Exploring the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site in Canada and the United States

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This past summer, we enjoyed a wonderful week exploring St. Andrews by the Sea in New Brunswick, Canada.  On our drive into town, we passed the Canadian side of the Saint Croix Island International Historic Park and made a note to stop on our way home. We researched the area a little bit and realized we could also explore the American side of the park, with a very short detour, once we were back in America in the state of Maine- see a good map of both areas here. Saint Croix Island was declared a national monument in 1949 and then re-designated as an international historic site in 1984. 

posing in front of the entrance sign to the view of the Saint Croix International Historic Park in Canada and Maine, USA
view of the view of the Saint Croix International Historic Park in Canada and Maine, USA

Both sites honor the 1604 expedition of Pierre Dudgua, Sieur deMons, and Samuel de Champlain who established a French settlement on the island, hoping to make it year round. Many of the 77 settlers died in the harsh winter of 1605 and the remaining settlers moved to Nova Scotia. While the island is not accessible to the public, visitors can stop at a designated area in the Canadian Site with views of the island and the American state of Maine.

me standing in front of the Canadian entrance to view of the Saint Croix International Historic Park in Canada and Maine, USA

Travel Tips for the Canadian site:

  • The public entrance is located about 15 minutes outside of downtown St. Andrews in Bayside, New Brunswick. The park is about a half hour from the Canadian/US border.
  • There is a large, gravel parking lot.
  • There are picnic tables under a shaded structure and restrooms open in season.
  • A short, gravel interpretive walking path with placards and bronze statues describes the history of the area.
  • No dining facilities on site, but lots of options in St. Andrews by the Sea- see a good list here. 
  • The area is not routinely staffed by rangers. 
  • view of the Saint Croix International Historic Park in Canada and Maine, USA

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About 30 minutes past the US/ Canada border is the Saint Croix Island International Historic Site in Calais, Maine. The land originally belonged to the Passamaquoddy tribe, who lived on the land for over 15,000 years and used the Island to store and protect food from wolves. When Pierre Dugua’s expedition in the harsh winter of 1605 killed almost half of his settlers, he decided to continue on to other parts of the area in the warmer summer months. 

Travel Tips for the American site:

  • The public entrance is about 8 miles off Route 1 in Calais, Maine.
  • There is a small parking lot in front of the Visitor Center building.
  • The Visitor Center is open Thursday through Monday from Late May through October- see up to date information on hours here.
  • The Visitor Center includes restrooms, a small gift shop, and a ranger station with activities for kids.
  • No dining facilities on site. 
posing at the edge of the American side of the view of the Saint Croix International Historic Park in Canada and Maine, USA

Things to Do on the American Side of the Site:

  • Get two national Passport Stamps for your National Parks Passport book in the Visitor Center. 
  • Earn a Junior Ranger badge by completing the JR booklet. Start in the Visitor Center by picking five foods and seeing their ranking in order to know if you would have survived in the winter of 1604 and avoided scurvy. (Hint: the top choices need to be various fruits and vegetables)
  • Watch a short video of the history of the park
  • Walk the interpretative trail (about 300 feet long) and find all seven bronze sculptures along the path that tell the start of the area.
  • See the model of the colony as depicted by Samuel de Champlain. Use the worksheet in the Junior Ranger booklet to map out your neighborhood. 
  • Walk down to the rocky beach to wade in the water– take note of the tides that reveal the Maine coastline. 

Looking for other International Historic Sites? Check out our feature of Waterton International Peace Park here and our index of National Park sites here. 

New England based, part high school English teacher, part non profit founder, part road tripper who LOVES hopping in the family SUV to explore America. Our bucket list includes National Parks, MLB stadiums, presidential libraries, and eating wherever the locals eat!

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