Swans Island Lobster Conservation Area
Managed by Maine Department of Marine Resources
21,482 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station · Photo: Fran Schwanck · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Swans Island
Few parks or trails are on the map in Swans Island
23% of Swans Island’s land is conserved, about 1,861 acres. 187 acres are parks and preserves, 426 per 1,000 residents. 2.9 miles of mapped trail cross Swans Island, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
23%
1,861 acres · of 12.4 sq mi of land
Trails
2.9 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
187 ac
426 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
35%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
243 ft
Goose Pond Mountain
Lakes & rivers
4
13 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Swans Island?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Eastern Maine Habitat Management Area
Managed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
557 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Back Cove Preserve
Managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust
98 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Buckle Island Harbor Preserve
Managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust
83 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 12 parks & preserves
Fine Sand Beach32 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Swans Island Lobster Conservation Area21,482 acres · Maine Department of Marine Resources
DirectionsEastern Maine Habitat Management Area557 acres · National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Back Cove Preserve98 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
DirectionsBuckle Island Harbor Preserve83 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Acadia National Park52 acres · National Park Service
Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge51 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
West Sister Island Preserve39 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Hockamock Head Lighthouse Park20 acres
Alan E. Hutchinson Wildlife Management Area18 acres · Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Mill Pond Park10 acres
Fire Ponds3 acres
Who protects it
1,861 conserved acres
23% of Swans Island’s land. Water is left out: Swans Island has 12.4 square miles of land and 68.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Swans Island’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits974 ac
National Park Service951 ac
Joint212 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service182 ac
Regional agency62 ac
State parks36 ac
State fish & wildlife16 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,313 acUnknown Easement · 535 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 251 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 182 acPrivate Conservation · 80 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,378 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 49 of 80 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 182 | Restricted |
| Back Cove Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 153 | Restricted |
| Buckle Island Harbor (Rockefeller) Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 84 | Closed |
| Acadia National Park National Park | National Park Service | 52 | Open |
| Western Sister Island Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 39 | Closed |
| Fine Sand Beach Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 31 | Restricted |
| Mill Pond Park Private Recreation or Education | State conservation | 19 | Closed |
| Seal Cove - Swans 1 Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 19 | Closed |
| Hockamock Head Lighthouse Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 18 | Restricted |
| Back Cove (Beard) Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 18 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Swans Island
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Swans Island
East Cove
DirectionsHero Beach
DirectionsJoyce Beach
DirectionsSand Beach
DirectionsSchooner CoveIn Swans Island Lobster Conservation Area
DirectionsSouthwest CoveIn Swans Island Lobster Conservation Area
DirectionsSpindle Cove
DirectionsPlus 6 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Swans Island
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Swans Island
Plus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Swans Island
Goose Pond Mountain243 ft elevation
DirectionsBig Mountain213 ft elevation
DirectionsStockbridge Hill174 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Swans Island
1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Burnt Coat Harbor Light StationDistrict · listed 1988
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Swans Island: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 33 | 40 | 51 | 61 | 70 | 76 | 75 | 68 | 56 | 46 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.2 |
August is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 5.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Swans Island →
Next door
Swans Island and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swans Island | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Frenchboro | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Isle au Haut | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Deer Isle | 8% | 0.7 | 21 | 7% | B |
| Brooklin | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Swans Island
Are dogs allowed on Swans Island’s trails?
Swans Island Lobster Conservation Area and Eastern Maine Habitat Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Swans Island?
12,217 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Swans Island or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 187 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Swans Island neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →