Fodor's Expert Review Isle au Haut Light

The Isle au Haut Lighthouse is best seen from the water, where the Isle au Haut mailboat passes within a hundred feet of the tower. Built in 1907 as the Robinson Point Fog Station, its purpose was to guide the New England ground fishing fleet into safe harbor during northeast storms. As the most modern of the 60 lighthouses along the Maine Coast, it introduced architectural advancements unseen in other stations and featured a behemoth 42-inch fog bell hanging over the water. In 1934, as a cost-saving measure during the Great Depression, the keeper’s house was sold off. The lighthouse tower ownership was transferred from the federal government to the town in 1998. Today it is maintained by the town’s Lighthouse Committee, while still serving as a registered aid to navigation.