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SCENIC SEACOAST WALKS
Portland, ME
The island is a walker’s paradise. The ferry runs regularly and cheaply. You
can park in Portland and be on the island quickly where time slows down and you
can wander around the 720 acre island to your heart’s content. Because there are
year-round residents, you’ll find a store, bike rental, everything you need.
Photo gallery.
Name: Peaks Island, Maine
Location: Casco Bay ferry from Portland dock departs regularly in season
Resources: Limited hotels, guest hoses and dining, cars may be taken by ferry
– but bring a bicycle instead
Rules: Peaks is part of the town of Portland, Maine. They set the rules.
Dogs: Can be transported on ferry
Peaks Island FAQ web page
Peaks Island in Casco Bay gets our award for the most accessible island we have
visited nearby. The ferry from Portland, Maine takes a mere 15 minutes, which
is why Peaks is so easy to tour and so heavily populated. Roughly 1,000 Mainers
live there year round and many commute to the city. The ferry was just $3, making
this certainly the least expensive island visit in the region we know. A little
larger than New Castle, New Hampshire, Peaks is 720 acres with pave and dirt roads.
We heard that summer visitors and tourists can pack the place on-season, so we
waited until the leaves were turning to make our recent visit.
If you plan more than a scenic walk, make sure to bring your bicycle (just $5
additional) in season and please don’t bring your car. Peaks has plenty of cars.
The drive around the perimeter is a little more than four miles. The island is
a lazy but complex network of roads with hundreds of cottages – from teeny shacks
to seaside MacMansions. The level roads are fine for walking, but perfect for
bikes, especially off season. Half of the round trip winds through residential
streets and the other half runs right along the sea with picturesque rocks and
crashing surf.
Peaks offers a few eateries, one open year round, and a general store that is
the lifeline for full time residents. There is a library, little beaches, dramatic
views and walking trails. Don’t miss the museum dedicated to a local Civil War
regiment or the lovely walk around Long Point peninsula nearby.
Visited by Europeans in 1623, settled in 1670, then attacked by Indians, Peaks
has a long and colorful history. The island became a summer tourist destination
in a big way during the 1880s. Private homes multiplied after water and electrical
service from the nearby mainland began early in the 20th century. Like many spots along the Eastern Seaboard, Peaks has its share of
military fortifications built through to World War II and now abandoned.
Today the island is served by regular ferries from the Casco Bay Lines. Visitors can park for a dollar an hour in a large lot immediately adjacent
to the ferry in Portland Harbor. All the shops and restaurants of the popular
Old Port area are just blocks away. Peaks is the perfect day, or even half-day
trip. We caught the mid-morning ferry, dined on island, explored the full circle
by bike, toured the Fifth Regiment Museum (a yellow building with a round tower
on Maple Street), stopped at the little gift shop and were back on the mid-afternoon
ferry in time for a grand dinner in Portland. An extremely good map by Map Adventures,
LLC made the tour even easier. The trip back to Portsmouth, NH is just an hour
by car. --- JDR
Photos by J. Dennis Robinson
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CONTINUE WALKING AROUND PEAKS ISLAND
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