Jasper Beach takes its name from the polished red volcanic stones covering this Howard Cove shoreline in Machiasport, though geological analysis reveals the rocks are rhyolite rather than true jasper. Operated as a town park along Route 92, this beach showcases billions of brightly colored stones including granite, red rhyolite, and quartzite eroded from the complex volcanic formations of the Eastport and Leighton bedrock.
The beach is renowned for its musical properties, with stones creating melodious sounds as waves retreat and rocks tumble against each other. Visitors can observe active coastal processes including landward migration driven by rising sea levels, evidenced by buried vegetation, though removing stones is prohibited to protect against accelerated erosion of this unique geological feature beneath Howard Mountain's abandoned radar facility.
Machiasport visitors can dine at The Riverside Inn and Restaurant in East Machias for sumptuous dinners featuring chef-grown blueberries and herbs, The Public House at West Branch Farms for farm-to-table seasonal dishes in a rustic barn setting, or River's Edge Drive-In for fresh local seafood and soft serve ice cream in the Downeast area.
