7 Maine Lighthouses to Add To Your Bucket List
The coast of Maine holds perhaps one of the most scenic drives you can experience in the United States. It is home to a gorgeous rocky coast line along the Atlantic Ocean, plenty of lobster, quaint New England towns, Acadia National Park, and a plethora of iconic lighthouses. In total, the Maine coast is home to 65 lighthouses, each with a unique history and stunning view. Below you will find seven of the Maine lighthouses that you should include on your next visit!
Seven Maine Lighthouses to Visit
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Cape Neddick Lighthouse
York
The Cape Neddick Lighthouse, commonly called the Nubble Lighthouse, was built in 1879. It sits on Nubble Island, a small island about 300 feet off of Cape Neddick Point. The lighthouse is an icon, one of the most picturesque Maine lighhouses, and is listed on the most important Earth structures carried on the Voyager spacecraft.
While the lighthouse is not open to the public, you can enjoy some great views! You can find free parking in Sohier Park which will take you directly across from the lighthouse.
The Cape Neddick Lighthouse remains active and has been automatic since 1987.
Two Lights State Park
Cape Elizabeth
Two Lights State Park is home to two twin lighthouses. The two lighthouses are located next to each other off of the end of Two Lights Road. The lighthouses were built in 1828 and the state park was officially opened in 1961. The park consists of 41 acres of rocky headlands and you can get some great views of the lighthouses.
There is a small beach located within the park where you can cool off from the summer heat and plenty of of rocks to climb across and watch as the waves crash into them.
The eastern lighthouse remains active today and the Western lighthouse is inactive and is now a private residence.
Portland Head Lighthouse
Cape Elizabeth
The Portland Head Lighthouse is one of the most iconic Maine lighthouses and one of the most photographed lighthouses in the country. The lighthouse was built in 1791 at the entrance to the main shipping channel leading into the Portland Harbor.
The lighthouse is located inside Fort Williams Park. While visitors can’t climb to the top of the lighthouse there is a small museum and gift shop located at the base. Visitors can also walk around the grounds of the lighthouse and the trails within the park that offer great views of the lighthouse.
The Portland Head Lighthouse remains active and is automatic.
Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse
Portland
The Spring Point Lighthouse was built in 1897 after several ships crashed into the Spring Point Ledge in Portland Harbor. Also located at this site is the ruins of Fort Preble, sandy beaches, and a shore trail that is perfect for a relaxing stroll.
The lighthouse is open for tours during the summer months. Visitors can also enjoy walking out on the rocks and around the base of the lighthouse. There is limited parking available near the lighthouse.
The lighthouse is active and flashes a bright white light every 6 seconds.
Petite Manan Lighthouse
Bar Harbor
The Petite Manan Lighthouse was built in 1817 and is one of the tallest lighthouses in the state. It is located on Petite Manan Island between Narraguagus and Frenchman Bay.
The lighthouse is closed to the public, but can be viewed by boat. Many of the tours leaving from Bar Harbor will take you up close to the lighthouse, where you can often times see Puffins and Seals hanging out in the water.
The Petite Manan Lighthouse is active and automatic.
Egg Rock Lighthouse
Bar Harbor
Egg Rock Lighthouse is located on Frenchman Bay. The lighthouse was built in 1875 after a petition was made due to the high numbers of shipwrecks that occurred at Egg Rock.
The lighthouse is not open to the public, but can be viewed up close by boat or from a distance from Bar Harbor and Cadillac Mountain. Visitors viewing the lighthouse by boat will often times be delighted with sunbathing seals and swarms of birds hanging out near the island. The wildlife that is often spotted makes this one of the most unique Maine Lighthouses.
The Egg Rock Lighthouse is active and flashes a red light.
The Winter Harbor Lighthouse
Winter Harbor, Maine
The Winter Harbor Lighthouse is located on Mark Island. The lighthouse was built in 1856, with the keeper’s house and boathouse being added on later. The lighthouse was built near the entrance to Frenchman Bay to help guide ships in.
The lighthouse is privately owned at this time and can not be visited by the public. However, the lighthouse can be viewed by boat or from Grindstone Point in Winter Harbor or the Schoodic Penisula in Acadia National Park. While driving along the Schoodic Penisula you can get some great views of the lighthouse with Mount Dessert Island’s Cadillac Mountain in the background.
The Winter Harbor Lighthouse originally functioned with a fifth-order Fresnel Lens, but is currently inactive.
Looking for more great adventures in Maine? Why not check out Acadia National Park or take a walk through Stephen King’s real life Derry in Bangor?
About Me
I’m Melissa, but you can call me Missy. I continuously crave a new adventure and love sharing those adventures with you! My sidekick is my 5 year old daughter. Together we are conquering the world, one city at a time! Find family travel tips and guides that will help you plan your next adventure!
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I loved this post. It transported me back into the “olden days”. I was really wanting to get to Maine to do a roadtrip this year, but it doesn’t look like the borders will be opened up any time soon. I love lighthouses and would love to see all of these in person. It must be really cool to live in one.
