Maine has roughly 4,600 islands, but only a small share work as straightforward visitor destinations.
Maine islands
Choose by access: ferry, bridge or boat
Ferry routes checked July 2026. Winter schedules checked October 2026.
- Easiest ferry day
- Peaks Island, by Casco Bay Lines from Portland
- No ferry needed
- Mackworth, Bailey, Georgetown, Deer Isle or Great Wass
- A full walking day
- Monhegan, Isle au Haut, Great Wass or Frenchboro
- Island camping
- Jewell, Warren Island, Duck Harbor or Hermit Island
Some islands have year-round ferries and a village by the landing. Some connect to the mainland by bridge or causeway. Others take a tour boat, a private boat or an exposed sea-kayak crossing. A few are places to camp; others suit a short walk, a lighthouse visit or a slow day in a working island community.
This guide is a practical map, not a catalog of every rock and ledge. It runs southwest to northeast, from Casco Bay to Downeast Maine, and helps with three questions: which mainland departure fits your trip, how much transportation planning you want, and what you want to do once you land. The map pins a spread of islands along the coast; tap a pin for its photo and page.
The quickest way to narrow the list is by how you want to get there. Match your trip to one of these four kinds of island day:
- A simple passenger-ferry day Start with the inhabited islands served from Portland, Rockland, Lincolnville or Bass Harbor.
- An island without a ferry Choose a bridge or causeway island: Mackworth, Bailey, Georgetown, Deer Isle or Great Wass.
- A lighthouse or nature landing Look at the boat-access islands off Harpswell, Boothbay, Phippsburg and Cutler.
- An overnight outdoors Focus on Jewell Island, Warren Island, Duck Harbor or Hermit Island, and read the full guide before planning transportation.
Ferry Routes to Know (checked July 2026)
These scheduled routes were checked in July 2026. Operators can change departure times and landings, so use this as the route map and confirm your trip with the operator.
- Maine State Ferry Service: Rockland to Vinalhaven, North Haven and Matinicus; Lincolnville to Islesboro; Bass Harbor to Swan’s Island and Frenchboro.
- Casco Bay Lines: year-round from Portland to Peaks, Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Long, Chebeague and Cliff islands.
- Monhegan: year-round from Port Clyde by Monhegan Boat Line. Hardy Boat Cruises from New Harbor and Balmy Days Cruises from Boothbay Harbor run in season.
- Isle au Haut Boat Services: year-round from Stonington, with a seasonal landing on the Acadia and Duck Harbor side of Isle au Haut.
Winter ferry schedules (checked October 2026)
All three operators keep running after summer, but with fewer trips, so check the winter timetable before you plan a day out. The bars show each reduced or seasonal schedule.
Casco Bay Lines, all islands Runs every day
Oct 13 to May 20Winter schedule for 2026/27. The company says its ferry runs 365 days a year.
Vinalhaven
Fall from Nov 1, winter Jan 1 to Mar 14A fall schedule from November 1, then the winter schedule into March 2027.
Islesboro and Swan's Island
Nov 1 to Apr 11Both switch to winter schedules from November 1, 2026 to April 11, 2027.
Monhegan from Port Clyde
Oct 14 to Dec 31Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 AM, no trips on postal holidays. Check January to March separately.
Balmy Days from Boothbay Harbor
Memorial Day to NovemberSeasonal only. Plan winter Monhegan trips from Port Clyde.
- Casco Bay Lines: see its 2026/27 winter schedule, October 13, 2026 to May 20, 2027, for all islands.
- Maine State Ferry Service: each route has its own schedule page: Vinalhaven (fall from November 1, winter January 1 to March 14, 2027), Islesboro and Swan’s Island (winter November 1, 2026 to April 11, 2027). Matinicus runs only on listed dates, about one to four trips a month. Check the North Haven and Frenchboro pages for current trips.
- Monhegan Boat Line: from October 14 to December 31, the Port Clyde boat runs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 AM. Balmy Days says it runs seasonally from Memorial Day through November.
