The southernmost green area of Campobello Island is this 1200-hectare park. Its biggest visitor attraction is the Roosevelt Cottage , the 34-room lodge where Franklin D Roosevelt grew up (between 1905 and 1921) and visited periodically throughout his time as US president (1933–45). The tomato-red Arts and Crafts–style structure is furnished with original Roosevelt furniture and artifacts. Adjacent Hubbard House , built in 1898, is also open to visitors. The grounds are open all the time, and you can peek through the windows when the doors are closed.
The park is just 2.5km from the Lubec bridge, and from the Roosevelt mansion's front porch you can look directly across to Eastport, Maine. You'd hardly know you were in Canada.
Unlike the manicured museum area, most of the international park has been left in its natural state to preserve the flora and fauna that Roosevelt appreciated so much. A couple of gravel roads meander through it, leading to beaches and 7.5km of nature trails. It's a surprisingly wild, little-visited part of Campobello Island. Deer, moose and coyote call it home, and seals can sometimes be seen offshore on the ledges near Lower Duck Pond, 6km from the visitors center. Look for eagles, ospreys and loons.
