Mid Coast Maine Lighthouses

Maine lighthouses facinate us. To reach the one on the left in Rockland, you will walk a long granite block jetty. The jetty breaks up the waves so the boats inside the harbor are protected. Other lighthouses are on the side of a river, on a cliff, or sitting on a rock ledge.

Join Alice while she guides you to many lighthouses accessible by land or by water along the Maine coast between Cape Elizabeth and Rockland.

Her favorite greater Portland driving trip will bring you to the base of at least three lighthouses (Portland Head to the right, Spring Point in South Portland, and Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth) and from there you can see another one. We can visit one fort and see a second or if we are paddling a sea kayak we can visit forts by water and see lighthouses from the water. An optional stop is seeing a land lighthouse in Portland that we can go inside if it is open.

There are many lighthouses big and small nearby Bath and the mid-coast region. Some were used to guide ships up the challenging Kennebec River from the ocean for refitting at Bath Iron Works or other shipyards or to drop off their cargo. Doubling Point and the Kennebec Range Lights (a pair of lights) can be seen from parts of Bath or visited by car. Doubling Point is to your left.  

 There are more than 20 lighthouses between Cape Elizabeth and Camden, Maine. Some are on islands and the usual way to get there is to book passage on a regularly scheduled boat trip. Burnt Island Light and Seguin Island Light are two examples. Of course if you want to book passage on the Casco Bay Island Ferry you can see most of the Portland area lighthouses from the water. You don't need me to help you with that. 

Closer to Damariscotta we can visit Marshall Point and Pemaquid Lighthouses or drive to Boothbay and see the Cuckholds from the south end of Southport Island. 

The Cuckholds near Southport	Burnt Island Light	Marshall Point	Pemaquid Light and Bell Tower

Pond Island Light	Ram Island Light off Boothbay	Seguin Island Lighthouse	Squirrel Light on Kennebec River

 We will have a bit of driving for any customized tour, so plan at least a half day. A full day will allow you to have fun visiting and exploring. During a full day tour, we will stop for lunch either at a restaurant or have a picnic lunch that Alice has prepared or one that you have brought. Most people prefer to do some sort of picnicing because it maximizes time sightseeing. Some of the sites have admission fees, so you can choose whether or not to enter and how you want to see the different lights and structures. Prices are decided once we know how much time you have to spend, which light houses you would like to see, how many are in your party (1 - 4), how much driving we will be doing or if we are paddling. 

Be sure to bring a camera, sunglasses, water, odorless insect repellent, warm clothes or at least a windbreaker put in a small backpack. Be sure to  wear sturdy closed toed shoes to safely walk on the rocky shores and the uneven trails that get us to some of the lighthouses. The weather changes quickly and can be bright and sunny one moment, windy and cool or foggy the next, but that is part of the fun of visiting lighthouses. While its wonderful to see them on a sunny day, a day with weather gives us a better understanding of why they are where they are and usually makes the photos you'll take even better. 

If you are a paddler, you can see some of the lighthouses, forts, and other navigational aids by water. Don't expect to be able to land and visit most of the light houses, but if you have intermediate sea kayaking skills, Alice's Awesome Adventures, LLC.  can create a trip to see some of these. 

Book your lighthouse tour now!