Walk the historic district
Sixty-three acres of Federal and Greek Revival houses, several churches and the 1823 Washington Academy building, all along the east bank of the river.
More about the village →
Washington County · Down East Maine
A good place to begin on the Bold Coast.
A white church steeple, a river, and thirty-two landmark buildings — five minutes from Machias Bay and half an hour from the best coastal driving in Maine. Here is where to eat, where to stay, and what to do with the time you have.
Photo: “East Machias, Maine” by Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
If you only have a day
Six things worth the trip
East Machias is small, so the list is short. Everything below is within a short drive of the village centre.
Stand on Jasper Beach
Billions of smooth, coloured pebbles that clatter and sing as the waves work them. Best on an incoming tide, and worth the short drive down the peninsula.
Map it →Climb the earthworks at Fort O'Brien
The site of the first naval battle of the American Revolution, on a bluff straight over Machias Bay. The earthworks are still there; so is the view.
More →Follow the Sunrise Trail
The old rail bed runs straight through the village on its way down the whole coast — flat, wooded and easy, in every season.
Trail details →Eat well, five minutes away
Machine-fresh blueberry pie, day-boat seafood, a wood-panelled dining room that's been going since 1950, and a drive-in with soft-serve.
Where to eat →Watch the sun come up in Lubec
Twenty-two miles east is the most easterly point in the country, the first sunrise in Maine, and the lighthouse everyone photographs.
Plan the drive →
The village
Where the river meets the bay
East Machias grew up around a set of falls on the East Machias River, where several mills once turned and ships were built. The village that resulted is still legible on Main Street: Federal and Greek Revival houses, a white church steeple, and the old mill sites running down into the water.
It was set off from Machias in 1826, and the historic core was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Washington Academy, an independent school founded in 1792, still looks down at the river from its 1823 building.
- The East Machias RiverFreshwater salmon and sea trout, and a walkable waterfront in the village centre.
- Atlantic salmon restorationThe East Machias Aquatic Research Center raises salmon for the Narraguagus and East Machias rivers.
- The Down East Sunrise TrailFlat, wooded rail-trail through the village on its way from Ellsworth to Pembroke.
Pick a direction
Six ways into the area
Start with whichever matches the trip you are planning.
Beaches
Water & beaches
Jasper, Roque Bluffs and the bay
The "singing beach" of smooth pebbles, a crescent of sand and freshwater at Roque Bluffs State Park, and a dozen working harbours in between.
History
Historic village
Thirty-two landmark buildings
A dense village of 18th and 19th century houses, several churches, the 1823 Washington Academy building, and four excavated mill sites — all walkable.
Eat & drink
Food & drink
Five minutes to the good stuff
Machias is the service hub: Helen's, the Thirsty Moose Cafe, Pat's Pizza, a natural-food market, and a drive-in that does local seafood and soft-serve.
Outdoors
Parks & trails
Coast, woods and open pond
Roque Bluffs State Park's unusual sand-and-pebble crescent, the Machias River corridor, Rocky Lake Public Lands and the old rail trail — all within half an hour.
Day trips
Nearby towns
Eastport, Lubec, Machiasport
Fort O'Brien at the first naval battle of the Revolution, the most easterly lighthouse in the country at Lubec, and the granite villages of Eastport and Cherryfield.
What's on
Events & festivals
A calendar worth planning around
Margaretta Days in June, the Wild Blueberry Festival in August, Farmer Fest on a farm in East Machias, and the Harvest Fair every September.
Make it easy
Three ways to spend a day
Loose plans built around what is close by. Adjust for the weather and for what you like to do.
Half day · History
The village and the bay
Walk the historic district on Main Street and the river walk past the old mill sites. Take Cutler Road to Fort O'Brien for the earthworks over Machias Bay, then finish on the Long Point Preserve loop, watching for seals and eagles.
Full day · Coast
Beaches and the Bold Coast
Start at Jasper Beach on the morning tide, then follow Route 1 south through Jonesboro to Roque Bluffs State Park for the sand-and-pebble crescent and the warm freshwater pond. Eat in Machias on the way home.
Long weekend · Border
To the border and back
Follow the coast to Cherryfield and Eastport for the most easterly lighthouse in the United States, cross to Campobello Island if you have a passport, and take in the sunrise from Lubec before returning via the Cutler coast road.
Close to home
Eat, drink and stay nearby
Riverside Inn & Restaurant
Inn and restaurant right on US Route 1 in the village — the closest sit-down dining to East Machias, with rooms upstairs.
622 Main St, East Machias, ME 04630
In village US 1
Talbot House Inn
Historic bed and breakfast in the village, a couple of minutes from the river and the Washington Academy grounds.
509 Main St, East Machias, ME 04630
In village US 1
Helen's Restaurant
A Machias institution since 1950, buying direct from local farmers, fishermen and food makers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
111 Main St, Machias, ME 04654
≈ 5 mi Machias
Thirsty Moose Cafe
Cafe and restaurant on Main Street in Machias with a wide menu — an easy stop before or after the river.
36 Main St, Machias, ME 04654
≈ 5 mi Machias
Machias River Inn
Waterfront rooms overlooking the Machias River; one of the closest places to stay to East Machias with a full breakfast.
