Maine gets bragging rights about being a bright spot: It’s the first place the sunrise touches each day in the Lower 48. However, where that light hits first depends on the time of year.
Since the sun rises in the east, then the first sunrise must always happen in the easternmost place – Quoddy Head State Park – right? Not so fast.
During the winter, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, which means the sun appears farther south in the sky. In the winter, that means the sun comes up beyond Grand Manan Island, blocking the horizon.
Not far away, what Cadillac Mountain lacks in longitude, it makes up for in elevation. Its peak is about 1,530 feet, giving it an edge in the race for the first sunrise, but only part of the year (October through March, according to the National Park Service).
In the summer, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun, so the sun rises farther north than in the winter. The crown for first sunrise sits on the head of Mars Hill, a little more than a half-hour drive south of Caribou.
However, for a couple of weeks around the spring and fall equinoxes, Quoddy Head State Park is indeed the first part of the Lower 48 touched by the day’s first light.
Don’t make plans to stroll past the lighthouse to take it all in, though. The park doesn’t open until a few hours after the sun comes up.
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