Lincolnville

The ferry to Islesboro leaves from the same spot, which gives this short stretch of shorefront more purpose than its size suggests.

What Lincolnville is known for

Lincolnville Beach (4.6 across 621 Google reviews) is the obvious thing: a pocket of sand and shingle with parking right beside it, unusually accessible for this stretch of coast where most shoreline is private or requires a walk. The water is cold, as everywhere on the mid-coast, but the setting (islands offshore, the Camden Hills behind) is hard to beat for the effort involved.

The Islesboro ferry makes the twenty-minute crossing several times a day year-round. Islesboro is a long, narrow island with quiet roads, a small year-round community and the Grindle Point light beside the ferry landing. The Grindle Point Sailors' Museum and Lighthouse (4.6 from 52 reviews) is right at the terminal.

Things to do

Eat lobster on the beach. McLaughlin's Lobster Shack (4.2 across 559 Google reviews) sits directly on the shorefront and is the reason many people stop at all.

Take the ferry across as a foot passenger with a bike. Islesboro's roads are quiet and mostly level, and a half day is enough to ride the length of it. Inland, Lincolnville extends up into the Camden Hills, and the trails in Camden Hills State Park run into the town's western end.

Getting here and when to go

Lincolnville is on Route 1 between Camden and Belfast, about ten minutes from either. There is no way to miss it.

Summer is the season for the beach and the shack. The ferry runs year-round, so the island crossing is available in any month, and a winter crossing on an empty boat is a good deal more atmospheric than a summer one.

Common questions

Where does the Islesboro ferry leave from?

From Lincolnville Beach, directly off Route 1. The state ferry crosses Penobscot Bay to Grindle Point on Islesboro in about twenty minutes and carries cars as well as walk-on passengers. Check the current schedule before you drive up, because sailings are limited and the vehicle line can fill on summer days. Foot passengers and cyclists have a much easier time of it.

Can you swim at Lincolnville Beach?

Yes, and it is one of the few saltwater beaches on this stretch of Route 1 you can park at and walk straight onto. It rates 4.6 from 621 reviews. The beach is small and pebbly rather than a long sand strand, and Penobscot Bay stays cold through the summer, so most people wade, watch the ferry and eat rather than swim.

Is Lincolnville the same as Lincolnville Beach?

Not exactly. Lincolnville Beach is the small waterfront village on Route 1 with the ferry terminal, the beach and the restaurants. Lincolnville Center is a separate inland village up the road, and the town of Lincolnville contains both plus a good deal of countryside. When visitors say Lincolnville, they almost always mean the Beach.

Where do you eat lobster in Lincolnville?

McLaughlin's Lobster Shack is the traditional choice, sitting right at the beach with a 4.2 rating from 559 reviews. For a proper sit-down dinner, Aster & Rose rates 4.9 from 118 reviews. Both are within a short walk of the ferry terminal, which makes either one a reasonable way to spend the gap before a sailing.