Coast of Maine Photography

How to Use this Guide:

The goal of this post is to get you started on your journey of discovery on the coast of Maine. I’ve done my best to lay out some of the most inspiring and beautiful places to make photographs. These are proven winners, so to speak. If you haven’t seen them before, you will revel in visual impact of these locations. That said, I hope that you go beyond this list and find your own favorite places and create new and exciting images that haven’t been done before. Thankfully in outdoor scenic photography, changing weather conditions provide changing opportunities to capture familiar places in a new light. And, before you copy that composition that you saw someone else do, take a look around and consider how you might see things differently. Go beyond the obvious. Remember, there is much more than just checking off icons. Explore, drive aimlessly, look around on Google Maps, surf the web for interesting places and find out where they are. That’s where the real fun for me is, the feeling of discovery and the creation of something that hasn’t been done before. So, show us what you are interested in and how you see the world.

     1. Nubble - 

The Cape Neddick Light, also known as Nubble, is a can’t miss location for several reasons. The lighthouse sits at the peak of a rocky island just a few yards offshore. The tower is connected by a covered walkway to a beautiful gingerbread-style keeper’s house, with several outbuildings neatly arranged around it. These just happen to be painted a photographer’s favorite colors, red and white. The very exposed location means it is subject to the extremes of light and weather. Most photographers like to visit at sunrise, because facing east, the sky is likely to be more interesting. That said, I’ve seen many compelling images of Nubble taken at sunset, as direct light falls on the lighthouse and island. The accessibility of this location makes it very popular, but also a great opportunity for folks with limited mobility and for photographers who don’t want to have to hike for miles. The view from the parking lot is great! If you are a bit more adventurous, I suggest you photograph this lighthouse from the rocks below the parking lot and include some wave action in your foreground. Just be careful because the ocean isn’t something you should mess around with. Always be aware of the water and remember no photo is worth hurting yourself, or even worse, your gear!

Photo Tips: I recommend using a wide-angle lens here, something in the 24mm range on a full frame camera. That way you can craft a classic landscape composition with interesting rocks and crashing waves in your foreground, the island and lighthouse in the mid-ground, and hopefully a beautiful sky in the background. At super wide angles the lighthouse appears too small in the frame, so I usually stay away from anything smaller than 16mm. For this same reason, I find the mid-ranges of 35-70mm to be useful, as you can set up further away and pull in the lighthouse a bit for more “normal” perspective. Those interested in just showing the arrangement of buildings should use a telephoto lens.  

Best Times of Day: Sunrise, Pre-Sunset, Blue Hours

Best Times of Year: Year-Round

Tides: Mid to High

Access: Easy

Other Notes: Nubble has become a go-to destination to capture a dramatic moonrise. This is done with a long telephoto lens, usually 400mm or more, from Long Sands Beach, between November and February, as the angle of moonrise is farther to the north. Also, round the Christmas season, and also during a “Christmas in July” celebration, the structures are decorated with lights, making a beautiful photo op at twilight or after dark.

     2. Marginal Way Ogunquit - 

Marginal Way in Ogunquit is one of the most popular places in Maine to take a walk along the ocean. The trails are well maintained and the grade is gentle, providing an easy way to enjoy the jagged rocks of the Maine coast. More adventurous landscape photographers tend to shrug their shoulders at the idea of making images here, but it should not be ignored. If you like to create seascapes, I think Marginal Way is possibly the best location in Southern Maine to practice this. Sure, there are great rocks down the road at Bald Head Cliff in York, Ocean Ave. in Kennebunkport, and at the tip of Biddeford Pool, but Marginal Way has the best combination of rock formations, sandy and rocky beaches, angles of light, and accessibility. I really like the beaches to the left of Israel’s Head. There are many rocks embedded in the sand here that create great foreground interest as the waves lap over them. To the right of Israel’s Head are a more uniform expanse of jagged rocks. Of special interest is a large chasm that marks the edge of the head to the southeast. There is a bit of elevation at points along the walking path, but if you stand too far back from the water, the foreground can be far too busy, without discernible lines and shapes, to be of much use. I recommend getting close to the water’s edge where you can get a simpler, more dynamic image. 

Photo Tips: A wide-angle lens is my go-to for capturing waves crashing over rocks in my foreground along with a great sky. Try varying your shutter speed from anywhere from 1/15 second to 5 seconds to show the motion of water in your image. A ND filter can help you achieve these results as the light gets brighter. 

Best Times of Day: Sunrise

Best Times of Year: Summer

Tides: Mid to High

Access: Easy at sunrise, restricted by a large number of tourists creating very limited parking in season during the day and evening

Other Notes: Like most of our coastal locations, this spot can be much more interesting in high surf. As for parking, I like to park on Israel Head Road by the small concrete “lighthouse”. This probably isn’t an option any time after 9 AM, especially in the summer, but again, my preferred time to be here is at sunrise, not when everyone else is here! 

     3. Cape Porpoise - 

Seemingly just in the last year or so, Cape Porpoise has been discovered by photographers. What is everyone coming for? An authentic working harbor almost smack-dab in the middle of the crazy tourist nonsense that is the south coast of Maine. Standing on the pier at sunrise or sunset, I rarely come across anyone other than fishermen. From there you can see Goat Island Lighthouse, lobster boats and dinghies, and often, piles of lobster traps stacked around you. The big photographic attraction these days, though, is across the harbor at the brand-new, made to look historic, fishing shed on stilts near Langsford Road Lobster & Fish. There has been a steady stream of New England photographers all getting their take on this subject, and it’s easy to see why. The best time to capture this is at high tide in the winter, when the sun rises behind it, hopefully with still water so you can get a great reflection. Parking might be a challenge here, and there might be a time when locals tell us to buzz off, but in the meantime, I think this area has a lot to offer the photographer looking for great scenery in Southern Maine. 

Photo Tips: I use the full range of lenses in Cape Porpoise, a wide-angle to capture the sunrise behind the shack, a medium lens to juxtapose boats in the harbor with distinctive buildings, and a long lens to pull in Goat Island Lighthouse. If you are looking for inspiration here, Bob Dennis is a great local photographer who has many beautiful images from this neighborhood. Find him at www.kportimages.com. 

Best Times of Day: Sunrise

Best Times of Year: Fall and Winter

Tides: High

Access: Somewhat Restricted

Other Notes: Please be mindful of both private property and folks trying to live and work. Don’t be a jerk and make the rest of us look bad and lose access to this wonderful place. 

     4. Old Orchard Beach Pier -

Old Orchard Beach is a tourist trap during the day, but during the golden hours and bad weather, it’s one of the best photo opportunities in Maine. The long pier loaded with tacky businesses jutting out into the ocean is an easy-to-capture subject in an extremely easy-to-reach location. Sometimes I think the easiness can be misleading, and we relax our creative muscles when approaching it. I like to see photographs that capture something different, and this can certainly be a challenge. Sunrise at high tide can seem like the most flattering time to capture the pier, but actually, low-tide sunsets have provided the best images I’ve seen. That’s because the muddy sand takes on a glossy sheen at low tide that reflects the pier and ferris wheel at the adjacent Palace Playland amusement park. The angle is not looking out to sea, but instead, looking back at the land from out beyond the pier. There are also opportunities to capture large waves, sea smoke, and other visual delights on this stretch of sandy beach. Be creative! 

Photo Tips: Try going from a wide-angle to a telephoto lens, slap on a ND filter on for long exposures, walk up and down the beach, get low and get high. One popular way to capture the pier is to shoot the sun through the pilings at sunrise in the winter. You can also find patterns in the sand at times, and the shadows from the pilings at sunrise make a great foreground. 

Best Times of Day: Sunrise year-round and Sunset in the off-season

Best Times of Year: Year-Round

Tides: Low to High

Access: Easy at sunrise, restricted by a large number of tourists creating very limited parking in season during the day and evening

Other Notes: Hot summer day? Stay Away!

     5. Portland Head Light - 

This place deserves every superlative and more. I simply cannot think of a better location to make a landscape photo in Maine if I could only pick one. The generally east-facing shoreline makes this a sunrise location. I’m not a fan of sunsets from this location, as it falls into shadow long before, but you could prove me wrong and capture a great sunset here. Just be aware that they start asking folks to leave the park then, and sometimes you might be kicked out just as things are getting good! My favorite time to capture PHL is when the sun’s first rays are hitting the landscape. There is an obvious photo op from behind the fence to the right of the lighthouse looking out to sea. With a strong c-curve and a well balanced composition with the lighthouse placed at the intersection at the left and upper third, this is a no-brainer great shot, but I advise you to do more. They’ve been kind enough to install a gate to allow people who like to climb around on the rocks to go explore. That’s where I like to be these days, looking for leading lines in the rocks above and getting down close to the waves, as well. On the other side of the light, to the north, you can walk out on a high cliff and capture a beautifully backlit scene during winter sunrises, or get directional light from the northeast on the cliffs and buildings in summer. You can also walk further up the path and down onto beautifully rounded cobbles that make a fantastic foreground for those willing to risk falling on the extremely slippery stones. I visit at all times of year, but I must admit that winter is my favorite for the drama, and the fact that I can usually have it all to myself.