Casco Bay and the Portland Side
Casco Bay has the widest range of easy island choices. You can board in Portland, drive across a bridge or causeway, or paddle toward the outer bay. Start here if the island day has to fit a Portland-area trip.
Peaks Island
Peaks Island is the simplest Portland island day: a lived-in village, a bike-friendly road around the island, beaches, a rocky backshore and the remains of Battery Steele. Choose it when a group wants enough variety to fill a day without a complicated landing.
- Access
- Casco Bay Lines from Portland
- Go for
- Village, bike loop, beaches, Battery Steele
Chebeague Island
Chebeague Island is bigger and more spread out than Peaks, with quiet roads, sandy shore and a year-round community. It suits a slower day if you’re happy covering more ground after the ferry.
- Access
- Casco Bay Lines from Portland
- Go for
- A slower, spread-out island day
- Access
- Casco Bay Lines
- Roads
- Unpaved
Cliff Island
Cliff Island is the small, outer-bay choice. Unpaved roads, a working lobster community and very few visitor services make it better for walking and looking around than for a long checklist of sights. Casco Bay Lines runs here from Portland.
Great Diamond Island
Great Diamond Island pairs an island outing with the brick buildings of Fort McKinley, a converted military post at Diamond Cove. Pick it for harbor views, historic architecture and a compact visit close to Portland.
- Access
- Casco Bay Lines from Portland
- Go for
- Fort McKinley at Diamond Cove
- Access
- Casco Bay Lines
- Beach
- South Beach
Long Island
Long Island in Casco Bay is a year-round fishing community with quiet roads and South Beach. Go for beach time and a lived-in island feel rather than a cluster of tourist sights. Casco Bay Lines runs here from Portland.
- Access
- Sea kayak across open water
- Stay
- Primitive camping
Jewell Island
Jewell Island is the advanced paddling and primitive-camping choice at the outer edge of Casco Bay. Its coves, trails and World War II observation towers reward the crossing, but the open-water approach makes it a trip for capable sea kayakers, not a stand-in for a ferry day.
Mackworth Island
Mackworth Island connects to Falmouth by causeway, so you get an island walk without a boat. The shoreline loop, Casco Bay views and fairy-house area make it the easiest short outing, and the best pick for a family that wants no ferry logistics.
- Access
- Causeway from Falmouth
- Go for
- Shoreline loop and fairy houses
Eagle Island State Historic Site
Eagle Island State Historic Site preserves Admiral Robert Peary’s summer island off Harpswell. It is boat access only. Go for the maritime history, the island grounds and the trip across the bay, not for a full day of trails.
- Access
- Boat only, off Harpswell
- Go for
- Peary history and the island grounds
Bailey Island
Bailey Island sits at the end of the bridge-linked Harpswell chain. The granite Cribstone Bridge, Giant’s Stairs, Land’s End and fishing-village roads make it a strong no-ferry day with several short stops.
Cedar Beach is on Bailey Island but isn’t open to the public: access is limited to Harpswell residents, nonresident taxpayers and their guests. Read the beach guide before planning on it; the island’s public coastal stops are the reliable plan.
- Access
- Bridge from Harpswell
- Note
- Cedar Beach is for residents and guests
Midcoast and Boothbay Islands
The Midcoast mixes passenger boats, historic light stations, preserves reached only by private boat, and bridge-connected peninsulas. Boothbay Harbor, Port Clyde, New Harbor, Phippsburg and Georgetown each serve a different piece of this coast, so choose the island before you choose a base.
Monhegan Island
Monhegan Island is the full-day island for hikers, artists and anyone who wants sea cliffs and a car-free village in one trip. Its trails and working harbor are worth the whole day, not just the boat ride.
