Hickey Island
Roque Bluffs
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Guidelines
What You Need to Know
- No camping permitted
- Fires permitted (with restrictions)
- Carry out all trash (see details)
- Keep pets under control
Why we Care
A Quiet Coastal Escape
Hickey Island offers everything from welcoming gravel beaches on the northern, rocky shoreline to open meadows and numerous spots to enjoy a picnic. This special blend of landscape makes it easy to see why we’re committed to protecting it. While you explore, scan the surf for seals, eiders, and other wildlife enjoying the bay, and look up for a variety of migratory birds and nesting bald eagles soaring overhead.
Features
How to Get There
Mainland access to Hickey Island is possible from several spots. The closest is Grays Beach in Machiasport (1.5 miles away), an unimproved gravel beach at the end of Hickey Road. You can also launch from the town dock and ramp in Roque Bluffs (about 4 miles from the island) or use the Bucks Harbor public ramp (6 miles away, better suited for larger, motorized boats due to challenging conditions). Visitors to the island typically come ashore on the northern gravel beach.
Explore the Map
Click on trails and landmarks to learn more about what Hickey Island has to offer.
Preserve Details
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Field Notes
Getting to Know Hickey Island
Hickey Island was purchased by MCHT in 2012 and rises from the water to a pronounced high point of 52 feet at the top of a western knoll. Most of the rest of the island is 15 to 25 feet above sea level, and the shoreline is gradual in most places. Lowbush blueberry is the dominant plant species, giving way to thickets of red raspberry and wood fern. Years of sheep grazing have contributed to this open landscape.
Today, few wildlife species call Hickey Island home. However, it is not uncommon to spot bald eagles in the area, as well as other resident and migratory birds on the island and in the waters surrounding it. During nesting season (February 1-August 15) please stay off the northeast corner of the island and give nesting bald eagles space to thrive.
Stories from Downeast
Fish Friends: Connecting Students with Coastal Ecosystems
A collaborative effort to help students from Lubec and Whiting learn more about and contribute to healthy ecosystems.
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More Information on Hickey Island
Help Us Take Care of the Preserve
This preserve belongs to all of us; that’s why it’s important to leave as little trace as possible when you visit.
To do that, please:
- Carry out all trash
- Carry out all pet waste
- Carry out all human waste (including toilet paper)
Campfires on the Preserve
Campfires by permit only—must be smaller than 3 feet. Contact the local fire department for restrictions.
Additional guidelines:
- Keep all fires below high tide line
- Do not build fire rings
- Do not cut or break tree limbs, dead or alive
- Leave no fire unattended
- Completely extinguish all fires