Discover the Geopark

Geosites

Geosites are specific sites or areas within the Geopark that tells the story of coastal Maine's geological and cultural heritage. The sites are places to see examples of outstanding geological features as well as important historical sites and ecological habitats that are connected to the area's geology.

 

Part of the Geopark development is to promote education at each designated Geosite. This may be through the format of an interpretation panel, walking guides, mobile app, educational pakages for teachers, or other.

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Map of Proposed Geosites

Mid-Coast

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1. Damariscotta River Shell Midden

  • Oyster shell midden which is a vulnerable and important cultural geoheritage site.

  • Protected as a Maine State Historic Site.

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2. La Verna Preserve

  • Impressive folded metamorphic rocks along the shoreline with igneous intrusions.

  • Slightly metamorphic igneous rocks. 

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3. Pemaquid Point

  • Folded metamorphic rocks along the shore with more resistant igneous rocks in larger block formations. 

  • Culturally important lighthouse.

 

 4. Marshall Point Lighthouse

  • Quartzite, mica schist, basalt dikes, granite.

  • Culturaly important lighthouse. 

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5. Rockland Limestone Quarry

  • Several old limestone quarries that have been economically important for the area.

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Western Penobscot Bay

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6. Vinalhaven

  • Vinalhaven rhyolite and volcanic breccia that make up the bedrock.

  • The island is an important cultural and archaeological heritage site that was first discovered by the Red Paint people around 5000 years ago due to its abundance of shell and fin fish.

  • When sea levels dropped after the last glaciation, the island was connected to the mainland.

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7. Mt. Battie/ Camden Hills

  • Battie quartzite – a metamorphic rock that is more resistant compared to the surrounding rocks in the region. 

  • Great views over the Penobscot Bay and the town of Camden from the summit.

  • The distinct "whaleback" shape was an important landmark for Native Americans.

  • The site is part of the Camden State Park.

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8. Gridle Point (Isleboro)

  • Islesboro Formation: bedrock is dominated by sandstone, slate, and limestone cut by many small faults.

  • There are also outcrops of metamorphic rocks with outstanding examples of folding.

  • The Gindle Point lighthouse is an important cultural heritage site.

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9. The Passagassawakeag Rail Trail

  • The trail follows a historic railway path.

  • Exposed Bucksport Formation and Appleton Ridge outcrops along the path.

  • Just beyond the site in the Belfast bay there are pockmarks (round depressions on the sea floor) seen from bathymetric surveys.

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10. Sear Island

  • The entire island is made from the Penobscot Formation with outstanding examples of folding.

  • The island is an important cultural heritage location with vulnerable and important archaeological sites.

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11. Mt Waldo

  • Mt Waldo granite that was an important type of granite for the granite industry and shipped across eastern North America.

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12. Penobscot Narrows

  • Outstanding views of surrounding landscape and river from the Penobscot Narrows Observatory.

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Blue Hill Peninsula

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13. Blue Hill Mountain

  • Lucerne granite.

  • Views of the coastal islands from the summit.

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14. Caterpillar Hill

  • Important blueberry barren protected by a land trust.

  • Also great views of the Penobscot Bay and the Deer Isles.

 

15. Pine Hill

  • Serpentinized peridotite that hosts some of the world’s rarest ferns, plans, and lichen.

 

 16. Settlement Quarry

  • Historic and culturally important quarry.

  • Deer Isle granite features a rare formation called rapakivi.

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17. Isle au Haut

  • Impressive granite formation with gabbro intrusions, and outcrops of volcanic ash and tuff.

  • The island is an important cultural and archaeological location, with many preserved features protected by Acadia National Park.

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MDI/ Schoodic

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18. Agassiz Outcrop

  • Important site for the development of the study of geology due to the presence of glacial striations that Louis Agassiz, Swiss biologists and glaciologist, discovered on a trip to Maine.

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19. MacQuinns Quarry

  • Impressive esker

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20. Bubble Rock

  • Famous glacial erratic perched on the side of a glacially carved mountain made from Cadillac granite.

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21. Little Hunters Beach

  • Shatter zone: an important geological formation that shows the outer rim of an ancient caldera of Mount Desert Island.

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22. Somes Sound

  • Fjarde that gives Mount Desert Island its iconic lobbed shape.

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23. Seawall

  • Natural seawall, basalt dike cutting into volcanic tuff, Seawall granite, pond behind the seawall.

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24. Reversing Falls

  • Reversing falls at Taunton Bay

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25. Frazer Point

  • Important cultural heritage site that was used historically by the Wabanaki as a summer camp.

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26. Schoodic Point

  • World class basalt dike intrusions.

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27. Stueben

  • “A Glimpse of the Moon” – one of the granite sculptures features along the Maine Sculpture Trail.

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28. Pigeon Hill

  • Important historical site that was part of the Eastern Oblique Arc survey triangle of the eastern US from New Orleans, LA, to Calais, ME.

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Downeast

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29. Pleasant River Hatchery

  • Important fish hatchery located at a beautiful waterfall.

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30. Wetland north of Jonesport

  • Ecologically important bog that is rapidly eroding from sea-level rise.

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31. Great Wass Island

  • The Fundian Fault that extends from the Bay of Funday right through the island.

  • There are also outstanding examples of rare plants and bog ecology.

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32. Little Falls Park

  • Impressive waterfall where the Machias River cuts through the center of Machias.

  • The town is one of the many coastal towns that is being affected significantly by coastal erosion from sea-level rise and increase in flooding.

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 33. Jasper Beach

  • Outstanding beach with polished red rhyolite.

  • There is a 10m high bluff on the western end of the beach.

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34. Holmes Bay

  • Coastal bluff that is rapidly eroding.

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35. Bold Coast

  • Beautiful scenic trails following the coastline.

  • Bedrock is made from the Cutler diabase with outstanding examples of glacial erosion.

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36. Quoddy Head State Park

  • Eastern most point in the US; historic lighthouse; eroding bluff and seawall.

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37. Cobscook State Park

  • Edmunds formation composed of tuff and breccia.

  • Huge tides from the Bay of Funday.

  • Glacial deposits.