Photo Tips: I use all of my lenses here, but most often a wide-angle. In the spring there are beach roses that make a great foreground subject, and at all times of the year you have great rocks and hopefully some wave action to create interest in your images. Don’t forget to look out to sea and see Ram Island Ledge Light, which makes an especially great subject to capture with a full moon and also large waves during an ocean storm! 

Best Times of Day: Sunrise

Best Times of Year: Year-Round 

Tides: Low to High

Access: Easy, although be aware that the gate can be locked before 5 AM and you will be ushered out of the park at sunset. 

Other Notes: A lot of folks worry about getting into the park early. In my experience, the Cape Elizabeth police usually open the gates around 5AM, which is fine every month of the year except June and July, when the sunrise time is extremely early and the gate can sometimes be closed.

     6. Portland Waterfront - 

Portland’s waterfront can be an absolute playground for photographers. You just can’t think of it as a pure landscape photo-op. This is gritty, working waterfront, with dirty boats, dilapidated sheds, concrete piers and wooden pilings, and these days, fancy yachts, restaurants, offices, condominiums, and a gleaming cruise ship terminal. These contrasts are what makes it interesting. Portland has become a hotspot for travelers and especially foodies, but it remains only lightly touched by photographers. That means you can and should explore the wharves and search for your own unique compositions, unaware of any preconceived notions. My favorite areas to look are behind Harbor Fish Market, Widgery Wharf, and at the end of the Portland Fish Pier. The waterfront really extends all the way around Portland Harbor to South Portland, and there are great views looking back at the city from that side. While you’re at it, you might as well head down to Bug Light, an awesome sunset and sunrise location. If you make it there, you might as well continue on to Spring Point Ledge Light, one of the most impressive sea smoke photo opportunities in the world with that great leading line of the breakwater. Is that still the Portland waterfront? I think so. 

Photo Tips: There are a lot of opportunities for detail shots here, so photographers who aren’t just into grand landscapes will go nuts. Bring a mid-range lens and a telephoto to take advantage of these smaller scenes, and think about what kind of stories you want to tell. This place really shines in the fog, and overcast days are just fine, too. I like to shoot across the harbor looking back at the city during the blue hour, and also look for the full moon lined up with one of the spires with a telephoto lens. 

Best Times of Day: Any

Best Times of Year: Year-Round

Access: Mostly Easy, some of the wharves are restricted, and parking can be a challenge in during the day and evenings in season

Tides: Low to High

Other Notes: I love stopping at Becky’s Diner after a sunrise shoot for breakfast. 

     7. Lookout Point -

A hidden gem for the most part, Lookout Point in Harpswell offers two great delights for photographers, a working lobster pier and two picturesque islands sitting just offshore. This allows you to capture either a pure landscape, or, as I like to do, show something of the culture that makes this part of the world unique. Along with Marshall Point and Bass Harbor Head Light, this is one of the finest sunset locations in the state. The shoreline faces generally west, with a big open bay and more islands offshore. There is a great opportunity to see the progression of the sunset from northwest in the summer to the southwest in the winter. It really is eye-opening to how photo opportunities change with the seasons. I love watching storms roll in here, and I’ve caught some awesome lightning bolts from the safety of my hatchback. Don’t be afraid to walk out on the pier, the owner Albert is a nice guy and loves sharing the beauty he enjoys on a regular basis. 

Photo Tips: I usually shoot into the light at sunset here, focusing on silhouettes of the islands, hopefully with great reflections at high tides. Another way to approach this scene is to shoot side-light on the lobster fleet parked to the south. This is also a great location to shoot in the fog. I find the wide-angle range to be very effective looking at the islands to the northwest from the pier, but I like to zoom in a little tighter when I’m shooting from the parking lot or the pier looking southwest. 

Best Times of Day: Sunset

Best Times of Year: Year-Round

Access: Easy

Tides: Mid to High

Other Notes: On the other side of the parking lot, you can sometimes find a dory filled with fishing nets that makes a wonderful photo opportunity. I hope it is still there when you read this.

