Hickey Island, Roque Bluffs
Located in Roque Bluffs, near the entrance to Little Kennebec Bay, Hickey Island is a quiet 12-acre oasis of open meadows, rocky shoreline, and gravel beaches.
Hickey Island is good for:
- Paddling: While scanning the surf for seals, eiders, and other wildlife, carefully make your way to the welcoming gravel beach on the island’s northern shoreline – numerous picnic spots await.
How to Get There
Mainland access to Hickey Island is possible from several locations. There is town dock and ramp in Roque Bluffs, about four miles from the island, at the end of Schoppee Point Road. Just south of Yoho Head and about 1.5 miles north of the island is Grays Beach, an unimproved gravel beach at the end of Hickey Road in Machiasport. Finally, there is the Bucks Harbor public ramp on Pettegrow Point Road in Machiasport. At over six miles away, and with challenging boating conditions around the Point of Maine, this last option is better suited to larger, motorized boats. Visitors to the island typically come ashore on the northern gravel beach.
For a complete map with legend and guidelines, click on the Printable Preserve Map above.
Notes on topography, flora, and fauna
Hickey Island 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 through August 15), please stay off the northeast corner of the island, a location where bald eagles occasionally nest.
How this place became open to the public
MCHT purchased Hickey Island in 2012.
Preserve information/guidelines
- Fires By Permit Only – Maine State Law
- Contact Maine Forest Service at 1-800-750-9777 for permit
- 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
- Carry Out All Trash
- Including Human and Pet Waste and Toilet Paper
- Keep Pets Under Control
