Roque Bluffs State Park
Roque Bluffs, Maine · on Simpson Pond · Roque Bluffs State Park
Verified · 5 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- pond
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Yes, see below
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Roque Bluffs State Park
Roque Bluffs State Park is a 274-acre Maine state park on Schoppee Point in Washington County, offering the unusual pairing of an oceanfront sand-and-pebble beach on Englishman Bay directly beside 60-acre Simpson Pond, a shallow, stocked freshwater pond that serves as the park's swimming hole. The official park guide explicitly states visitors are welcome to swim in both Englishman Bay and Simpson Pond, two distinct places to swim, with no lifeguard on duty.
The park sits on Schoppee Point on Maine's Downeast coast, with a half-mile crescent of sand and pebbles along Englishman Bay backed by the shallow freshwater Simpson Pond, picnic areas and a children's play area between the two. A three-mile trail network (Houghton's Hill, Mihill, Pond Cove, Blueberry Camp, Larry's Loop, and Starr trails) runs through old orchards, fields, and woods along the rocky shores of Great Cove and Pond Cove. Glacial striations are visible in bedrock at the beach's eastern end, and the park is Stop #29 on Maine's Ice Age Trail.
Swimming at Roque Bluffs State Park
Simpson Pond offers shallow, sheltered, comparatively warm freshwater swimming right beside the parking and picnic area, described in the official guide as a warmer alternative to the 'bracing' saltwater of adjacent Englishman Bay. The pond is also stocked with brook and brown trout and has rental kayaks available. No lifeguard is provided at either the pond or the ocean beach.
How to get to this swimming hole
From the south: turn right off Route 1 onto Roque Bluffs Road in Jonesboro, continue 5 miles to a T-intersection, turn right and continue south on Roque Bluffs Road to Schoppee Point. From the north: turn left on Roque Bluffs Road about one mile south of Machias town center and continue 8 miles to the village of Roque Bluffs (trailhead parking) or continue down Schoppee Point Road to reach the beach/pond parking and boat launch.
Parking: Accessible parking available at the main trailhead (in Roque Bluffs village, a quarter-mile from the beach), and separate parking lots at the beach/pond area and the boat launch at the end of Schoppee Point Road.
The hike in
- To the water
- Effectively 0 mi, the beach/pond parking lot sits directly beside Simpson Pond and the Englishman Bay beach (a short walk of well under a tenth of a mile, described by one visitor as 'steps from the action').
- Time on foot
- 1-2 minute walk from the beach/pond parking lot to the water.
No hike is needed to reach either swimming area. Separately, the park has its own 3-mile network of hiking trails (Houghton's Hill 0.8 mi, Mihill 1 mi, Pond Cove 0.8 mi, Blueberry Camp 0.2 mi, Larry's Loop, and the 0.3-mi Starr Trail connecting the beach area to the network) through fields, old orchards, and woods along Pond Cove and Great Cove, these are for scenic hiking, not required for swim access, and start from a separate trailhead lot a quarter-mile up the hill in Roque Bluffs village.
This is a drive-up swimming spot; both the pond and the ocean beach are reachable directly from dedicated parking without hiking.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Simpson Pond is shallow and warm with a gentle, grassy-picnic-area shoreline right next to the parking lot, which suits young kids for wading/splashing. However, the official park guide is explicit that no lifeguard is on duty at either the pond or the adjacent ocean beach, so parents need to supervise directly. The saltwater Englishman Bay side is described as 'bracing' (cold) and open-water, and anglers casting from that beach are told to watch for nearby swimmers, both good things to be aware of with kids in the water.
Parking
Paid
Two main lots: (1) the main trailhead lot in Roque Bluffs village, about a quarter-mile from the beach/pond, used mostly for hikers accessing the 3-mile trail network; (2) a beach/pond parking lot immediately adjacent to Simpson Pond and Englishman Bay beach (described by a visitor as 'easy parking just steps from the action'), plus a separate small lot at the trailerable boat launch at the end of Schoppee Point Road. Day-use fee is collected via an honor-system deposit box at the picnic-area parking lot; the exact dollar amount was not stated in the sources found (annual Maine State Park passes are also accepted).
Restrooms
Yes
Accessible privies (vault/pit toilets, no running water) at the beach/pond parking lots, per the official Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands park map and guide; also marked at the boat launch area at the end of Schoppee Point Road.
Hours
Day-use only, 9 a.m. to sunset, during the park season of May 15 to October 1 (gate closed off-season, though trails and the beach remain accessible on foot year-round).
