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It is a nice stop to view the lighthouse. It is out on an island, so you cannot walk up to it. They have several plaques detailing the history at the port. It is still an active fishing pier for smaller boats. There are also two restaurants right there. We weren't interested in eating at that time, but I did see that one had a sign they were closed for the season. Parking is very limited there as well.…
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Date of experience: October 2020
1 Helpful vote
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Goat Island Lighthouse is about a mile offshore from Cape Porpoise. It is very visible from the small park at the end of Pier Road in Cape Porpoise where there is free parking for about a dozen vehicles. The lighthouse is owned and maintained by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. As a historian interested Colonial and Maritime History, I’m very much into lighthouses, especially ones in New England as I’ve lived in New England all my life. I like to know the history and characteristics of each lighthouse I visit. This lighthouse was first established in 1835 as a navigational aid to the entrance to Cape Porpoise Harbor. Despite its presence, there were many shipwrecks nearby. The original station was upgraded to the 25-foot circular brick tower seen today. It was fitted with a fifth order Fresnel lens – about 21”. It was later fitted with Franklin lamps. The present optic is a VLB-44 LED marine beacon, a product of Vega Industries, a New Zealand Company. VLB stands for Vega Lighthouse Beacon. It is very energy-efficient. It was installed in 2008. The focal height is 38 feet. It flashes white every 6 seconds. Its range is 12 nautical miles. The fog signal sounds once every 15 seconds. There’s an interesting fact about this lighthouse that sets it apart from others. During George H. W. Bush’s presidency, Secret Service agents assigned to him lived on Goat Island to keep watch over the approach to Cape Porpoise and nearby Walker’s Point where his family vacation compound was. For those with access to a boat, there is an opportunity to visit the lighthouse around high tide for a tour of the tower during the summer, if the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust lighthouse keepers are home. It’s worth a trip to Cape Porpoise to see it from land. The Cape Pier Chowder House and Pier 77 Restaurants are right across the street from the small park, so the visit can be combined with lunch or dinner. I rate the Goat Island Lighthouse at 4.25. If you found this review helpful, please click THANK below.…
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Date of experience: October 2020
1 Helpful vote
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I wouldn't rush to see this lighthouse ~ first you have to pay for parking and second the lighthouse is at such a distance that you need a awesome zoom lens to be able to see it. And all for 5 minutes of your time.
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Date of experience: July 2020
1 Helpful vote
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Disappointing. We didn’t realize the lighthouse was so far off in the distance. There was plenty of parking for a Wednesday around 5PM during Covid-19. It started to rain just as we parked so we were there two minutes to take a few pictures and left.
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Date of experience: July 2020
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My wife and I stopped here during a two-night stay in Kennebunkport, ME. We were under the impression that we would be up close to the light house. As you can see from my picture, a shot from your cellphone (and I used the Samsung 9 with a great camera) will not give you much of the light house. Oh well, plenty else to see in Kennebunkport.…
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Date of experience: October 2019
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