Frenchman Bay
Encyclopedia
Frenchman Bay is a bay
in Hancock County
, Maine
, named for Samuel de Champlain
, the French
explorer who visited the area in 1604.
The bay is bounded on the east by the Schoodic Peninsula
, and on the west by Mount Desert Island
; parts of both are in Acadia National Park
. It contains numerous islands, the largest of which is Ironbound Island. The largest town on the bay is Bar Harbor
, on Mt. Desert.
The bay extends for roughly 15 miles (24.1 km) and spans 7 miles (11.3 km) at its widest.
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
in Hancock County
Hancock County, Maine
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 54,418. Its county seat is Ellsworth. It was incorporated on June 25, 1789...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, named for Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
, the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
explorer who visited the area in 1604.
The bay is bounded on the east by the Schoodic Peninsula
Schoodic Peninsula
The Schoodic Peninsula is a peninsula in Down East Maine. It is located four miles east of Bar Harbor, Maine, as the crow flies. The Schoodic Peninsula contains , or approximately 5%, of Acadia National Park. It includes the towns of Gouldsboro and Winter Harbor. The peninsula has a rocky...
, and on the west by Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island , in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. Though it is often claimed to be the third largest island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, it is actually second...
; parts of both are in Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is a National Park located in the U.S. state of Maine. It reserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast...
. It contains numerous islands, the largest of which is Ironbound Island. The largest town on the bay is Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...
, on Mt. Desert.
The bay extends for roughly 15 miles (24.1 km) and spans 7 miles (11.3 km) at its widest.