A Trip to Peaks Island (Maine)

Two years ago, my fiancé and I took a week long trip to Portland, Maine. When we were doing research to plan our itinerary, I came across Peaks Island. We had both never heard of it, but saw how accessible it was from Portland and thought it would be a fun and unique thing to add to our trip, and I'm so glad we did! We only spent half a day here, which we felt like was enough, and if you've never heard of Peaks Island, stick around and consider adding it to your Portland itinerary!

Table of Contents:

• About Peaks Island

• Getting There & Getting Around

• What to See and Do

• Highlights & Final Thoughts

About Peaks Island

Peaks Island is a cute little island off the coast of Portland, covering about 750 acres. The island is located about 3 miles east of downtown Portland and is accessible by ferry. Summer is the most populated time of year; however, a little under 1,000 people call this island home year-round. The island was originally used seasonally by the Wabaki people before the 1600s. Peaks Island became popular in the 19th century as a summer destination, even being nicknamed the "Coney Island of Maine". During WWII, the island hosted a coastal defense site called Battery Steele. Fast forward to today, and the island is a laid-back, charming destination with museums, shops, restaurants, etc.

Getting There & Getting Around

Peak's Island is only accessible by ferry. Ferry tickets can be purchased at the Casco Bay Transit District. Tickets are only $14 for adults. This ticket is used as a round-trip ticket to catch the ferry there and back at any time of the day that it's running. The ferry schedule is posted at cascobaylines.com , and the runs pretty frequently. It took us about 15 minutes to get to the island! My personal recommendation is to stop at The Holy Donut for some of the most amazing potato (yes, potato!) donuts before hopping on the ferry!

Once on the island, you have the option to rent bikes or golf carts if you choose to explore the island that way. Cars are also allowed on the ferry, so that is another option. We personally chose to walk around the island, which was only a couple of miles. We felt this was the best way to truly get to explore, take our time, and take everything in! We also liked walking around because we were able to explore some of the unbeaten paths and didn't have to worry about parking a bike or golf cart to go in and out of shops.

What to See and Do

This is one of the biggest islands in the Casco Bay and is technically considered a part of Portland. On the island, you can find plenty of restaurants, a couple of museums, a grocery store, an Inn, and plenty of little shops. One of my favorite parts was admiring the giant, colorful hydrangeas throughout the island! We walked around the island counterclockwise, so we started off exploring a little rock beach that we came across. There's so much history behind this island and it truly is such an interesting place to explore.

While you can just spend your time walking around the island and taking in the views, here are some other things to check out during your visit -

• The Battery Steele Preserve

  • This was the first property protected by Peaks Island Land Preserve. This is part of a 14-acre preserve made up of a red maple swamp, cattail marsh, northern hardwoods, etc. This is a popular area for bird watching and is also home to some wildlife. This is one of the most visited spots of the Peaks Island Land Preserve. The site can be accessed from the dirt Brackett Ave., or the path from Seashore Ave that passes through a marsh and pond area. This area is best suited for bike and foot traffic, although there may be some parking available.

• Public Beaches

  • There are a few public beaches on Peaks Island; however, in Maine, beaches are private property to the low water mark, so these are mostly used for fishing and clamming rather than strolling or hanging out on the beach. Two of the most popular public beaches on Peaks Island are Sandy Beach and Cairn Beach. Sandy Beach is located on the southern side of the island and is one of the few sandy beaches here. Cairn Beach is located on the backshore. While this is not a swimming beach, this is a good beach for viewing the lighthouse across the water.

• Museums

  • There are a couple of museums located on the island as well. One of the most popular is the Fifth Maine Museum located at 45 Seashore Ave, and costs $8 to enter. This museum was unfortunately closed when we were here, so we didn't actually get to check this one out. This is a memorial hall built in 1888 by the Civil War veterans of the Fifth Maine Volunteer Regiment. Today, the museum is used to tell stories of the history of Peaks Island from the beginning to its role in WWII.

  • The Umbrella Cover Museum was a museum we actually did get to spend some time at, and the one word I would use to describe it was quirky. It's definitely worth a stop in! Founded in 1996 by Nancy Hoffman, it is a museum solely dedicated to...you guessed it, umbrella covers! This museum is located at 62 Island Ave. It is a small and interesting museum, and Nancy has hundreds of different umbrella covers on display. It's a quick but fun stop, and it's free to enter, although donations are appreciated! Nancy is quick to answer any questions and explain the history behind the museum and the why behind umbrella covers, plus she holds the Guinness World Record!

• Kayaking & Water Tours

  • There are a few kayak tour companies located on the island. Since we only spent half of the day here, we didn't have time to do this, but this would definitely be a good activity to add if you're planning on spending a full day on the island. Through these tour companies, you can explore the waters of the Casco Bay by kayak and see some of the surrounding islands.

• Places to Eat

  • There are a few restaurants and bars located on the island. Some places to check out if you're looking to grab a bite to eat during your trip here are: The Cockeyed Gull Restaurant, The Inn on Peaks Island, Unruly Girls' Peaks Cafe, Island Lobster Company, Peaks Island Shellfish Company, Baba's Cafe, The Greeks of Peaks, and more. We personally ended our half day on Peak's Island by grabbing lunch at Island Lobster Company. We chose to eat out on the deck so we could enjoy the ocean views. The food and drinks here were great, and it was the perfect place for us to stop and eat!

Highlights & Final Thoughts

We really enjoyed our time on Peaks Island. It was a nice, relaxing way to spend our morning, truly getting to just take in and appreciate nature while spending a beautiful day in on a beautiful island. One thing to remember, though, is that this isn't just a tourist spot; people actually live here year-round, and it is important to respect the rules of the island and treat it like somebody's home. I definitely recommend adding this to your trip if you're in the Portland area, if you're looking for a lowkey but beautiful way to spend a morning or afternoon! Unless you have a kayak tour or another tour booked, I would only recommend spending half of a day here, as there isn't a ton to do, but it is a great way to break up your day without traveling far from Portland.

Thanks for reading, and remember, there's always more to be explored :)

-nicole elizabeth