The Ultimate Maine Lighthouse Driving Tour Itinerary (By a Local!)
If you want to plan the ultimate Maine lighthouse driving tour, you are in the right place! I grew up exploring the coast of Maine and its beautiful lighthouses, allowing me to provide you with the best itinerary. Maine has 65 lighthouses along its 3,500 miles of coastline, and each one is beautiful in its own way. You can find lighthouses on cliffs, islands, beaches, and breakwaters.
Although it would take a long time to see every lighthouse in Maine, you can see the best ones in a week! And you can enjoy the beautiful coastal towns during your road trip. This guide has everything you need to know about the best Maine lighthouse driving tour!
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Things to Know About a Maine Lighthouse Driving Tour
How Many Lighthouses Are in Maine?
Maine has 65 lighthouses along its coast, and many are open to the public. Maine has historical lighthouses on cliffs, beaches, and breakwaters along the coast, ranging from large lighthouses with keeper’s quarters and museums to small lighthouses with only a tower.
Although not all lighthouses are accessible by land, you can enjoy the island lighthouses on boat cruises. Some lighthouses you can go into while others you can enjoy from the outside, but you will not be disappointed visiting each one! Every Maine lighthouse is beautiful in its own way, no matter how big or small.
What Are the Best Lighthouses in Maine?
Although every lighthouse in Maine is beautiful, below are the best ones, in my opinion, and the ones I recommend adding to your driving tour itinerary.
Nubble Lighthouse
Portland Head Light
Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse
Bug Light (also known as Portland Breakwater Light)
Doubling Point Lighthouse
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
Marshall Point Lighthouse
Owls Head Lighthouse
Rockland Breakwater Light
Bass Harbor Head Light Station
West Quoddy Head Light
How Long Does The Driving Tour Take?
If you wanted to visit all 65 lighthouses in Maine, it would likely take a long time since Maine has over 3,500 miles of coastline, and many lighthouses are on small islands off the coast. If you focus on the best lighthouses in Maine I mentioned above, I recommend taking at least 6-8 days to drive up the coast. Many of the lighthouses also take some time to get to because they are in bays along the coast.
Although you can have a short road trip, you would have less time to enjoy the other fun activities in the coastal towns. You could also break the Maine lighthouse driving tour into multiple road trips if you are short on time. No matter how many lighthouses you decide to visit and how long you make your road trip, you will quickly fall in love with Maine’s coast and lighthouses!
When is the Best Time to Visit Maine’s Lighthouses?
Since many of the lighthouses in Maine along the coast are accessible year-round, you can enjoy a driving tour in any season! Summer and fall are the best times to plan your driving tour because the weather is beautiful, and the outdoor activities are endless. Fall also offers vibrant foliage along the coast. The only downside is the crowds are high in the summer and fall.
Late spring is one of my favorite times to visit Maine’s lighthouses as everything begins to bloom because it has fewer crowds than summer. If you want to explore the lighthouses with fewer crowds, winter is the perfect season to do the driving tour. Although winter in Maine is cold and some restaurants and shops along the coast close for the season, it is a fantastic time to enjoy a driving tour to its lighthouses, especially with fresh snow.
Maine Lighthouse Map For Your Driving Tour
Maine Lighthouse Driving Tour Itinerary Overview
Day 1
Nubble Lighthouse
Two Lights Lighthouse
Portland Head Light
Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse
Bug Light (also known as Portland Breakwater Light)
Day 2
Doubling Point Lighthouse
Boothbay Harbor
Day 3-4
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
Marshall Point Lighthouse
Owls Head Lighthouse
Rockland Breakwater Light
Camden Hills State Park
Day 5-6
Bass Harbor Head Light Station
Acadia National Park
Day 7
West Quoddy Head Light
Quoddy Head State Park
The Best Maine Lighthouse Driving Tour
Day 1: Southern Maine Lighthouses
Driving Time: 1.5 hours (starting in York)
Accommodations: Portland
Although Southern Maine is known for its beautiful sandy beaches, it is home to beautiful and iconic lighthouses in Maine. The lighthouses are among the most visited in the state, and for good reasons! Each lighthouse is gorgeous, sitting along the rocky coastline.
One lighthouse is in a small beach town in Southern Maine, while the others are near downtown Portland. Once you explore the lighthouses, you can enjoy a delicious dinner in Portland and walk around the shops and downtown.
Nubble Lighthouse is in the beach town of York and is one of the most picturesque lighthouses in Maine! It sits on a small island, and although the grounds and lighthouse are not open to the public, you can view it from Nubble Point.
