DOWNEAST LIGHTHOUSES
BY LAND OR BY SEA!
DownEast Acadia’ s collection of twenty-seven lighthouses attracts visitors from all over the world. These beacons still keep watch over our rocky coastline, which is home to over one-third of all the lighthouses in Maine. Use the information provided here to plan your approach— by land, or sea, or both.
Maine Open Lighthouse Day
SEPTEMBER 15, 2025
This popular annual event is sponsored by the U. S. Coast Guard, Maine Office of Tourism, and the American Lighthouse Foundation and offers visitors the rare chance to tour and learn about many of Maine’ s historic lights. Some of the lighthouses in the region include Bass Harbor Head Light, West Quoddy Head Light, Burnt Coat Harbor Light, and Baker Island Light.
LIGHTHOUSES
Machias Seal |
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Island Light |
Little River Light |
West Quoddy Head Light |
The unique red-and-white stripes of West Quoddy Head Light’ s tower stand brightly against the sky as the easternmost U. S. lighthouse meets the dawn’ s first rays. The lighthouse has a seasonal visitor’ s center, and offers seasonal tours of the tower on Saturdays. As you drive back toward the town of Lubec, you can spy off to the east the Sparkplug, also known as the Lubec Channel Light.
Bring along your passport to visit Campobello Island where you’ ll find Mulholland Light and Head Harbour Light( also known as East Quoddy Head Light). Make a day of it with a whale watch cruise and a visit to the historic Roosevelt Campobello International Park.
In Calais stands Whitlocks Mill Light, our nation’ s northernmost lighthouse, standing in a broad S-curve in the St. Croix River. The lighthouse is best viewed by land from Pikewoods Rest Area.
In Cutler, the delightfully restored Little River Light now welcomes overnight guests looking to get away from it all. You can also book a stay at Burnt Coat Harbor Light, or in the former West Quoddy Life Saving Station.
Join a Baker Island Light scenic excursion from Bar Harbor and explore this fascinating 130-acre island. On your way back, enjoy a lingering view of Egg Rock Light at the mouth of Frenchman Bay.
Get the kids involved along the Deer Isle Lighthouse Tour. Before you arrive, order a U. S. Lighthouse Society Passport then collect a stamp at one or all of the lighthouses included.
On the Water Adventure
Visitors with a more adventurous streak may choose to spot some of our lighthouses via sailboat or sea kayak. For your safety, use a Registered Maine Guide as tides and weather in DownEast Acadia can often be unpredictable, and water temperatures rarely exceed 50 ° F, even in summer.
Visitor Resources
Maine Open Lighthouse Day Facebook. com / MaineOpenLighthouseDay /
Deer Isle Lighthouse Trail DeerIsle. com
Maine Lighthouse Friends LighthouseFriends. com
U. S. Lighthouse Society USLHS. org
U. S. Lighthouse Society Passport USLHS. org / passports
For more about our Lighthouses scan here.
DOWNEAST ACADIA GUIDE 2025 | 23