The Porcupine Islands are an

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arc ...

of five islands that lie in the Mount Desert Narrows of

Frenchman Bay Frenchman Bay is a bay in Hancock County, Maine, named for Samuel de Champlain, the French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its ...

in Bar Harbor, Maine. The Porcupine Islands consist of Sheep Porcupine Island, Burnt Porcupine Island, Rum Key, Long Porcupine Island, and Bald Porcupine Island.

Bar Island Bar Island () is a tidal island across from Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, United States. The uninhabited island is mostly forested in pine and birch trees and the island is now part of Acadia National Park Acadia National Park i ...

, which is part of the same geological formation, is occasionally considered a part of the Porcupines as well. All of the islands, except for Burnt Porcupine, are maintained by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

through

Acadia National Park Acadia National Park is an American national park located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor. The park preserves about half of Mount Desert Island, part of the Isle au Haut, the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula, an ...

(which is situated on the larger

Mount Desert Island Mount Desert Island (MDI; french: Île des Monts Déserts) in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 52nd-largest island in the United States, the sixth-largest island in the contiguous ...

that the archipelago comes off of). The islands also serve as nesting grounds for various sea birds, like bald eagles. The islands can be accessed through sea kayaking (or canoeing) or through local boat tours out to them.

History

The Porcupine Islands served as a hiding place for Frenchmen, during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, who were waiting to attack British ships that came through the area. During

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...

, rum runners ran back and forth from

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, and hid the smuggled rum on Rum Key.

Etymology

The name “Porcupine Islands” has been used to describe the islands since the late 1700s, and comes from the rounded shape of the islands and the puffy and needle-y appearance that the jagged pine trees give them.

References

Bar Harbor, Maine Islands of Maine {{Maine-geo-stub