Two Lights State Park is one of the most visited state parks in Maine and is home to beautiful lighthouses and trails along the rocky coastline. Two Lights State Park was named after two twin lighthouses built in 1828. Although only one is active (the other is a home), you can see them from the rocky coast at the end of Two Lights Road near On the Rocks at Two Lights.
Portland Head Light is the most iconic lighthouse in Maine, sitting in the 90-acre Fort Williams Park on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean. It is so picturesque that it is among the most photographed lighthouses in the US! You can enjoy views of Portland Head Light from the surrounding park or get an up-close and personal experience by walking around the base of it. Because this is one of the most popular lighthouses in Maine, it always has crowds. I recommend arriving earlier in the day to enjoy it with fewer crowds.
Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse is a short drive from Portland Head Light and another one of the most visited lighthouses in Southern Maine. Although small, it is beautiful, sitting on a 950-foot breakwater. You can enjoy the views from the shoreline or walk along the breakwater to get an up-close and personal experience with the lighthouse.
Bug Light (also known as Portland Breakwater Light) is the final lighthouse to visit on the first day of the Maine lighthouse driving tour and is also the smallest, standing at 26 feet tall. It sits in the 9-acre Bug Light Park and is considered one of the most elegant lighthouses because of its architecture. You can walk along the small breakwater to get close to the lighthouse and enjoy panoramic views of the Portland skyline.
Day 2: Boothbay Harbor Lighthouses and Tours
Driving Time: 1.5 hours (starting in Portland)
**Accommodations: **Boothbay
The second day of this Maine lighthouse driving tour explores one lighthouse by land and multiple by boat cruise. You will spend most of the day exploring the beautiful coastal town of Boothbay Harbor, where you will leave for your boat tour, eat delicious food, and enjoy ocean views.
Boothbay has many fun boat cruises, so if you want to skip out on boating near lighthouses, you can enjoy a sunset cruise or wildlife viewing cruise. The options are endless!
Note: If you want to skip Boothbay, I recommend combining this day with the next day and exploring multiple lighthouses in one day.
Doubling Point Lighthouse is one of the smallest lighthouses on this driving tour but does not lack beauty, sitting along the Kennebec River. The lighthouse is in a private neighborhood and is only open from 9 am-5 pm. It is a short walk from the parking area to the Doubling Point Lighthouse, where you can get an up-close and personal experience with the small lighthouse.
Boat cruises are some of the best ways to experience lighthouses on islands, see wildlife, and go whale watching. Boothbay Harbor has many cruises, with one of my favorites being Cap’n Fish’s. You can spend two hours cruising around the harbor and enjoying views of nearby lighthouses, including Hendricks Head Lighthouse, Cuckolds Light, and Burnt Island Light. You also have the chance to see wildlife and learn about the nearby islands. If you do not want to visit more lighthouses for the day, they also have sunset cruises, puffin cruises, and whale-watching cruises.
Days 3-4: MidCoast Maine Lighthouses
Driving Time: 3 hours (starting in Boothbay Harbor)
These next two days of your lighthouse driving tour have a lot of driving but bring you to four breathtaking lighthouses. You can break these two days up however you want and enjoy everything MidCoast Maine offers! If you want to make the drive a little shorter or only spend one day in this area, I recommend skipping either Pemaquid Point Lighthouse or Marshall Point Lighthouse.
But if you have the time, I recommend visiting all four lighthouses! Each lighthouse is unique and beautiful, sitting along the coast. You can also enjoy boat cruises out of Rockland and Camden or hiking in Camden Hills State Park. You will quickly fall in love with these beautiful coastal towns!
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is the most visited lighthouse in the area and will not disappoint. The historic lighthouse sits on the tip of Pemaquid Neck, providing beautiful ocean views. There is a small entrance fee to go on the property and enjoy an up-close and personal experience with Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, but you can also enjoy a view of it from nearby cliffs near The SeaGull Restaurant.
Marshall Point Lighthouse is one of the most picturesque lighthouses in MidCoast Maine, despite its small size. It was also in Forest Gump, where he finished his run across the country. The small lighthouse is accessible via a short walkway just beyond the Keeper’s House property and is the perfect place to watch the sunrise or sunset!
Owls Head Lighthouse is one of my favorite lighthouses in the area because it is elegant and picturesque. The lighthouse sits on a cliff in Owls Head State Park, overlooking Rockland Harbor. The hike is 0.5 miles round trip and relatively easy, making it great for the entire family! Once you arrive at Owls Head Lighthouse, you can walk to the top of the stairs to get close to it and enjoy the views of the harbor.