103 Main St, Machias, ME 04654
≈ 5 mi Machias
Out the door
Nearby towns worth the drive
2.7miles
Machiasport
Fort O'Brien State Historic Site, the site of the first naval battle of the American Revolution, plus Jasper Beach and the Gates House.
4.8miles
Machias
The county seat: Burnham Tavern, a national historic site, plus the library, the harbour, shops and most of the dining.
5.4miles
Columbia Falls
Quiet village on the Pleasant River system with a working pottery, and one of the best country stores in the county.
9.6miles
Jonesboro
Historic Grange hall and Union Church on the Middle River, and the scenic byway running toward Jonesport.
16.5miles
Eastport
Granite harbour town on the Canadian border, home of the most easterly lighthouse in the United States and the tide-whipped Reversing Falls.
21.8miles
Lubec
Where the sun first rises in Maine. Campobello Island and the international border are minutes away.
Through the year
The calendar, roughly
June
Margaretta Days — Machias
The annual commemoration of the first naval battle of the American Revolution, with re-enactors, period demonstrations, and children's activities in downtown Machias.
Where: University of Maine at Machias & downtown Machias · Info: margarettadays.com
August
Machias Wild Blueberry Festival
Three days in mid-August celebrating Maine's wild blueberry crop — parade, races, music and hundreds of vendor stalls in downtown Machias.
Where: Centre Street Congregational Church, 9 Centre St, Machias · Info: machiasblueberry.com
Late August
Farmer Fest — East Machias
A family-friendly music festival at Swiftwater Farm in the town, with Down East artists, bands and farms.
Where: Swiftwater Farm, East Machias · Info: farmerfestdowneast.com
Late September
Machias Harvest Fair
Fall festival at the 1898 railroad station: seagull calling contest, rubber duck race down Bad Little Falls, pumpkin tossing, chili and cornbread, and live music.
Where: Machias Historic Railroad Station, 2 Kilton Ln
Plan your visit
Getting around and what to expect
East Machias is small enough to walk, and close enough to Machias that you rarely need a second plan.
Getting here
- By roadUS Route 1 runs through the village; Maine State Route 191 (Cutler Road) heads east to Machiasport. Bangor is about 70 miles, Bar Harbor about 54, and Bangor International Airport roughly 85.
- On footThe village centre is walkable. The Down East Sunrise Trail passes through town on the old rail bed; Machiasport, Eastport and the Roque Bluffs beach are all short walks from parking.
- Best baseMost travellers settle in Machias for the wider selection of food, lodging and services, then use East Machias as a quiet base or a stop on the Bold Coast Byway.
East Machias, Maine
Loading the local forecast…
Good to know
- Cell coverage is patchy in places — download offline maps before you leave town.
- Many rural businesses keep seasonal or reduced hours; call ahead, especially outside summer.
- Ticks and mosquitoes are real from late spring into early autumn. Cover up and use repellent.
- The Atlantic salmon run is real and worth a look — but the river is not a place to wade.
- Black bears and moose are common on back roads — take your time at dusk.
Common questions
Before you go
How long should I stay, and where should I base myself?
For a day, base yourself in East Machias and drive. For a weekend, stay in Machias — five minutes south — where the choice of inns, restaurants and services is much wider. If you want a quiet room on the water and a walk to dinner, the Machias River Inn and the Talbot House Inn are the two to look at first. See where to stay.
What can I actually do in East Machias itself?
More than the population suggests. You can walk the whole National Register historic district on Main Street, follow the river past the old mill sites, walk or ride the Down East Sunrise Trail, visit the East Machias Aquatic Research Center, and be at Jasper Beach or Fort O'Brien within about ten minutes. Full directory.
Where should we eat, including a proper dinner?
In the village, the Riverside Inn & Restaurant on Main Street is the closest option. Five minutes south in Machias you have Helen's Restaurant (a Machias fixture since 1950), the Thirsty Moose Cafe, the River's Edge Drive-In for seafood and soft-serve, Pat's Pizza, Hing Garden for Chinese, and the farm-to-table Public House at West Branch Farms. See all dining.
Is the coast actually worth driving to?
That is the whole point of being here. Jasper Beach at Machiasport is a shore of smooth, coloured pebbles that rattle and sing as the waves move them. Roque Bluffs State Park has a half-mile crescent of sand and pebbles with warm freshwater a few steps behind the cold saltwater. Eastport has the most easterly lighthouse in the United States, and Lubec has the first sunrise in Maine. Nearby towns.
Do I need a boat, a guide or a permit?
Not for most of what is on this site. Walking the village, the trails, the beaches and the historic sites needs no permit. Atlantic salmon and sea trout fishing in the East Machias and Machias rivers is subject to Maine inland fisheries rules, and some stretches of the river corridor are closed to protect the run — check with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife first. Boat launching near Machiasport and the Campobello ferry have their own arrangements. Visitor info.
How far is everything?
Machiasport and Jasper Beach are about 4–5 minutes, Machias 5, Roque Bluffs State Park 13 miles, Eastport 17, Lubec 22, and Calais at the Canadian border about 32. Bangor is roughly 70 miles, Bar Harbor 54, and Acadia National Park 45. Full distances and sample itineraries are on the day trips page.
Placement available
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East Machias sits on the route that people driving the Bold Coast Byway and US 1 actually travel. Sponsor placements are labelled, contain no tracking scripts, and reach visitors planning a trip. Inquiries: alexander@aroostook.me