- Access
- Port Clyde year-round; New Harbor and Boothbay in season
- Go for
- Sea cliffs, trails and a car-free village
- Ferry
- None scheduled
- Access
- Private boat or charter
Damariscove Island
Damariscove Island is a boat-access preserve off Boothbay with early-settlement history, meadow and shoreline trails, and seabird habitat. Its guide lists no scheduled ferry, so it suits travelers arranging a private boat, a charter or an expert paddle.
Squirrel Island
Squirrel Island is a historic summer colony off Boothbay Harbor with no motor vehicles and a wooden shoreline boardwalk. Treat it as a respectful walk through a private residential community: stay on the public paths and don’t expect shops or attractions.
- Where
- Off Boothbay Harbor
- Visit
- Public paths only; no cars or shops
Seguin Island Lighthouse
Seguin Island Lighthouse is the lighthouse trip near the mouth of the Kennebec. The island holds Maine’s highest lighthouse setting and the state’s only first-order Fresnel lens. Choose it if maritime history matters more to you than village life.
- Where
- Mouth of the Kennebec River
- Go for
- Maine's only first-order Fresnel lens
Georgetown Island
Georgetown Island connects by bridge and fills a full driving day of beaches, forest and fishing-village scenery. Five Islands, at the southern tip, has the classic wharf-and-spruce-islands view, and the island guide links that stop with the rest of Georgetown.
- Access
- Bridge
- Don't miss
- The Five Islands wharf at the southern tip
Burnt Island Lighthouse
Burnt Island Lighthouse is a small light-station island near Boothbay Harbor. Choose it for a boat trip with a historic tower, keeper’s house and short nature trails, not a remote wilderness day.
- Where
- Near Boothbay Harbor
- Go for
- Tower, keeper's house and short trails
- Reach it
- Narrow causeway in Phippsburg
- Stay
- Tent-focused campground
Hermit Island
Hermit Island isn’t a true offshore island. It is a 255-acre Phippsburg peninsula reached by a narrow causeway, but its tent-focused campground, rocky headlands and eight beaches feel like an island stay. It belongs here if your real goal is several nights beside the ocean without a ferry.
Penobscot Bay and the Deer Isle Side
Penobscot Bay holds larger working islands, car-ferry trips, boat-access camping and the remote island section of Acadia National Park. Rockland and Lincolnville serve the western side of the bay; Stonington is the departure port for Isle au Haut.
Vinalhaven
Vinalhaven is the larger Fox Island, a working lobstering community shaped by its granite-quarry history. Choose it for a full island day with harbor life, quarry swimming and a short preserve walk, not just a loop around the ferry landing.
- Access
- State ferry from Rockland
- Go for
- Harbor life, quarry swimming, a preserve walk
North Haven
North Haven Island is the quieter Fox Island, with a compact village, an arts community and a gentler summer-colony feel. It fits travelers who prefer a slow village day to Vinalhaven’s bigger road network and quarries.
- Access
- State ferry from Rockland
- Go for
- A slower village day
Islesboro
Islesboro is a long, narrow island reached from Lincolnville. Quiet roads, Grindle Point Lighthouse and views of the Camden Hills suit a driving or cycling day, with the scenery spread along the island rather than at one stop.
- Access
- State ferry from Lincolnville
- Go for
- A driving or cycling day
- Access
- Your own boat or kayak
- Stay
- A few campsites
Warren Island State Park
Warren Island State Park is a boat-access camping island near Islesboro. Its few campsites and wooded shoreline suit paddlers and boaters who want a night in Penobscot Bay, as long as they plan the crossing and carry what they need.
Isle au Haut
Isle au Haut is the remote island section of Acadia, reached by boat from Stonington. Choose it for a serious hiking day among forest, headlands and open-ocean shore, with fewer services and more transportation planning than a Mount Desert Island outing.
- Access
- Boat from Stonington
- Go for
- A serious hiking day
Duck Harbor
Duck Harbor Campground is the overnight version of Isle au Haut. With five lean-to shelters, it is an unusually small Acadia campground, so plan on matching a hard-to-get reservation with the correct boat landing.
