Sears Island

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sears Island, known as Wassumkeag or shining beach by the Indians, is located off the coast of Searsport, Maine in Waldo County at the top of Penobscot Bay.[1][2]

It is home to numerous species of birds, mammals, fish, amphibians and plant life. [3]

Named after David Sears of Boston after he agreed to grant a large sum of money towards founding of Searsport, Sears Island is currently state owned land, but is part of the town of Searsport.

The island has been a point of controversy for many years as the island is ideally located from the point of view of railroad, wood products and other development interests while others have expressed environmental and esthetic concerns about further industrializing this portion of the coast. [4]

There are currently plans to divide the island into an industrial park and education center. This is widely regarded as a sell-out on the part of the environmentalists.

The island is the largest undeveloped, uninhabited, causeway accessible, island on the eastern coast of the United States.[5]. It is 940 acres (3.8 km²) in area.

A causeway was built approximately 20 years ago which now connects Sears Island to the mainland via Sears Island Road. Visitors can drive out to the end of the causeway, and even though there is a road that travels down the center of the island to the southern tip, you can not drive on the island itself, as it is blocked off by large concrete blocks and fencing. You can however walk, hike, bike, and explore the island, not only by the road (appx. 1-mile (1.6 km) long, which offers spectacular views of Penobscot Bay, Cape Rosier/Castine, and Islesboro Island, among many others), but also by the numerous walking trails that zig-zag their way around the island. There are beautiful beaches that surround the perimeter of the island as well.

Sears Island also acts as a great element barrier for one of the most well-protected harbors in the state of Maine, Stockton Harbor, which is quickly becoming one of the most attractive anchorages in the mid-coast region not only for the protection it offers, but also it's convenience to Penobscot Bay & surrounding towns. Bar Harbor is about an hour car ride east, and both Camden and Bangor are about a half-hour south and north, respectively.

Sears Island also offers spectacular views of 2 new condo development projects on Cape Jellison, The Village at Stockton Harbor and Harbor Point on Stockton Harbor.