     8. Five Islands - 

Maine has many wonderful fishing harbors. It’s hard to single out just a few, because they are all special. What sets Five Islands a notch above are the namesake islands sitting just offshore. These provide a dramatic setting for a working harbor filled lobster boats, the town wharf, and a popular local seafood shack. I rarely visit in the summer when this place can be very busy, but even when I have, I usually have it to myself at sunrise. In the summer you’ll see a few sailboats and pleasure craft among the work boats, but they don’t really detract from the sense of place. A red cottage sits at the end of Malden Island, and this has been incorporated into many of my favorite compositions from here. There is also a yellow cottage sitting on a cliff to the right when you come down the hill, another great subject. 

Photo Tips: Putting together a strong image can be a challenge here. Most of the time, boats are my main subject, and I build the image around them. A wide-angle lens is a good place to start, but a mid-range lens will be effective just as often. Walk around to get a feel for the place, and notice any dinghies or skiffs that are pulled up to the wharf that might make a good foreground. The buildings are quite unique here, and I love incorporating them in my images, or making them the focus entirely. 

Best Times of Day: Sunrise

Best Times of Year: Year-Round

Tides: Low to High

Access: Easy

Other Notes: The seafood shack is a great place to grab lunch if you find yourself there on a sunny summer day. 

      9. Pemaquid Point Light - 

A true gem of Maine, Pemaquid Point has some of the most interesting coastline in the state, and a picturesque lighthouse with sweeping ocean views from the northeast to the southwest. Down East Magazine calls it the #1 lighthouse in the state. It was also chosen to represent Maine on our state quarter. Surely that’s enough to recommend this awesome location. I like coming at sunrise, but I’ve seen good images made at all times of the day and night. Of course, during the day in the summer, you will have to clone out hundreds of people from your images, so it’s best to come either very early, very late, or in the off-season. The best angles are from the rocks and rosa rugosa bushes down to the left when you walk from the parking lot, and of course from the incredible striated rocks to the right. The famous puddle reflection will beckon you, and you should listen and go ahead and take it. It’s cliched for a reason, the composition is really cool. But please, look around and make your own images, there’s still a lot to work with!

Photo Tips: A 24mm lens on a full frame camera or 18mm on a crop sensor will gather the majority of your major scenics here, but there is so much more than just the big views. I love making graphic compositions with the bell tower, the chimneys, the fence and lighthouse tower, the windows, etc. Try to include the ocean in your photo, which can be a real challenge here. Photograph the rocks by themselves and look for interesting abstracts. 

Best Times of Day: Sunrise, Any Time

Best Times of Year: Year-Round

Tides: Low to High

Access: Easy (fee during the day)

Other Notes: Pemaquid is extremely dangerous when the surf is high. The rocks are terribly slippery, and there is really no way to get back to shore without getting pummelled against them. 

     10. Monhegan Island - 

While well-known among painters for centuries, Monhegan has been generally overlooked by serious photographers. Maybe that’s because it requires a little effort to get out here. You need to take a ferry to this small island that’s ten miles from the mainland. The island itself if barely a square mile, and when you walk around you feel like you are going back in time. There are less than 70 year-round residents, and no cars. You definitely want to stay overnight if you can to take advantage of the golden hours here, and the relaxed pace, perfect for art-making. Over half of the island is a nature preserve, and if quaint New England fishing villages aren’t your scene, there are 150-foot cliffs on the back side of the island. These are the tallest cliffs on the eastern seaboard of the U.S.! The wooded paths are beautiful, and perfect for photographing on foggy or overcast days. The village itself is a dream for photographers like me who revel in culture as well as natural beauty, with spots such as Fish Beach and the Landing holding all kinds of potential. There is also a shipwreck on the south side of the island, a large rusted hulk of metal splayed out on the rocks. The best location on the island has to be lighthouse hill. The view from the top is stunning. You are looking down on the entire village and also Manana Island, and behind you is a beautiful 19th-century lighthouse with the classic New England architecture of a main house with sheds and covered walkways added on throughout the years, creating a beautiful jumble of boxed shapes and lines. 

Photo Tips: The backside cliffs can be challenging to capture, and I think midday light is sometimes better than the deep shadows of the sunrise, especially in the summer. There are many, many opportunities for detail shots here. I particularly like the hand-painted signs you see everywhere. At sunset, the best places to be are at the lighthouse, fish beach, and the landing. Be sure to turn around and notice what the light is doing around you. Many times that will be more interesting than the sunset itself.

