West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Maine

The West Quoddy Lighthouse is the easternmost lighthouse in the U.S. and the peninsula its located on also happens to be the easternmost point in the United States, jutting out into the Quoddy Narrows just south of Canada. The red and white striped tower of West Quoddy was constructed in 1858 at the same location as the original 1808 light station, and is famous for its iconic design. Surrounding the lighthouse and the rocky coast is sensitive and rare upland peat bog which is cross-crossed by five miles of trails.

The day of my visit was incredibly foggy though I was told that the views of the bay from the trails are normally spectacular. I however thought the fog lent an enchanting atmosphere to the lush green mosses, dense stands of ferns, and rich loamy brown duff covering the forest floor. Approaching the cliffs, the carpeted forest floor would become patchy, broken by spots of bare rock until the too would give away abruptly to massive granite and rhyolite towers and sheer cliff faces. It was a fantastical and magical place to visit: I loved it.