Great Duck Island Retreat House

Only home on private, pristine wilderness island! For the adventurous!

Oceanfront vacation rental for the adventurous on spectacular Great Duck Island! Your wilderness adventure will begin in Southwest Harbor where we will arrange for a lobster boat to load your gear and bring you to the remote and rugged Great Duck Island. During the one hour trip you can visit the seal colony on Little Duck Island. [Great Duck Island House](http://www.GreatDuckIslandHouse.com) is located 10 miles offshore, due south of Acadia National Park. The island is 1 1/2miles long and 1/2 mile wide and contains 250 acres. Our property consists of 5 acres on the northeast point. Our house is the only private home on the island. The rest of the island is a bird sanctuary owned by the Nature Conservancy, except for a small piece at the southern end that has a light house, maintained by the Coast Guard, and an old lightkeeper’s house, sometimes used by College of the Atlantic bird researchers. Although closed to the public, renters have permission to explore most of the island. Great Duck Island is a blend of pointed fir forests, seaside meadows, wildflower and moss gardens, surrounded by popplestone beaches, granite cliffs and hedges of wild roses. It is the nesting habitat for a large number of birds, including bald eagles, guillemots, eider ducks, petrels and seagulls. There are also a large number of hares on the island which are often seen scurrying about. The island is a perfect place for couples or families seeking solitude and an intimate experience of nature. Naturalists, hikers, meditators, writers, photographers, painters and those wanting to pause, breathe, and live deliberately without the distractions of modern life will love this place. The beauty of this magical wilderness place: the sparkling ocean, the crashing waves, the glorious sunrises & sunsets and the amazing mountain views will nourish and restore your soul. The house is a two story, Victorian Gothic style cottage, with 1440 square feet of undivided interior space, steep roofs, 8 gables, and 2 second-story decks. It comes completely furnished. Beds are in alcove spaces on the first and second floors. There are a queen-size bed, a double bed, and a futon couch that folds open to a double bed. The ample kitchen area has a gas stove and a large gas refrigerator. Pots, pans, plates, silverware, paper towels, paper plates, paper cups, napkins and a stock of staples for cooking are provided. The house has hot and cold running water in the kitchen and bathroom. Electricity is supplied by solar panels on our shed and a back-up generator. For cool days we have 2 woodstoves, each with glass doors, allowing you to watch the glowing fire. Because of our limited water supply on the island, the house and facilities will accommodate no more than four unless a special arrangement has been made with us. We require that there be a minimum of two adults. For more information please go to our website: [Great Duck Island House](http://www.GreatDuckIslandHouse.com) Things to do on this wilderness island: Hiking & picnicking. Bird watching – seagulls, gillemots, eagles, song birds, humming birds. Fishing from the shore (bring your own gear). Swimming (bring wetsuits - the water is cold). Exploring the woods and shores of Great Duck Island. Discover tide pools with a variety of marine plants and animals. Walk on the beautiful popplestone beaches. Star gazing. Watch sunrises and moonrises over the open Atlantic Ocean; Watch sunsets over neighboring islands to the west. Photography – beautiful views everywhere. Put up a child’s tent on one of our two wooden tent platforms. Linger over breakfast on the East deck overlooking the sparkling open ocean. Breathe in the sunset light while having dinner on the West deck. Curl up with the love of your life in front of a fire at night. Watch the moon rise over the open ocean. We welcome your visit!