Maine's Boothbay Region Lighthouses
Bath, Arrowsic, Boothbay Harbor Region,
and Bristol
Regional Blog Stories | ||
Lighthouses were built along the Kennebec River to guide the traffic from the sea to Bath. Between the Kennebec River and Pemaquid Point, the Boothbay Region with its many islands and connected waterways had lighthouses built for guiding many of its local mariners along quiet harbors, and for the increasing shipping traffic between both Bath and Rockland ports.
Kennebec River and Boothbay Harbor Lighthouses
You Can Drive or Hike To
Note: Some of the lighthouses mentioned below that you can drive to can also be viewed from various boat tours offered, see Boat Tours below. Boothbay Harbor region is heavily populated during the summer with tourism.
Click any lighthouse image or link below to find out information about each lighthouse including historic snapshots, directions, more photos, and links for places to visit.
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Kennebec River and Boothbay Harbor Lighthouses
Best Viewed By Or Accessed By Boat
Click any lighthouse image or link below to find out information about each lighthouse including links for places to visit, historic snapshots, directions, boat tours, and photos.
Places to Visit: Bath to Boothbay
Kennebec River and Boothbay Harbor Regions
Visit the Maine Maritime Museum to explore historic artifacts.
| Visitors can schedule of one their many types of lighthouse cruises and nature excursions. |  |
Whie you are there, check out the incredible "Into the Lantern" room where you can feel what it is like to be looking out at the sea from a lighthouse keeper's view. The museum with it's nearly 20 acres was built on the grounds of the country’s only surviving historic wooden shipyard, which built most of the largest wooden coal schooners in the world in the early 1900s. It also has a working boat shop and a newly restored 1906 schooner to explore.
Bath promotes its historic year-round waterfront downtown set along the banks of the Kennebec River amid 19th century buildings and specialty shops.
Both Phippsburg and Parker Village are quiet fishing communities along the Kennebec River.
| If you continue south about ten miles you'll come to Popham State Park, with it's long curvy clean beach. |  |
From the beach at the village of Popham, you'll find close views of Pond Island Light, and if you happen to arrive at Popham Beach during low tide, you can actually walk out to nearby Fox Island, climb up the rock hill and enjoy some breathtaking views, along with views of Pond Island Light and of Sequin Island Lighthouse from a distance. There are boat trips offered to provide close up views of these lighthouses, and you can explore Seguin Island, which is considered to be haunted.
Over the Kennebec River Bridge in Bath, travel down 127 and you’ll find a mile hike out through marked wooded trails to Squirrel Point Lighthouse.
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From the lighthouse, visitors will find great views across the Kennebec River. |
Off Route 127 you'll find Doubling Point Light, and Doubling Point (Kennebec River) Range Lights. these are private properties but the owners may allow you to take photos if you ask. There are boat trips along the Kennebec River that allow close up views.
Wiscasset is a true New England picturesque town on the way to Boothbay Harbor area that invites many artists and writers, along with tourists on route. Visitors can explore the Wiscasset Bay Art Gallery and the Lincoln County 1812 Jail
If you’re looking for one of the best lobster rolls, stand in line in front of the bridge at Red’s Eats, it’s worth the wait.
For the automobile enthusiast and historians, visit the Boothbay Railway Village and see classic, vintage, and antique automobiles. including horseless carriages, and a steam train.
For those who enjoy hiking there are twenty wildlife preserves all around the Boothbay region peninsula. These encompass more than thirty miles of trails that include woodlands, wetlands, salt marshes, islands, and archaeological sites.
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In the Boothbay Harbor area there are plenty of different types of boat cruises. |
These special cruises cover the Kennebec River area and around the Boothbay Peninsula.
Here you can not only find many places to eat, if you look around you'll find lots of tiny places like small eateries, coffee shops, and even general stores, that look like you're visiting someone's home to enjoy great food and company.
Before entering Boothbay Harbor, at the center of Boothbay Village, if you like "lots of" fried fish, you'll find a small snack shack called Bett's Fish, where a fish sandwich is piled "many" filets deep, and tastes great too!