Best Times of Day: All Day

Best Times of Year: Spring and Fall

Tides: Low to High

Access: Difficult 

Other Notes: Ferries leave from Port Clyde, New Harbor, and Boothbay Harbor. There are 3 Inns on the Island, and I like them all. Monhegan Brewing Company is a must-visit, even if you don’t like beer. I’ve seen two people who have never liked beer sit and enjoy one here, and it’s a great opportunity to meet other folks who live on or visit the island. It really is an amazing place.

     11. Marshall Point Light - 

Sunset locations in Maine can be hard to come by. Most of our shoreline faces east, in the direction of the rising sun. There are a few exceptions to this, however, and Marshall Point in Port Clyde is one of the most notable. The walkway is the defining feature of this lighthouse, and the keepers house is also particularly beautiful. In the summer it can be crowded at sunset, and more than once I’ve seen wedding parties here, crowding the walkway for the majority of the time. I like to visit in the fall and winter, as the walkway points more to the southwest, so you get a better angle on any potential sunsets anyways. In addition to the obvious down-the-walkway image, there are opportunities to photograph through the pillars on the porch, behind wildflowers on the shore, and the rocks all around the lighthouse. I’ve seen one or two stunning puddle reflection shots here, too. 

Photo Tips: A medium range lens is your friend at Marshall Point. I find that a wide-angle lens makes the lighthouse appear too small in my images. Try stitching a panorama of the view from the rocks far over to the left. More adventurous souls can walk out onto the rocks and get dramatic impressions looking at the tower from underneath. 

Best Times of Day: Sunset

Best Times of Year: Fall and Winter

Tides: Mid to High

Access: Easy, closed after sunset

Other Notes: This used to be a wonderful place to capture the milky way at night, but since they replaced the lantern with an led light, it just doesn’t look as good. They are also shoo-ing photographers out after sunset, from what I hear.

     12. Boulder Beach - 

There are a few of what I would classically beautiful, pure landscape photo opportunities in Maine. This is one of them. The wonderfully rounded boulders that give this location its name make a perfect foreground for a sweeping c-curve that brings you to a focal point of the wonderful Otter Cliffs and then into what is hopefully a beautiful sky. The angle of light is from the side year-round, but in the winter you are much more likely to get colorful clouds in the field of view. The trick here is to carefully compose around the most picturesque boulders. Most of these are found above the high tide line, but there are a few at and below this line that can be captured with waves crashing against them. I think both of these options work. 

Photo Tips: A wide-angle lens can seem like the obvious option here, but again, the background just looks too far away at 14-18mm. I like to stay in the 24-50mm range, and keep Otter Cliffs looking impressive. 

Best Times of Day: Sunrise

Best Times of Year: Fall and Winter

Tides: High

Access: Somewhat challenging due to very slippery stones and a steep climb down an embankment. 

Other Notes: This is a great location to capture the milky way. The best time of year to do this is in March and April, when it rises right in the most optimal position above the beach. It will likely be bitterly cold, and maybe even snowy, but you will love the results. 

     13. Jordan Pond - 

Wait, you say, this isn’t a coastal location! While not on the ocean, I’m considering Jordan Pond a coastal location based on the fact that it sits a little more than a mile from the sea in the middle of what is considered the finest coastal national park in the United States. Acadia has many popular spots that are totally overrun with tourists and selfie-takers, this being one of them. While this is true during the day, don’t let that deter you from visiting at sunrise or sunset. Even at the height of the summer season, you can find a spot to set up on the shoreline and have some peace and quiet, along with about 1,000 mosquitoes and a couple of other photographers. The form of the two hills rising behind the pond is very attractive. Why it is so attractive, I can’t be sure. I think it has something to do with them resembling certain parts of the human anatomy. Anyways, I digress. 

Photo Tips: You can go for the obvious composition by placing rocks in your foreground, the pond in the mid-ground, and hills in the background, but you can also incorporate attractive trees, some mysterious underwater pilings, and water streaming through the rocks to take your composition to the next level. A wide-angle lens works here, but also try exploring opportunities in the mid-range, as well. 

Best Times of Day: Sunset

Best Times of Year: Year-Round, more backlit in summer

Tides: N/A

Access: Easy

Other Notes: If you happen to be in Maine when there is the opportunity to see the northern lights, or aurora borealis, this is the place to be. The north view across the pond with the two hills makes the perfect photo opportunity. 

