Lighthouses

Spectacular Camden Area Lighthouses

Lighthouses are an integral part of Maine’s seagoing history. With hundreds of jagged peninsulas and islands, Maine has nearly 3,500 miles of coastline – the fourth most miles of coastline among all the states in America. Since the late 1700s, lighthouses have provided invaluable navigational assistance as beacons of hope and warning for seagoing vessels along the Maine coast.

Today, more than 60 lighthouses dot the Maine coastline, and almost all of them are still in use. While their utility has diminished over time with advances in navigational technology, the historical significance of Maine’s lighthouses endures. That history, combined with the striking beauty of the lighthouses and their coastal locations, are a major source of attraction for persons wanting to connect with an important element of Maine’s seafaring past and present-day charm.

Camden is centrally located among several of the most spectacular lighthouses in Maine. There are six lighthouses located within a 45-minute drive from Camden, while several others in the Mid-Coast region can be reached with a little bit more time and effort. The lighthouses closest to Camden are described below.

• Curtis Island Light is located in Camden on town-owned Curtis Island at the entrance to the harbor. The lighthouse station was established in 1835, and the current lighthouse was built in 1896. The lighthouse, which is still active, can be viewed from the water aboard schooners, sloops and other excursion boats and on the mainland from a public access path off Bay View Street about 50 feet past Beacon Avenue as one travels away from the village.
• Indian Island Light, also sometimes referred to as Beauchamp Point Light, is located in the adjacent town of Rockport on privately-owned Indian Island at the entrance to the harbor. The lighthouse station was founded in 1850, and the existing lighthouse was constructed in 1875. The lighthouse, which is now inactive, can be viewed on the water from sightseeing boats and from the mainland at the Rockport Marine Park located at 111 Pascal Avenue.
• Rockland Breakwater Light is located in the nearby town of Rockland at the end of a nearly mile-long, granite-block breakwater stretching from the northern entrance to the harbor. The lighthouse station was established in 1827, and the current lighthouse was built in 1902. The lighthouse, which is still in use, can be visited by walking across the massive granite blocks of the breakwater from its starting point at the end of Samoset Road. The lighthouse is accessible year-round and is open on weekends during the summer and fall. For more information, visit rocklandharborlights.org.
• Owls Head Light is located in the nearby community of Owls Head, a short drive south from Camden, at the southern entrance to Rockland harbor. The lighthouse station was founded, and the lighthouse was constructed, in 1825. The lighthouse, which is still active, can be reached by walking along a short dirt road from the parking lot in Owls Head State Park. The lighthouse is open on Wednesdays and weekends during the summer and fall. For more information, visit rocklandharborlights.org.
• Marshall Point Light is located near the fishing village of Port Clyde, a short drive south from Camden. The lighthouse station was established in 1832, and the existing lighthouse was built in 1858. Several years ago, the lighthouse achieved a degree of popular acclaim as the place where Tom Hank’s character in the eponymous movie Forrest Gump ended his cross-country run. The lighthouse, which is still in use, is located at the end of Marshall Point Road immediately south of Port Clyde. The lighthouse and a museum in the former keeper’s house are open daily throughout the year. For more information, visit marshallpoint.org.
• Grindle Point Light is located on Islesboro Island, a long, narrow island in upper Penobscot Bay. Islesboro can be reached by a car ferry that runs out of Lincolnville, a short distance north of Camden. The lighthouse station was founded in 1851, and the current lighthouse was constructed in 1874. The lighthouse, which is still in use, is located in Gilkey Harbor adjacent to the ferry landing on the western side of Islesboro. The lighthouse is accessible year-round and an adjacent museum in the former keeper’s house is open in July and August.

In addition, one can learn more about Maine’s lighthouses by visiting the Maine Lighthouse Museum in nearby Rockland. The museum houses the largest collection of Fresnel lighthouse lenses and the most important landmark collection of lighthouse artifacts and Coast Guard memorabilia in the United States. The museum is located at One Park Drive in downtown Rockland and is open at varying times depending on the season. For more information, visit mainelighthousemuseum.com.

During your stay in Camden, we hope you will make it a point to visit our nearby lighthouses and lighthouse museums. They are vivid reminders of Maine’s rich seafaring history and exquisite symbols of the confluence between man and nature in our little corner of the world.