Campgrounds in Maine's Sunrise County Region

Anyone who really wants to escape the hassle of everyday life will find the answer in Maine's Sunrise County. So named because the sun rises earlier here than at any other spot in the United States, the region is virtually unspoiled and offers a glimpse of what many people consider to be the "real Maine."  

Sunrise County features hundreds of bays and inlets and it is here that Maine truly displays its world famous "rock-bound coast."   Nature is also allowed to take center stage here as the land bears native wild blueberries (80 percent of the nation's wild blueberry crops are raised here) and virgin timber, and the earth sustains an amazing range of wildlife, from moose and deer to eagles and puffins.Numerous quiet trails and tree-lined lanes often lead to unmatched ocean views, and coastal communities such as Jonesport and Jonesboro offer visitors the opportunity to visit typical fishing piers, nature preserves and even a shellfish hatchery or two. 

Machias is the commercial and historic hub of Washington County. It has also become the wreathmaking center of Maine. It was here, near Fort O'Brien, that the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War took place even before the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. History is really on display in this region. Micmac and Passamaquoddy Indians still reside at Pleasant Point outside Eastport, and the Roosevelt International Bridge connects Lubec and Campobello Island, site of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's summer home. Calais, the largest community in the region, was settled in 1770 and is home to the St. Croix Island International Historic Site. There, in 1604, Sieur de Mons and Samuel Champlain settled with about 80 others, making it the first permanent French settlement in the New World. 

Another interesting point of interest is a granite monument on the road between the coastal communities of Lubec and Eastport. Placed at the site of the Reversing Falls Park by the National Geographic Society, the monument marks the 45th parallel, the exact midpoint between the equator and the North Pole.Best known for its hunting and fishing (some of the best fishing holes in Maine are accessible in this region), there is much to see and do during a stay in the Sunrise County.