Rockland Breakwater Light is the final lighthouse to visit and one of the most popular in the area. It sits on a mile-long breakwater you can walk along to get an up-close and personal experience with the lighthouse. It is also a great area to see seals on nearby rocks if you are lucky! The mile-long hike is not too strenuous since the breakwater is in great shape, but if you do not want to walk to it, you can enjoy views of it from the shoreline.
Camden Hills State Park is one of the most beautiful areas in MidCoast Maine, offering mountains overlooking the ocean. The 5,710-acre park overlooks Penobscot Bay and offers miles of beautiful trails. You can enjoy a hike to Mount Megunticook, Mount Battie, or Maiden Cliff. If you want to skip hiking, you can enjoy a scenic drive to Mount Battie instead! The views from the state park are breathtaking and will become some of your favorites in the area.
Days 5-6: Acadia National Park Lighthouse
Driving Time: 2 hours+ (starting in Camden)
Accommodations: Bar Harbor
These next two days on this Maine lighthouse driving tour explore the only national park in New England, Acadia National Park. Despite being located on Maine’s coast, the 49,000 acres of Acadia National Park are not known for the typical Maine attractions. Acadia National Park instead offers a uniqueness not found anywhere else in the state, which is one of the reasons it is in the most visited national parks every year despite being one of the smallest!
Acadia National Park offers coastal views, rocky beaches, dramatic cliffs, and beautiful mountain views and has activities for the entire family! Whether you want to drive to the tallest mountain for sunrise, walk along its rocky cliffs, spend a day at the beach, or hike around the park, there is something for everyone.
Bass Harbor Head Light Station is in the southwest section of Acadia National Park and is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the area. The lighthouse is at the end of a short trail, where you can enjoy views of it sitting on the rocky coast. Some of the best times to visit Bass Harbor Head Light Station are at sunset or sunrise because the views along the ocean are unmatched.
Sand Beach is one of the most popular areas in Acadia National Park for good reasons! The scenic beach surrounded by cliffs is the perfect place to picnic, swim, or relax. If you want to hike, the 1.6-mile Great Head Trail is perfect.
Thunder Hole is a small area carved out of rocks with a thunder sound when waves crash into it. If the ocean is calm, you will not hear the loud sound, but on a day when the waves are big, especially after a storm, you will be impressed by the sound!
Otter Cliff is one of the most-visited cliffs in the park, offering beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding cliffs. Otter Cliff sits 110 feet tall and is one of the highest headlamps north of Rio de Janeiro! You can take in the views from the cliffs or enjoy a walk along the Ocean Path Trail.
Jordan Pond is one of the most beautiful ponds in Acadia National park, sitting at the base of the North Bubble and South Bubble Mountains. You can enjoy the views from the pond or hike an easy trail around it.
Cadillac Mountain is the tallest mountain in the park and the best sunrise spot. During certain times of the year, Cadillac Mountain is one of three places in Maine to see the sunrise first in the US! You can drive to the summit via the Cadillac Summit Road if you make a vehicle reservation in advance. Once at the top, you can walk along the 0.5-mile Cadillac Summit Loop to enjoy panoramic views.
Day 7: The Last Lighthouse in Maine
Driving Time: 2.5 hours (starting in Bar Harbor)
Accommodations: Lubec
The final day of this Maine lighthouse driving tour explores the last lighthouse on the coast. If you do not mind a long drive to the border of Canada, I promise you will not be disappointed. Lubec is a small town but does not lack beauty or things to do!
The coastal town has a beautiful lighthouse, hiking trails, whale watching, birding, and eco-tours. You can spend your day exploring West Quoddy Head Light, hiking in Quoddy Head State Park, kayaking, or going on guided boat trips. You will quickly fall in love with this quaint town!
West Quoddy Head Light is the easternmost point of the contiguous US and is one of the most beautiful lighthouses in Maine, in my opinion. Although it is far from the other lighthouses, it does not lack beauty and is worth the drive. West Quoddy Head Light has a keeper’s house attached to the stripped lighthouse overlooking the ocean. The grounds are beautiful and the perfect place to enjoy the sunrise or sunset.
Quoddy Head State Park is a great place to hike if you want another fun outdoor activity. The 532-acre park has over four miles of trails through bogs and forests. The views from the trails are breathtaking, overlooking the ocean and giving you an opportunity to see a whale!
If you want to plan an epic road trip to experience the lighthouses in Maine, this guide is the perfect place to start planning! It has everything you need to know about the best Maine lighthouse driving tour.
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!
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