Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on October 14, 2025.
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Of the roughly 700 lighthouses in the United States, Maine is home to 65 of them. When you see the state’s rugged coastline, you’ll quickly understand why so many are necessary- the coastal area is quite vast, rocky, and shallow which made early navigation a dangerous endeavor!
As the lighthouses along the coast are beautiful, you’ll likely want to pick a few to see during your visit. It doesn’t take long after starting to plan that you notice that some lighthouses in Maine are far more accessible than others.
This goes back to the size of the state’s coastline. While Maine is only about 300 miles north to south, the coastline actually covers an impressive 3,478 miles thanks to the many inlets and bays you can find along the way. To give some context to this figure, that is like driving from Bar Harbor to San Francisco with having a few miles to spare (50 hours drive time at highway speeds). So what may appear to be a short detour down a peninsula could become a decent drive outright and is why we think advanced planning is a must.
As we were traveling between Portland and Bar Harbor when we wanted to see some lighthouses, we had to recognize that we were already in for quite the long day driving on US-1 on its own. As such, we planned our lighthouses around those that were most accessible in an effort of time. Couple these with a few you can see just outside of these two cities directly and we ended up seeing seven Maine lighthouses.
In this one, we wanted to share those lighthouses!
We’ll start in South Portland and work our way north up the coast to Bar Harbor as you scroll through this list.
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Portland Head Light
The Portland Head Light is the quintessential Maine lighthouse. It is located in a gorgeous park (Fort Williams Park), has an equally stunning building connected to the lighthouse, is the oldest lighthouse in Maine (commissioned by President Washington and opened in 1791), and overlooks some of the most dramatic coastlines you’ll see.
But perhaps the best part is that this one is just a 15-minute drive south of Portland proper- making for a great half-day trip when staying in the city!
Beyond the lighthouse, the park is home to some hiking trails along the cliffside, the ability to see former military batteries, and of course grabbing a few Maine lobster rolls from food trucks which can often be found in the park. So if you’re looking for a spot where you can spend a bit of time simply beyond catching a glimpse of a lighthouse- this is the one to visit.
The Portland Headlight is located at 12 Captain Strout Circle in Cape Elizabeth. Visiting the park is free but the parking lots at the park are metered.
Bug Light
If you are making the trip south of Portland to check out the Portland Head Light, be sure to add on a stop at Bug Light just across the water from downtown Portland. This tiny lighthouse was constructed in 1855 (rebuilt in 1875) and was inspired by Greek architecture which you can see reflected in the design.
This one has served Portland’s harbor ever since and is not only in a scenic park for views of the lighthouse but also of the city itself!
After visiting the lighthouse, be sure to check out the Liberty Ship Memorial on the opposite side of the parking lot to learn about the area’s shipbuilding history from WWII as well as the heroes from the area who served.
The Bug Light is located at Bug Light Park in South Portland. Parking is free at the Bug Light.
Doubling Point Lighthouse
Driving to Doubling Point Lighthouse (built 1898 and moved 1899) on the Kennebec River is an experience in its own right as you will head off the main roads and onto some narrow dirt and gravel lanes before reaching the private residence where this lighthouse resides.
As of our visit in 2021, despite being located on private property the owners are gracious enough to allow visitors to view this gorgeous lighthouse (however, we view all private residence attractions as liable to change- so double check before heading out).
One of the best aspects of this one is that since it is a river lighthouse it is not located high upon a hill but rather at the end of a short pier that you can walk out on. Great for views of the lighthouse but also for river views too! This made Doubling Point Lighthouse one of our favorites stops.
Doubling Point Lighthouse is located at Doubling Point Road in Arrowsic.
