Peaks Island, Maine: Things to Do, Stay & Eat
Peaks Island, Maine, is a Portland island neighborhood reached by ferry across Casco Bay. A shore walk, a museum or Battery Steele can give a day visit a clear focus. It is also a year-round residential community, so plan the return boat and use public routes without treating homes and working island services as visitor facilities.
Quick facts
- Region
- Greater Portland & Casco Bay, Maine
- Best months and seasons
- Summer is the obvious season, but the island is at its best in September when the day-trippers thin.
- Nearest airport:
- Portland International Jetport (PWM), about 6 miles in a straight line.
- Top draws
- Umbrella Cover Museum; Fifth Maine Regiment Museum; Sandy Beach
- Nearby towns
- Portland, Maine; Falmouth, Maine
Peaks Island is a fifteen-minute ferry ride from downtown Portland, which makes it the easiest island trip in Maine and the only one you can do on a whim. Roughly a thousand people live here year-round, and the population multiplies in summer.
It is a genuine community rather than a resort (there is a school, a library and a fire station) and it is small enough to ride around in under an hour.
Getting there
Casco Bay Lines runs the ferry from the Maine State Pier on Commercial Street, with frequent sailings year-round and a longer schedule in summer. You can take a car, but the reservation system and the cost make it a poor idea for a day trip. Take a bike, or rent one at the landing.
Buy a round-trip ticket and check the return times before you set off, particularly outside summer, when sailings thin out in the evening.
Things to do
Ride the island loop. The road around the perimeter is a little under four miles, with the back shore (facing open ocean rather than the city) the reason to do it. The rocks there are exposed and the view runs out past the other Casco Bay islands.
The Umbrella Cover Museum is exactly what it sounds like and is a genuinely charming twenty minutes. The Fifth Maine Regiment Museum and the Eighth Maine Regiment Memorial, both Civil War veterans' buildings on the shore, are open in summer. Battery Steele, a huge overgrown World War II gun emplacement in the island's interior, is open to walk through and considerably more atmospheric than it sounds.
There are small beaches at Sandy Beach and along the eastern shore, and kayak rentals near the landing for paddling around the smaller islands.
When to go
Summer is the obvious season, but the island is at its best in September when the day-trippers thin. Winter crossings are cold and beautiful, and most island businesses close, so bring what you need.
Note that the island's few restaurants and the one small store keep short and seasonal hours. Do not plan a late lunch there without checking first.
Planning notes
Things to do
About Peaks Island
Peaks Island is an island community within the city of Portland, in Cumberland County, Maine. Casco Bay Lines identifies the island as part of Portland. The 2020 U.S. Census municipal table records 68,408 residents for Portland city as a whole; that is not an island population count. Use the City of Portland website for municipal offices and services.
Peaks Island is known for its ferry connection to Portland, back-shore views and island history.
Explore the shore and island roads
The back shore provides open-water views, while the landing area connects the ferry with shops and services. Walk or choose an available bike rental according to the distance and conditions you want. Roads carry residents’ vehicles as well as visitors; the island is not car-free.
Visit Battery Steele
Peaks Island Land Preserve protects this World War II fortification. The steward describes approaches through a marsh-and-pond area from Seashore Avenue or from Brackett Avenue and states that the property has no water access. Choose its mapped route rather than interpreting an ocean view as a shore entrance.
Choose a museum visit
The Fifth Maine Museum explores island and Civil War-regiment history, while the Umbrella Cover Museum focuses on umbrella covers. The historic Eighth Maine offers lodging and museum interest.
Getting there and around
Casco Bay Lines serves Peaks from Portland. Its current FAQ says regular passenger boarding and Peaks vehicle tickets are first come, first served; a passenger ticket does not reserve a particular sailing. Use the dated seasonal schedule for both directions. A day visitor can choose to walk or bike without bringing a car.
When to visit
Summer brings more visitor activity, while fall requires attention to the next seasonal ferry timetable and individual business openings. Ferry service continues through winter, but a boat running does not establish that a museum, rental operation or restaurant is open. Keep the crossing and the on-island plan as two separate checks.
Common questions
Is Peaks Island worth visiting?
Yes, and it is the easiest island trip from Portland.
The draw is the crossing itself and a slow loop around the shore, with open water views on the back side of the island.
Half a day is enough for most people.
If you want a quieter, less-traveled there island, the outer Casco Bay stops take longer to reach.
Do you need a car on Peaks Island?
No.
The island is small enough to walk or bike around, and most visitors rent a bike or a golf cart near the landing instead of bringing a vehicle over.
Cars can cross on the boat, but space is limited and it is rarely worth the trouble for a day trip.
The shore road is the standard loop.
Can you stay overnight on Peaks Island?
Yes.
There are a small number of inns, guesthouses, and short-term rentals, but no resorts or chain hotels, so options are limited and fill up in summer.
Staying over changes the trip: the day crowd leaves on the evening boats and the island goes quiet.
Book well ahead if you want a summer weekend.
Does a Peaks Island ferry ticket reserve a sailing?
No. Casco Bay Lines says regular passenger tickets do not reserve a particular departure; boarding is first come, first served. Use the current seasonal timetable and allow time to queue.