Hendricks Head Lighthouse is a short drive into Southport.
| The location provides a great backdrop for some of the most dramtic sunsets of the Maine coast. |  |
Drive down a few miles to Newagen and you'll find a distant view of Cuckolds Lighthouse, which can also be seen from one of the boat tours out of Boothbay Harbor.
A special treat would be to take the Balmy Days Cruises for 15 minutes out of Boothbay Harbor and spend 3 hours at Burnt Island Lighthouse. There you'll meet the keeper, his wife, and the children all dressed in the period of 1950. They all help to explain what life was like at the lighthouse in that era, the lighthouse history, and you can explore the island and be taken up the lighthouse tower. The trip and and tour occurs usually on Mondays and Thursdays during the summer season.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse region offers some of the most spectacular scenery in Maine.
| It has impressive unique rock formations that create a dramatic shoreline. |  |
On the lighthouse grounds, you can climb all around these unique rock formations that jut out to the sea. The Fisherman's Museum, which is part of Pemaquid's adjoining buildings is open during the summer months.
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Visitors can also take a tour to climb the tower for some great views with the beacon's fourth order original lens. |
Nearby, explore Pemaquid Beach, a quarter-mile jewel of white sand beach in Bristol.
Other places to visit include the Colonial Pemaquid Historic Site, where visitors will find Fort William Henry, which was once the largest in New England, and the Pemaquid Art Gallery.
Monhegan Island, located 10 miles offshore from mid-coast Maine, although not technically part of the Boothbay Harbor region (see Port Clyde -Mohegan Region on this website), it can be accessed from a couple of cruises out of Boothbay Harbor.
Boat Tours: Kennebec River and Boothbay Harbor Maine Lighthouses
Tours mentioned below offer many types of cruises. While some may offer specific lighthouse cruises in Maine's Boothbay region, some will pass by these lighthouses as part of narrated wildlife and historic tours, whale watching expeditions, fishing tours and other types of excursions.
Maine Maritime Museum
Provides frequent lighthouse tours along the Kennebec River, along with wildlife tours, and onsite workshops. At the museum they provide various historical exhibits, tours, and you can even view their exhibit of being a lighthouse keeper inside the top of a lighthouse tower.
243 Washington Street
Bath, ME 04530
Phone: (207) 443-1316
Fax: (207) 443-1665
Lighthouses: Seguin Island Lighthouse, Perkins Island Lighthouse, Squirrel Point Light. Doubling Point Light, the Kennebec Range Lights, Pond Island Light
Cap'n Fish's Whale Watch and Scenic Nature Cruises
Various trips include lighthouses all along the Kennebec River and Boothbay Harbor. During the summer season offers daily excursions to lighthouses taking various coastal route you can choose from. Also offers trips for whale watching and fishing.
Boothbay Harbor, Maine.
(207)-633-3244
(207)-633-2626
Or toll free 1-800-636-3244
Lighthouses: Seguin Island Lighthouse, Perkins Island Lighthouse, Squirrel Point Light, Doubling Point Light, Doubling Point Range Lights (Kennebec Range Lights), Pond Island Light, Cuckolds Light, Ram Island Light, Burnt Island Light, Hendricks Head Light, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.
Fish ‘N Trips
Ferry service to Seguin Island on certain days in the summer, where you can hike up to Sequin Island Lighthouse and spend the day, and they will bring you home. Also provides chartering for fishing, nature, and lobster boat tours.
P.O. Box 150
Phippsburg, ME 04562
207-841-7977
CaptEthan@fishntripsmaine.com
Lighthouses: Seguin Island Lighthouse
River Run Tours
A different and relaxed way to view lighthouses, natural rock formations, and wildlife aboard a chartered pontoon boat.
River Run Tours, Inc.
