Harpswell & Bailey Island

The glaciers of the Ice Age formed nearby Harpswell with one of the most distinct geographic landscapes in Maine.

On the west is a single peninsula, Harpswell Neck, a thin finger of granite, pine and rolling meadows. To the east, Harpswell consists of three islands - Great, Orr’s and Bailey, each joined by bridges. With its 216 miles of coastline, you’ll find a scenic ride through coves, inlets and woodlands in Harpswell. For dramatic coastal scenery, take a walk on the Giant’s Stairs. The rock formations here are a geologist’s dream, but even a layman can appreciate the gigantic forces that shaped this coastline going back 500 million years. There’s a gift shop at the end of the peninsula, which has been a popular shopping spot here since 1959 with a wide selection of gifts and souvenirs. Cook’s Lobster and Ale House has been feeding guests with the best of seafood and award winning pastry since 1955.

Bailey Island is connected to Orr’s Island by a cribstone bridge. It’s the only cribstone bridge in the world (see more info below). Mackerel Cove is one of the most photographed places in Maine. While visiting Bailey Island, make sure to visit “The Giant’s Steps”, a rock formation on the edge of the island that resembles a large flight of stairs, and Land’s End, a rocky beach at the end of the island.

Most Unusual: Connecting Orr’s Island to Bailey Island is the Cribstone Bridge, with its remarkable engineering design of rock and concrete designed to withstand the toll taken by ocean waters and tides flowing freely through it. It is the only remaining granite cribstone bridge in the world.