands from sea level.
Trail 6: Alder. Easy. Narrow but level trail. Take Main Road north to the Library and follow branch to right (Tribler Road) along meadow. Just before the end, veer left at the #6 sign. Trail runs through woods. At junction with #5, go left, to join #7, or right, onto #5, for a level trail to Gull Cove.
Trail 7: See above.
Trail 9: Red Ribbon.Moderate. Woodland trail leading to Whitehead trail. Follow Main Road as for #10, turn right at red ribbon tied on tree.
Trail 10: Blackhead. Easy but end difficult (see map). Main trail head for several other trails. Wide path through woods and marshy spots almost to the end. Traverse to the headland itself is difficult and trails difficult to follow. Follow Main Road from Village past Library; bear left at fork just beyond Schoolhouse onto Cathedral Woods Road, following sign. Trail #10 begins where road ends.
Trail 11: Cathedral Woods. Moderate. Follow Main Road for #10 as above; take the second trail to the right. Some distance into the woods there is a fork at a big rock. The right fork (#12) leads to Little Whitehead. The left fork continues #11 to Trail #1 at Squeaker Cove, a place for cautious surf watching. Turning left off this fork before reaching #1 is #16, Maple, a connector to #10.
Trail 14: Pebble Beach. Difficult. Rough woodland trail over rock outcroppings and down a very steep hill to northern ledges. Follow directions to #10 as above, then turn left beyond the end of the road. Follow markers to #14.
Trail 15: Evergreen. Moderate. Another route to northern ledges. Woodland trail forking left off #10 beyond the entrance to trails #1 and #14.
Trail 16: Maple. Easy. Meandering trail between Blackhead trail and Cathedral Woods. Trail is not difficult but trail direction may not always be clear.
Trail 17: Fern Glen. Moderate. Woodland trail to Pulpit Rock area. Follow #10 (above) to trail head on left beyond #15. At junction take left path. Trail to #1 is moderate but between #1 and the headland at Pulpit Rock are some difficult areas.
Trail 18: Station Hill. Moderate. Another route to Pulpit Rock area. Follow #10 (as above) to trail head on left beyond #15. At fork take right path.

The following destinations are suggested for a one-day visit. Refer to the map for details

The Village: Art, crafts, food, small beach, and working harbor.
Ice Pond: Privately-owned pond where wild ducks and seagullls bathe. Don’t wade, swim, or put foreign materials in pond.
The Museum at the Lighthouse: Celebrations of Island history and natural history, and rotating exhibits by artists with ties to the Island. See directions for Whitehead.
Whitehead (Trail 7): Moderate trail with some climbing, rewarded by panorama of headlands. Take Main Road past the Library and the school, bear right at fork up steep Lighthouse Hill road. Continue past Lighthouse and Museum buildings (see left), across the ball field, into the woods. (ca. 30 min. steady walking from Wharf.)
Burnthead (Trail 4): Easy trail but difficult climb to get to it. The closest headland to reach from the Village. Ascend steep Horn Hill next to Monhegan House. At top, follow signs to right. Level trail, mostly in meadows, to panoramic views from 140 foot headland. (ca. 30 min. steady walking from Wharf.)
Lobster Cove: Follow Main Road south to narrow trail which leads to rocky coast and the wreck of the D.T. Sheridan, an old tugboat. Beautiful views, picnic on rocks, but stay well back from surf.
Trips around the Island: Provide an overview of the island; see bulletin board at wharf.

Caution:
On the headlands side of the Island (between Lobster Cove and Green Point, – at Squeaker Cove, Lobster Cove, Gull Cove, and below Burnthead, for example) stay well above the tide line (“black rocks”) and do not swim or scuba dive. Tidal currents and undertow make rescue impossible.

For more information...
The Monhegan Associates Ecology Committee presents lectures during the summer on the ecology of the Island and the sea around us. Check local bulletin boards for updates.

The Monhegan Library has in its collection several histories of Monhegan, local historical albums, a land use survey of the Island, and a volume of minutes of the Monhegan Associates’ recent annual meetings.
See bulletin boards and notices posted around town for hours and information on other community activities.

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