I love lighthouses, there is something magical about them. Thanks for this awesome article, it was an absolute joy to read it! 🙂
Maine is certainly well known for it’s beautiful nature and the coastline with these lighthouses you have featured are just gorgeous. It is a shame that not all of them are open to view but there is no doubting their lovely surroundings that make it more than worthwhile to visit. With 65 lighthouses along the coastline, there would be so much to experience and enjoy.
Wow! I had no idea that there were so many lighthouses in Maine. I go to Cape May beach every year with my family (in New Jersey) and I always get quite the thrill out of seeing the 1 there. Looks like I’ve got 7 more reasons to visit Maine now! Great post !
I absolutely loved this post and it took me back to when I visited Maine! Portland Head is undoubtedly the most stunning of the lot, but like you mentioned – the view of Egg Rock Lighthouse from Cadillac mountain right after sunrise is truly memorable. After reading your post, I regret on missing out Winter Harbor Light. But will definitely add it to my itinerary for the next time!
I would love to visit Maine one day. Looks beautiful with so many forests and rocky coastline. Will just have to wait till the borders open! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Maine is somewhere that I have never really thought about travelling to as I wasn’t really sure It had much to offer. This is a great post to change my mind for sure! The coastlines and lighthouses have sold me for sure!
I love lighthouses; they hide so many secrets and are photogenic. I haven’t been to this coast as COVID interrupted my road trip. But I have the coast of Maine on my bucket list. So, I add your article to favorites. I hope to visit these lighthouses.
Maine is so beautiful! It makes me want to come explore the east coast so badly! I have been to NYC and DC but would love to explore the other states on the coast now too! Such an incredible coastline 🙂
These photos are gorgeous! I’ve always wanted to visit Maine. I’ll make sure to check some of these out if I ever do.
These lighthouses are so cute. If I ever go to Maine I definitely have a couple photography ideas that would work wonderfully with a seaside lighthouse. Love it.
Light houses and the stories of the lost sailor always intrigued us. And this coastline with 63 lighthouses definitely looks inviting. It will be a memorable experience visiting the few and enjoying the long drive.
Wow! I did not realize that there are really many lighthouses in Maine. Initially, I thought there were around 30 only. Anyway, this is something exciting and we would love to visit as many as we could. These scenery are just beautiful as if they are from the postcards. Will add these 7 to our bucket list.
I can’t get enough of lighthouses. The history and stories behind them is are mesmerising. I particularly like the Egg Rock light house in your post. I will need to see it when I travel to Maine.
I love Lighthouses – there are some awesome ones on my bucket list. Maine is definitely there. You are correct, I agree that Maine has one of the most beautiful and scenic drives in the US. It also offers one of the best destination for fall colours which I’m sure you know already.
Maine is soo scenic and gorgeous ..I bet that lighthouse view must be awesome .bar harbour looks so serene and the tiny house near it . Given a chance would have loved to stay there for sure . Oh I heard maine crabs are famous from one of my frds .. is it so? Did u try it ?
Ah! I love Maine so much. Last time I went to Portland, the lighthouse had scaffolding all around it. It was hard to get photos – boo! These are all so beautiful, and I adore the charm of Maine. I need to head back!
Maine is always a great place for a scenic drive . The houses near Portland Lighthouse , does people stays there? Also when one of my frd visited Maine , she said that the lobsters dishes found there are really great , have you tried them? Someday if I make it to USA , surely would love to visit Maine.
I want to go to Main to see the lighthouses; they are fantastic! The Winter Harbor Lighthouse looks so charming. It seems to be a peaceful place. Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse is so photogenic, too. The Petite Manan Lighthouse is so impressive. I haven’t seen such a tall lighthouse, so far. Add to my bucket list!
Such incredible photogenic lighthouses there are in Maine.The first time i stumbled across the beauty of the Maine lighthouses was when i was editing an article about the Most Scenic Destinations in the States, and then i looked up, and realized the image of the iconic Portland Head Lighthouse has been on my wall along with a bunch of other photos, for the past few months now. Someday when i get the chance to visit the states, I am definitely going to be taking a roadtrip to check out these light houses for sure.
What a beautiful collection of photogenic lighthouses and what a comprehensive guide for visiting them. Lots of useful information here. Too bad that Winter Harbor Lighthouse is privately owned and you couldn’t get to see it unclose. At least you could take some pictures from afar. The coast of Maine is one of the most scenic places I have ever visited, but unfortunately we were there only briefly and didn’t have time to go visit each one of these beautiful sites.
By default, lighthouses are always very picturesque! My daughter always has so much fun posing in front of them! Haha.
65 lighthouses in one coast? Wow! That would be one fun roadtrip for me and my daughter! Twin lighthouses? That’s cool Right now, I’m just imagining how life would be for that family living inside that private lighthouse! I hope they make it an airbnb residence. Petit Manan lighthouse looks very old, though Portland Head Lighthouse is older than that. It would be cool to spot some puffins here.
Quite a few lighthouse to see here. Petite Manan Lighthouse intrigues me the most as to why it is closed to public and the fact that you have to go by a boat. I would love to see the seals by the Egg Rock Lighthouse. On the whole, all of them are quite picturesque and would be amazing to capture at different times of the day
When I visited Maine, I only saw two lighthouses. They are such charming places. I’ll add more of these to my next Maine road trip plan. Thanks for the inspo 🙂