Goat Island Light

The Goat Island Light Station was built in 1833 to help mariners safely navigate their way into the sheltered waters of Cape Porpoise Harbor, an important fishing and boating area along Maine’s southern coast. Positioned at the harbor’s entrance, the light provided a crucial visual guide for vessels approaching the rocky shoreline, especially during poor weather or at night. Goat Island Light was one of the last lighthouses in the region to be automated, preserving its traditional operation well into the modern era.

The station gained additional attention decades later when Secret Service agents protecting President George H.W. Bush used the island as a convenient vantage point while monitoring the Bush family compound at nearby Walker’s Point. Today, the light station is leased to the Kennebunk Conservation Trust, which has restored the historic structures and preserves the island’s natural landscape. During the summer, you can visit by boat and access a small dock at high tide. The lighthouse also can be easily viewed from the mainland at the Cape Porpoise Pier, where visitors can enjoy clear views across the harbor.