The Basin Preserve
Managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust
682 acres3.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Heron Neck Light Station · Photo: US Coast Guard · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Vinalhaven
24% of Vinalhaven’s land is conserved: 3,555 acres
234 acres are parks and preserves, 193 per 1,000 residents. 35 miles of mapped trail cross Vinalhaven, 1.5 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: The Basin Preserve (3.6 mi), North Perry Creek Preserve (3.6 mi), A.W. Smith Preserve (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
24%
3,555 acres · of 23.5 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
234 ac
193 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
57%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
180 ft
Middle Mountain
Lakes & rivers
17
7 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Vinalhaven?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Vinalhaven have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Vinalhaven is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Vinalhaven’s overall grade.
Conserved land24% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land193 acres of park per 1,000 residents (234 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13AParks close to home57% of residents within a half mile of a park · ME 30% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
Water is more than half of Vinalhaven’s area (145 of 169 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 3%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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
The longest trail network is The Basin Preserve, with 3.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
North Perry Creek Preserve
Managed by Vinalhaven Land Trust
338 acres3.6 mi of trail
Round the Rocks TrailRidge Trail LoopNorth Shore TrailOrchard Cove Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
A.W. Smith Preserve
Managed by Vinalhaven Land Trust
304 acres2.2 mi of trail
Fox Rocks TrailsSouth Shore TrailMooring TrailIndian Ladder Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lower Mill River Preserve
Managed by Vinalhaven Land Trust
49 acres1.5 mi of trail
Lower Mill River
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Huber Preserve
Managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust
108 acres1.2 mi of trail
Huber Preserve Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Round Pond Trail
Managed by Vinalhaven Land Trust
62 acres1.2 mi of trail
Round Pond Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lane's Island Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
42 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Middle Mountain Town Park
Park
84 acres1 mi of trail
Long Cove Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 34 parks & preserves
The Basin Preserve682 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
North Perry Creek Preserve338 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
A.W. Smith Preserve304 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Lower Mill River Preserve49 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Huber Preserve108 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Round Pond Trail62 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Lane's Island Preserve42 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsMiddle Mountain Town Park84 acres · 1 mi of trail
Tip Toe Mountain Preserve38 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
DirectionsMarcuse Wetlands Preserve54 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Granite Island Preserve44 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Armbrust Hill Town Park24 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Eleanor L. Campbell Preserve36 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Carrying Place Preserve11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Geary's Beach Town Park58 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Starboard Rock Preserve20 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Whitmore Pond Sanctuary5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Watershed Preserve96 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Tip Toe Mountain Town Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPenobscot Island Preserve246 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge103 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Alan E. Hutchinson Wildlife Management Area60 acres · Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Barney's Point Preserve48 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Brimstone Islands Preserve40 acres · The Nature Conservancy
David's Island Preserve26 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Isle Au Haut Mountain Town Park19 acres
Booth's Quarry Town Park7 acres
Lawson's Quarry Town Park4 acres
DirectionsKintner Salt Marsh4 acres · Vinalhaven Land Trust
Grimes Park4 acres
DirectionsLittle Smith Island Preserve3 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Boy Scout Point Town Park3 acres
Heller Field2 acres · Vinalhaven Land Trust
DirectionsNarrows Town Park1 acres
Who protects it
3,555 conserved acres
24% of Vinalhaven’s land. Water is left out: Vinalhaven has 23.5 square miles of land and 145.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Vinalhaven’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits4,482 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service456 ac
National Park Service384 ac
State parks97 ac
Joint84 ac
Regional agency82 ac
State fish & wildlife74 ac