     14. Bass Harbor Head Light - 

I almost left this location off the list. Why? Because it is insanely frustrating to shoot here most of the time. There is really only room for a few people to set up tripods in the most optimal spots, and even then you aren’t guaranteed that someone won’t simply walk in front of you when the light is going off. Parking can be a nightmare. The only option in the summer is to arrive hours before sunset and claim your spot, and then wait. A much better plan is to come back in the off-season, when the light is actually better, anyways. That’s because the shoreline here faces south, and in the summer the sun sets behind the lighthouse and land to the north. A much more flattering set up happens in the fall and winter when the sun sets to the south out over the water, and can cast wonderful golden light on the landscape. Did I mention that there are too many people here in the summer?

Photo Tips: A wide-angle lens makes the most sense here because you are literally feet away from the lighthouse. Although the optimal position is right below the light, on the shoreline with waves crashing at your feet, you can get good images a little further up on the rocks, too. I’ve seen lobster traps washed up here that make a great foreground, and sometimes you can get a nice shot looking at the lighthouse framed by trees, as well. 

Best Times of Day: Sunset

Best Times of Year: Fall and Winter

Tides: High

Access: Challenging due to crowds and treacherous footing on slippery granite. 

Other Notes: This might be a good time to brush up on photographer etiquette. At no time is it OK to set up in front of someone who is already there and set up for their shot. 

      15. Raven’s Nest - 

Another pure landscape location, with no sign of the hand of man, Raven’s Nest is a dramatic perch on tall cliffs looking west on the Schoodic Peninsula. This used to be a very hard-to-find spot, although now it has been marked on Google Maps. There is only room for a few cars to park here, so arrive early and claim your spot. The cliffs are very dramatic, and you’ll see great views to the south and west here. There is a spot you can wedge yourself underneath the trees and point through a chasm that nicely frames the cliffs to the south. If you find that too treacherous, the views to the right looking back at MDI and Cadillac Mountain are great, too. 

Photo Tips: One of the better night locations in New England, Raven’s Nest is a great place to practice Milky Way photography. I’ve been lucky enough to capture bioluminescence in the water here, one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Use a wide-angle lens to accentuate the drama, and time your visit with high surf if you can. The basic setting to capture the night sky are as follows: Use your fastest wide angle lens, hopefully f/2.8 or better. Open it up to the widest aperture. Focus manually on the brightest star or distant point of light you can find. Set your shutter speed from 10-30 seconds. Set your ISO from 3200-6400. Check your histogram to insure that you are getting the proper exposure, remembering that the lcd can be deceptively bright at night. 

Best Times of Day: Sunset and Night

Best Times of Year: Summer

Tides: High

Access: Challenging due to limited parking and unstable footing at the edge of very high cliffs. 

Other Notes: My friend Adam Woodworth is a world-renowned expert on landscape astrophotography. Download his free e-book to learn more about the subject by clicking on this link: Adam’s E-Book 

     16. West Quoddy Head Light - 

It is fitting that the last item on this list happens to be the easternmost point in Maine, and also the country. West Quoddy Head is a spectacular location. The light tower has very distinctive red and white stripes, and there are expansive views of the ocean, a prominent rock just offshore called sail rock, and the impressive cliffs of Grand Manan Island, which is part of Canada. I like to walk all around here, and not just around the lighthouse. 

Photo Tips: A wide-angle lens usually makes the most sense when you are underneath and very close to the lighthouse. The most obvious composition utilizes some wooden fence posts to the left of the lighthouse, which require you to walk through a field full of, no joke, porcupines. You can also get nice views from right around the light at sunrise. 

Best Times of Day: Sunrise or Sunset

Best Times of Year: Year-Round

Tides: Low to High

Access: Easy, but it takes a long drive for most of us to get here

Other Notes: There’s more to explore here. A fantastic walking path to the right of the lighthouse goes along the shore with views of and from very impressive cliffs. The forest here looks positively primeval and can be a great subject as well. 

Runners-Up (to be featured in another blog post): Bald Head Cliff, Biddeford Pool, Pine Point, Willard Beach, Spring Point Ledge Light, Giant Stairs, Popham Beach, Reid State Park, Southport, New Harbor, South Bristol, Friendship, Port Clyde, Camden Harbor, Vinalhaven, Stonington, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, Cutler Coast, Lubec