On the water
Restrictions: Simpson Pond has no boat ramp; canoes/kayaks must be hand-carried to the water. The park's own seasonal rental kayaks are restricted to use on Simpson Pond. The trailerable, motorized boat launch is a separate facility at the end of Schoppee Point Road, launching into saltwater Englishman Bay, not onto Simpson Pond, no indication that motorboats or jet skis are used on the pond itself. The state advises only experienced kayakers paddle Englishman Bay, given exposure to fog and wind, and to wear a PFD; public access to any offshore islands is not guaranteed since the state does not own them.
Official park guide: 'Both Englishman Bay and Simpson Pond can be explored by canoe or kayak (with rental kayaks available for use on Simpson Pond).' The pond is also used for stocked trout fishing (brook trout in spring, brown trout through summer, bait fishing in fall/winter), so anglers and paddlers/swimmers share the small pond.
Rentals nearby
Rental kayaks for use on Simpson Pond (seasonal, in-season only, May 15-Oct 1)
Simpson Pond, within the park (Schoppee Point Road, Roque Bluffs, ME)
What regulars say
One firsthand visitor account (spring 2025) described arriving on a quiet, foggy April morning with light traffic and 'easy parking just steps from the action,' and framed the appeal as choosing between the 'bracing' saltwater bay and the warmer, calmer Simpson Pond depending on preference, useful for gauging shoulder-season crowd levels. No additional visitor reports on water clarity or peak-season crowding could be gathered; that gap is flagged rather than filled with guesses.
Backstory
Land acquired in 1969 by the Maine State Park Commission using public bond proceeds. The site lies within ancestral Passamaquoddy homelands (Wabanaki). The sand/pebble beach is a rare geologic feature for this rocky stretch of Downeast coast, formed from sediment eroded off a glacial moraine; visible glacial striations make it Stop #29 on Maine's Ice Age Trail. It is one of five state park beaches in Maine's 32-unit Coastal Barrier System.
Roque Bluffs State Park: FAQ
Does Roque Bluffs State Park charge a fee?
Day-use fee via honor-system collection box at the picnic area parking lot; annual Maine State Park passes also accepted (per www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/park_passes_fees_rules/).
Is Roque Bluffs State Park kid friendly?
Simpson Pond is shallow and warm with a gentle, grassy-picnic-area shoreline right next to the parking lot, which suits young kids for wading/splashing. However, the official park guide is explicit that no lifeguard is on duty at either the pond or the adjacent ocean beach, so parents need to supervise directly. The saltwater Englishman Bay side is described as 'bracing' (cold) and open-water, and anglers casting from that beach are told to watch for nearby swimmers, both good things to be aware of with kids in the water.
Do I need to hike to reach Roque Bluffs State Park?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Roque Bluffs State Park?
Two main lots: (1) the main trailhead lot in Roque Bluffs village, about a quarter-mile from the beach/pond, used mostly for hikers accessing the 3-mile trail network; (2) a beach/pond parking lot immediately adjacent to Simpson Pond and Englishman Bay beach (described by a visitor as 'easy parking just steps from the action'), plus a separate small lot at the trailerable boat launch at the end of Schoppee Point Road. Day-use fee is collected via an honor-system deposit box at the picnic-area parking lot; the exact dollar amount was not stated in the sources found (annual Maine State Park passes are also accepted).
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Roque Bluffs State Park?
Official park guide: 'Both Englishman Bay and Simpson Pond can be explored by canoe or kayak (with rental kayaks available for use on Simpson Pond).' The pond is also used for stocked trout fishing (brook trout in spring, brown trout through summer, bait fishing in fall/winter), so anglers and paddlers/swimmers share the small pond.
When is the best time to visit Roque Bluffs State Park?
Park operating season is May 15 to October 1; summer months are described as when pipers, plovers, and gulls frequent the beach and swimming conditions are best.
What are the rules at Roque Bluffs State Park?
Open for day use only, 9 a.m. to sunset, May 15 through October 1 (gated off-season, though trails and beach remain accessible on foot). No lifeguard at the pond or ocean beach. Dogs must be leashed and are not permitted on the ocean beach. No camping, no alcohol, no open fires except at designated picnic-site fire pits/grills, no discharge of firearms near developed areas, no hunting June 1 through Labor Day. No potable water on site.
What water body is Roque Bluffs State Park on?
Roque Bluffs State Park is on Simpson Pond, a natural pond verified in USGS hydrography data.