Private Conservation · 2,007 acConservation Easement · 1,982 acUnknown Easement · 1,319 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 456 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 375 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,468 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 97 of 177 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Basin Preserve Private Conservation | State parks | 706 | Restricted |
| Penobscot Island Private Conservation | Not recorded | 250 | Unknown |
| Unknown Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 250 | Closed |
| Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 248 | Restricted |
| Perry Creek Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 237 | Closed |
| Basin Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 218 | Unknown |
| Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 209 | Restricted |
| Huber Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 99 | Restricted |
| Basin - Otter Pond Lot Private Conservation | Not recorded | 81 | Unknown |
| Lanes Island Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 79 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
31 places to go in Vinalhaven
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Vinalhaven
Big White Beach
DirectionsBrimstone Beach
DirectionsEleanor L. Campbell Preserve Polly Cove Beach
DirectionsPlus 4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Vinalhaven
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Vinalhaven
Public Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Vinalhaven
Vinal Falls
DirectionsPeaks in Vinalhaven
Middle Mountain180 ft elevation · In Middle Mountain Town Park
DirectionsIsle Au Haut Mountain177 ft elevation
DirectionsBasin High Mountain154 ft elevation
DirectionsBarley Hill118 ft elevation
DirectionsArmbrust Hill110 ft elevation · In Armbrust Hill Town Park
DirectionsCooms Hill102 ft elevation
DirectionsStarboard Rock98 ft elevation · In Starboard Rock Preserve
DirectionsFox Rocks95 ft elevation
Directions6 more peaks
Dushane Hill69 ft elevation
DirectionsShag Roost66 ft elevation · In Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsTiptoe Mountain59 ft elevation · In Tip Toe Mountain Preserve
DirectionsWestern Head59 ft elevation · In Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsLittle Tip ToeIn Tip Toe Mountain Town Park
DirectionsMiddle Tip ToeIn Tip Toe Mountain Preserve
DirectionsCampgrounds in Vinalhaven
4 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 17 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 8.9 mi
Lower Mill River1.5 mi
Huber Preserve Nature Trail1.2 mi
Round Pond Trail1.1 mi
Red Path1.0 mi
Fox Rocks Trails1.0 mi
Marcuse Wetland Trail0.8 mi
Long Cove Loop Trail0.8 mi
Round the Rocks Trail0.8 mi
South Shore Trail0.7 mi
Ridge Trail Loop0.6 mi
15 more trails
Loop Trail
0.6 miNorth Shore Trail
0.6 miEleanor L. Campbell Preserve
0.6 miShore Loop Trail
0.6 miOrchard Cove Loop
0.5 miCarrying Place Preserve Trail
0.4 miMiddle Tip Toe Trail
0.4 miRoy Dyer Trail
0.4 miMidcreek Trail
0.4 miIndian Ladder Trail
0.3 miBlue Path
0.3 miScenic Loop
0.3 miStarboard Rock trail
0.3 miStory Trail
0.3 miMooring Trail
0.3 miBiking & 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
6Tennis
1Soccer
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Vinalhaven Galamander, TheObject · listed 1970
About itStar of Hope LodgeBuilding · listed 1982
About itBrowns Head Light StationBuilding · listed 1983
About itUnion Church of VinalhavenBuilding · listed 1984
About itHeron Neck Light StationDistrict · listed 1988
About itMount Desert Light StationDistrict · listed 1988
About itSaddleback Ledge Light StationStructure · listed 1988
About itVinalhaven Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1989
About itMurch Family HouseBuilding · listed 1993
About itMoses Webster HouseBuilding · listed 1998
About itPleasant River Grange No. 492Building · listed 1999
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Vinalhaven: 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 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 32 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 69 | 75 | 74 | 67 | 56 | 46 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 5.0 |
August is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 75 °F). 5.3 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Vinalhaven →
Next door
Vinalhaven and its neighbors
Vinalhaven has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinalhaven | 24% | 1.5 | 193 | 57% | A |
| North Haven | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Matinicus Isle plantation | — 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 | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Vinalhaven
Where can I hike in Vinalhaven?
The longest trail networks: The Basin Preserve, 3.6 miles; North Perry Creek Preserve, 3.6 miles; A.W. Smith Preserve, 2.2 miles; Lower Mill River Preserve, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Vinalhaven is conserved land?
24% of its land, against a typical 6% for a Maine town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Vinalhaven’s trails?
The Basin Preserve and North Perry Creek Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Vinalhaven?
3,850 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Vinalhaven or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 234 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Vinalhaven have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Vinalhaven 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 →