28 Walnut Point
Woolwich, Maine 04578
(207) 504-BOAT(2628)
Lighthouses: Perkins Island Lighthouse, Squirrel Point Light, Pond Island Light, Doubling Point Light, Doubling Point Range Lights, Burnt Island Light, Ram Island Light, Squirrel Island Light, Cuckolds Lighthouse, and Hendricks Head Light
Balmy Days Cruises
Offers special lighthouse tours. You can take a 3-hour tour and hike around Burnt Island, visit inside Burnt Island lighthouse and meet the keeper, his wife, and the children who will talk to you about life at the lighthouse in 1950. You can take a trip out to Monhegan Island and visit Monhegan Island Lighthouse. Other lighthouse excursions also available, along with fishing and whale watching trips.
Pier 8
42 Commercial St.
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538
(207) 633-2284 or
(800) 298-2284
info@balmydayscruises.com
Lighthouses: Burnt Island Lighthouse, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Monhegan Island Light, Squirrel Point Lighthouse
Hardy Boat Cruises
Special lighthouse cruises available over to Pemaquid Lighthouse and out to Monhegan Island.
PO Box 326
New harbor, Maine 04554
1-800-2-PUFFIN
(207) 677-2026
Lighthouses: Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and Monhegan Island Light
Sail Muscongus: Friendship Sloop Sarah Mead and Catboat Paula Anne
The Sarah Mead sails out of Spruce Point in a fully authentic wooden sloop sailboat, used as a lobster boat, includes hauling some lobster traps or checking out islands and lighthouses in Boothbay Harbor. The Paula Anne sailing catboat is an old time fishing vessel. Sailing out to the nearby islands and lighthouses.
Muscongus, ME
Phone: (207)-380-5460
Email: Captains@SailMuscongus.com (Captain Nate and Chief Randy)
Lighthouses: Ram Island Light, Burnt Island Light, Cuckolds Light, Pemaquid Point Light
Maine Experience Guide Service
For those who prefer private chartered tours, join Captain Jay Farris and his crew as they provide personal lighthouse tours up to eleven lighthouses in the Boothbay and Kennebec River regions. You can view these beacons by boat, or join in a hike to some. As part of these tours you'll learn about and may be able to view marine life, fishing villages, an old War of 1812 fort, and some coastal islands.
Captain Jay Farris
23 Commercial St.
Bath ME 04530
Phone: (207) 215-3828
Lighthouses: Seguin Island Lighthouse, Perkins Island Lighthouse, Squirrel Point Light, Fort Popham Light, Doubling Point Light, Doubling Point Range Lights (Kennebec Range Lights), Pond Island Light, Cuckolds Light, Ram Island Light, Burnt Island Light, Hendricks Head Light
Scenic Flights
Penobscot Island Air
Chartering a variety of lighthouse viewing flights.
Knox County Regional Airport
Owls Head ME 04854
Phone: (207) 596-7500
Cellular: (207) 542-4944
Fax: (207) 596-6870
info@penobscotislandair.net
Books to Explore
My self-published book is available in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for all devices.
Enjoy a 10% discount on the hardcover version. Printed and distributed globally by IngramSpark. |
The Rise and Demise of the Largest Sailing Ships: In the early 1900s, New England shipbuilders constructed the world’s largest sailing ships amid social and political reforms. These giants of sail were the ten original six-masted coal schooners and one colossal seven-masted vessel, built to carry massive quantities of coal and building supplies, and measured longer than a football field! Seven of these eleven massive vessels were built in nearby Bath, Maine along the Kennebec river. Two blog stories of the largest sailing ships shown above among many others are found in this self-published book.
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Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Northern New England: This image-rich resource provides human interest stories from each of the 76 lighthouses of northern New England, along with the coastal attractions and tours near each beacon. Contact info is provided to plan your special vacation to this poular region. A few of these lighthouses you'll also find stories of hauntings. There is also info about special sailing and boat tours all around Boothbay. Look inside! |
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| New England Lighthouses: Famous Shipwrecks, Rescues & Other Tales | This image-rich book contains over 50 stories of famous shipwrecks and rescues around New England lighthouses, and also tales of hauntings, including more details on the stories of the "Lady Ghost" haunting and the famous miracle baby rescue at Hendricks Head Light. There is also a description of the multiple hauntings at Seguin Island Light. |
You'll find this book and my lighthouse tourism books published by Schiffer Books.