Goat Island Light
Cape Porpoise Harbor
Kennebunkport, ME
A white tower on a small island guarding the entrance to Cape Porpoise, the last lighthouse in Maine to keep a Coast Guard family, now cared for by a local trust.
Goat Island Light stands on a small island at the entrance to Cape Porpoise harbor, just up the coast from Kennebunkport. A white brick tower joined to its keeper's house, it has guided lobster boats and coasting traffic into this sheltered harbor since the 1830s, with the present tower dating to 1859.
It holds a small place in Maine history as one of the last lighthouses in the state to keep a resident Coast Guard keeper, remaining staffed into the late twentieth century after most lights had been automated. Today it is owned and cared for by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, which has restored the station and occasionally opens it, keeping a working piece of the coast's heritage alive.
What Guests Love
- The classic view of the island light across Cape Porpoise harbor
- Its distinction as one of the last staffed lighthouses in Maine
- The working lobster harbor of Cape Porpoise in the foreground
- A quieter, more local counterpoint to busy Kennebunkport nearby
Worth Knowing
- The island is reached only by boat; most visitors admire the light from the Cape Porpoise pier
- A local land trust owns and maintains the light and sometimes offers seasonal access
- Cape Porpoise is a small working harbor, so be respectful of the fishermen and their gear
- Combine it easily with the beaches and shops of the Kennebunks
Details
Kennebunkport, ME
Learn about Goat Island Light
A light for a working harbor
A lighthouse was first established on Goat Island in 1833 to mark the entrance to Cape Porpoise, a harbor tucked among ledges and small islands that had long sheltered fishing boats. The current tower and keeper's house date to 1859.
The station guided generations of fishermen and coasting vessels safely past the rocks and into the harbor, its light and fog bell a fixture of life at Cape Porpoise.
Like other lighthouses, it was eventually slated for automation, but its story ran a little longer than most.
One of the last keepers
Goat Island was among the very last lighthouses in Maine to keep a resident Coast Guard keeper. While automation swept the coast through the twentieth century, a keeper and family remained on the island into the 1980s.
That long human presence gives the station a special standing among Maine lighthouse lovers, a reminder of the era when every important light meant a family living isolated on a rock, tending the lamp in all weathers.
The nearby Bush family compound at Walker's Point added a note of fame to these waters, and the light became a familiar landmark in the Kennebunkport landscape.
Cared for by a land trust
When the Coast Guard no longer needed it, the light passed to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, a local organization that has owned and maintained the station, restoring the tower and house.
The trust protects the island and its wildlife and, at times, offers seasonal boat access or caretaker programs, so the light is not simply abandoned but actively kept.
For most visitors, though, the best view is from the Cape Porpoise pier, where the working lobster harbor frames the little island and its tower across the water.
Season by season
Summer is prime time, when Cape Porpoise and the Kennebunks are lively, the harbor is full of boats, and any seasonal access to the island is most likely to run.
Fall quiets the crowds while keeping the coast beautiful, a fine time to photograph the light from the pier in clear autumn air.
Winter leaves the harbor stark and gray, the light standing alone on its island, a scene of hard northern beauty for those who make the trip in the cold.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Kennebunkport
Cape Porpoise
At the harbor
A small working lobster village with a pier, a few restaurants, and the best views of Goat Island Light.
Dock Square, Kennebunkport
About 3 miles, a 8 minute drive
The heart of Kennebunkport, a bustling summer village of shops, galleries, and restaurants by the river.
Goose Rocks Beach
About 4 miles, a 10 minute drive
A long, gentle sand beach that is one of the finest on Maine's southern coast.