If you’re an island lover, Maine is the place for you. We have thousands of them!

According to Maine’s Coastal Island Registry, "There are 1,846 islands registered to private owners, 204 islands that are exempt from registering (islands that contain 4 or more structures), and 1,322 islands under the State of Maine’s care and custody.” The largest island is Mount Desert Island (MDI), home to Acadia National Park mentioned in a previous post. After Long Island in New York, MDI is the second largest island on the U. S. eastern seaboard.

One town in Maine — Harpswell — is home to over 200 islands!

Some islands can be accessed by bridge. In my opinion, one of the most dramatic is the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge. It took my breath away the first time I rounded the corner and started the climb in my car. Take a peek for yourself:

Other islands in Maine require ferries to access them. Some of these — like the Casco Bay Lines — run multiple times a day. Others offer a much more limited schedule, particularly in the winter months. Of course, many islands can only be reached by private boat, and a great number are uninhabitable.

One of Maine’s most iconic islands is Monhegan. It is a year-round community, located about 12 miles out to sea, with no cars or paved roads. Many of the world’s greatest artists have made their way here to capture its beauty. Would you enjoy living here year-round?…

This post is part of my A to Z Challenge Series with the overall theme, “This Maine Life.” I am covering a Maine-related topic with a different letter of the alphabet every day except Sundays throughout the month of April 2020.