Things To Do In Peaks Island Maine
The ferry from Portland to Peaks Island takes about fifteen minutes, which is just enough time to question your life choices, then forget all of them. You’ll glide across Casc...
The ferry from Portland to Peaks Island takes about fifteen minutes, which is just enough time to question your life choices, then forget all of them. You’ll glide across Casco Bay, past lobster buoys and maybe a seal who’s clearly late for something. By the time you dock, your blood pressure has dropped ten points and you’re already planning to fake your own death and move here.
Peaks Island is only about four miles around, but it packs in more oddball charm than a yard sale run by pirates. You can bike it, walk it, or golf-cart it with the confidence of a retiree who just won the lottery. Here’s how to spend a day without accidentally joining a cult.
Ride the Ferry Like You Own It
The Casco Bay Lines ferry is not just transportation; it’s a floating community center with better views. Locals bring dogs, bikes, and groceries, while tourists clutch their cameras like they’re expecting a moose to water-ski past. Stand outside, breathe the salt air, and pretend you’re in a maritime movie where nothing bad ever happens.
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Pedal or Put-Put Around the Island
Rent a bike or a golf cart near the ferry landing. The island is mostly flat, so you won’t need Tour de France legs—unless you count the hill by the dump, which counts. A golf cart lets you feel like a retiree on vacation, and you can wave at everyone like you’re in a parade.
Follow the roads toward the Back Shore, where the ocean slaps the rocks and the wind messes up your hair in a way you’ll pretend is intentional. If you see a fox, don’t panic. It’s just a fox, not a tiny wolf with a grudge.
Get Delightfully Creeped Out at Battery Steele
Battery Steele is a massive World War II bunker hidden in the woods, and it’s the coolest accidental art gallery on the East Coast. The tunnel is about 200 yards long, dark, echoey, and covered in graffiti that ranges from profound to “Kevin wuz here.” Bring a flashlight, wear real shoes, and don’t go alone if you scare easily.
THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Peaks Island (2025)
Surprising fact: this concrete beast was built to defend Portland from enemy ships, but now it mostly defends teenagers from boredom. The acoustics are so wild that people have recorded albums inside.
Visit the Fifth Maine Regiment Museum
The Fifth Maine Regiment Museum sits in a charming cottage built by Civil War veterans as a reunion hall. It’s small, strange, and genuinely moving, with old photos and relics that make history feel less like a textbook and more like your great-great-grandfather’s attic. You’ll learn something, then feel guilty for complaining about Wi-Fi.
Embrace the Umbrella Cover Museum
Yes, there is a museum dedicated to umbrella covers. It’s called the Umbrella Cover Museum, and it’s exactly as gloriously weird as it sounds. The curator, Nancy 3. Hoffman, has collected covers from around the world, and she’ll probably play you a song on the accordion.
Find a Beach and Act Natural
Peaks Island doesn’t have miles of soft sand, but it has rocky coves, tidal pools, and a small beach near the ferry that works fine for a quick dip. The water is refreshing, which is a polite Maine word for “cold enough to reorganize your organs.” Skip stones, look for sea glass, and try not to step on a crab who’s having a bad day.
Things to do in Peaks Island| Day Trip to Peaks Island, Maine - YouTube
Eat Lobster, Ice Cream, Repeat
You’re on a Maine island, so eating lobster is basically a legal requirement. Grab a lobster roll at Island Lobster Company, then follow it with ice cream from Peaks Island Scoops or whatever sweet spot is open. The Cockeyed Gull is another solid choice for a sit-down meal with a view.
Hike the Land Preserve
The Peaks Island Land Preserve protects hundreds of acres of woods, wetlands, and trails. You can wander through mossy forests, spot birds, and pretend you’re in a fairy tale without the risk of a wolf offering you real estate advice.
Watch the Sunset at Back Shore
Pro tip: bring a light jacket
End your day on the Back Shore, where the sun sinks behind the water and everything turns gold and pink. Bring a blanket, a snack, and maybe a light jacket, because Maine evenings don’t care about your summer outfit. It’s the kind of sunset that makes you put your phone down for a whole six seconds.
Then catch the ferry back to Portland, smelling like salt, bug spray, and triumph. You’ll have biked, explored a bunker, learned about umbrella covers, and eaten lobster. Peaks Island doesn’t try to be fancy; it just quietly wins.
