“Among the rocks, artists sketch, children play, and lovers whisper.”
—James Parton, 1883
Seven of the nine Isles of Shoals are privately owned while White Island, site of the nineteenth-century lighthouse, and the attached Seavey Island are owned by the state of New Hampshire. Most first-time visitors take one of the ferries for a narrated tour around the islands. A great many return for a walkabout history tour of Star, the only island directly accessible to the public in season. Those who desire the full experience usually sign on to one of the many summer conferences and stay in the 1875 Oceanic Hotel or one of the other rustic island accommodations. Others opt for a private retreat. There are also summer educational programs in marine biology at the Shoals Marine Lab on Appledore Island. There are no public accommodations, ferries, or programmed tours of Smuttynose Island. Visitors are welcomed during daylight hours in season and usually arrive in the tiny cove via small private boats. There are no long-term public docking facilities at the Isles of Shoals, but temporary moorings in Gosport Harbor are sometimes available.
For more information contact:
• Star Island Corporation (StarIsland.org)
• Shoals Marine Lab (sml.cornell.edu)
• Isles of Shoals Steamship Company (IslesofShoals.com)
• Island Cruises aboard the MV Uncle Oscar (UncleOscar.com)
• Portsmouth Harbor Cruises (PortsmouthHarbor.com)
• Discover Portsmouth (PortsmouthHistoy.org)
• Portsmouth Athenaeum (PortsmouthAthenaeum.org)
• Isles of Shoals Historical and Research Association (ISHRA.org)