- Stay
- Five lean-to shelters
- Plan
- A hard-to-get reservation and the right boat landing
Deer Isle
Deer Isle connects by bridge and combines working harbors, galleries, craft traditions, old granite quarries and winding island roads. It is the flexible Penobscot pick for island character without handing your day to a ferry schedule.
- Access
- Bridge
- Go for
- Harbors, galleries, old quarries
Downeast and the Acadia Region
East of Penobscot Bay, island trips get quieter and more spread out. Some leave from near Mount Desert Island; Great Wass connects by bridge; and Machias Seal takes a tightly controlled boat trip from Cutler. This is the region for working communities, remote preserves and a trip planned around one purpose.
Swan’s Island
Swan’s Island is a working island in Blue Hill Bay reached from Bass Harbor. Burnt Coat Harbor Light, sandy shore and three small villages make a manageable, community-focused day away from the busiest parts of the Acadia region.
- Access
- State ferry from Bass Harbor
- Go for
- Burnt Coat Harbor Light and three villages
Frenchboro
Frenchboro is a much smaller, more remote year-round community on Long Island in outer Blue Hill Bay. A large coastal preserve and almost no visitor services make it best for self-sufficient hikers who want quiet headlands, not convenience.
- Access
- State ferry from Bass Harbor
- Go for
- Quiet headlands; few services
Cranberry Isles
Cranberry Isles is the overview for the small inhabited islands south of Mount Desert Island. Use it for a working-island day of harbor walks, local history and views back toward Acadia instead of another day on park roads.
- Where
- South of Mount Desert Island
- Go for
- Harbor walks and views back to Acadia
Islesford
Islesford on Little Cranberry Island narrows that choice to one village. Its historical museum, lobster dock and walkable roads make it the focused pick for a compact cultural stop after the boat ride.
- Where
- Little Cranberry Island
- Go for
- Museum, lobster dock, walkable roads
Great Wass Island
Great Wass Island Preserve connects by bridge through Beals and centers on a rugged coastal hike. Rare jack-pine barrens, peatland, spruce and open shoreline make it the Downeast choice for trail time.
- Access
- Bridge through Beals
- Footing
- Rougher and wetter than a village walk
Machias Seal Island
Machias Seal Island is the specialist wildlife trip. Authorized tours from Cutler carry a limited number of visitors toward its Atlantic puffin colony, and ocean conditions can prevent a landing even after the boat arrives. Go for puffins, not a general island day.
- Access
- Authorized boat tours from Cutler
- Note
- Sea conditions can stop a landing
How to Build the Trip
Pick one main island per day. Ferry and tour times set the edges of the plan, and island roads and trails often take longer than their mileage suggests. Combining two boat-served islands usually turns the day into a transportation exercise. Then match the island to your group:
- Young children or limited time Mackworth · Bailey · Georgetown · Peaks Mackworth, Bailey, Georgetown, Peaks or a focused Great Diamond visit keep remote travel to a minimum.
- A full walking day Monhegan · Isle au Haut · Great Wass · Frenchboro Monhegan, Isle au Haut, Great Wass or Frenchboro put trails ahead of shops and dining.
- Working-island character Vinalhaven · North Haven · Deer Isle · more Vinalhaven, North Haven, Deer Isle, Long Island, Swan's Island and the Cranberry Isles center on year-round and fishing life.
- Camping Jewell · Warren Island · Duck Harbor · Hermit Island Jewell, Warren Island, Duck Harbor and Hermit Island each need a different access and reservation plan. Read the destination page before committing.
- Lighthouse history Eagle · Seguin · Burnt Island · Bailey · Mulholland Point Eagle, Seguin, Burnt Island, Bailey Island and Mulholland Point near Lubec range from bridge-connected viewing to boat-only landings.
Finally, check the return before you board or launch. Save the operator’s current information, know the correct landing, and carry enough food, water and layers for a delay. On a bridge-connected island, the road is your margin. On a boat-served island, the return trip is the plan.