Schoodic Point

Several levels of parking serve the point, with accessible spaces on the lowest level. From there, reach the shore by about ten uneven stone steps or a short paved route. A separate flat viewing area near the restrooms gives you an ocean view without crossing the irregular granite. The natural ledges are cracked and sloped, so this is not an easy walk for everyone; the flat view is a good option if the rocks are out of reach or uncomfortable underfoot.

Arey Cove Road leads from Winter Harbor to the point. If you're touring the main six-mile stretch of Schoodic Loop Road, remember that it is one-way and use the marked pullouts. A fare-free Island Explorer shuttle serves the point in summer.

Waves can hit the ledges hard enough to throw spray high above the rocks. Wet granite, cracks, slopes and changing surf make footing matter here. Give breaking waves plenty of space; this is a place to watch the Atlantic, not to get close to the edge for a better view.

The broad slabs are pink granite, crossed by dark basalt dikes. Look for those dark bands cutting across the pale rock. Storm waves and flood tides have worn the peninsula's exposed headlands, and the cracked shoreline makes that ongoing erosion easy to see.

Mount Desert Island lies across the water. Look for seabirds above the shore. For a useful photo, let the pink ledges lead the eye toward the open sea and the island beyond. The flat viewing area gives you the wide view; from the uneven rocks, the surf and spray become the foreground, but those conditions change with weather and tide. Don't step onto wet or exposed ledges for a shot.