Saint Croix Island International Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

QUICKLINKS:

The Beginning of a Permanent European Presence in Northern North America

The winter of 1604-1605 on Saint Croix Island was a cruel one for Pierre Dugua’s French expedition. Iced in by freezing temperatures and cut off from fresh water and game, 35 of 79 men died. As spring arrived and native people traded game for bread, the health of those remaining improved. Although the expedition moved on by summer, the European presence in northern North America had begun.

		Facility Development Plan The National Park Service is developing a plan to guide treatment of existing buildings and possible development of new facilities on the mainland at Saint Croix Island International Historic Site. Starting January 5, 2009, the public is invited to review and comment on the Environmental Assessment/Assessment of Effect for the Draft Facilities Development Plan during a 30-day comment period. The National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website contains more information about the plan. more...

		Events of 1604-1605 Discover the events that took place during the short-lived, but historically important, settlement on Saint Croix Island. more...

Park ranger talks with visitors with island in background.

Discover Saint Croix Island IHS

From mid-June through August 31, an interpretive ranger is stationed at the mainland site seven days a week.

Write to

c/o Acadia National Park
P.O. Box 177
Bar Harbor, ME 04609-0177

E-mail Us

Phone

Visitor Information
(207) 454-3871

TTY
(207) 288-8800

Fax

(207) 288-8813

Climate

Halfway between the Equator and the North Pole, the site is exposed to weather conditions typical of the eastern Maine coast. Summer onshore breezes often make the area seem cooler than a temperature reading in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit (21-27 degrees Celsius) might indicate.