Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge

About Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge

Franklin island was acquired by the U.S. Government in 1806 and the construction of the lighthouse was completed in 1808 for aids to navigation. The third established lighthouse on the coast of Maine, it marked the way for sailors form Pemaquid southwest to Thomaston and throughout Muscongus Bay. The U.S. Coast Guard manned the lighthouse for 160 year before automating it in 1967. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the island in 1973 from the Coast Guard and established Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Coast Guard to this day still maintains the automated lighthouse tower aids to navigation.Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge is a 12 acre island located in Muscongus Bay, six miles off shore from the Town of Friendship, in Knox County, Maine. The island has a very acidic, organic duff soil layer over glaciated granite and schists. Maximum elevation is 35 feet, and the average tidal range around the island is nine feet. Covered with eight acres of spruce trees and four acres of raspberry thickets, rugosa rose, and various grasses and forbs the island once supported one of the largest common eider colonies in Maine.Franklin Island was listed on the State Register of Critical Areas in October 1977 for its unique value to nesting eiders. Registry Title is "Franklin Island Eider Nesting Area".Unfortunately the eider colony was decimated by avian cholera in the mid 1980’s. Today osprey, herring, greater black-back gulls, black-crowned night heron, black guillemot, Leach’s storm-petrel and a small population of eiders continue to nest on the island.

How to Get There

Franklin Island lies six miles off the coast from the town of Friendship. The island can be accessed by personal boat only. Franklin Island is open during daylight hours from September 1 to March 31 and closed to public access during the seabird nesting season from April 1 to August 31. For more information, contact Refuge Manager at (207)236-6970.

Plan Your Visit to Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Franklin Island National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)