When your algorithm knows you live in Maine, you end up scrolling through a lot of similar photos — of lighthouses, lobster rolls, lapping waves — including some specific images that appear over and over again.
I’m not talking about the trendy stuff that can temporarily take over your feed, like the Pepto-hued pomegranate glaze from Holy Donut that’s since given way to the blue-and-green stripes of the Hearts of Pine. These hot spots for photo ops have staying power.
Here are a dozen places in Maine where people can’t help but snap a picture.
Piscataqua River Bridge
Truthfully, the photo opportunities begin before you even enter the state. Passing under the green steel beams of the Piscataqua River Bridge, heading for the sign announcing you’re about to be in Vacationland, is a defining moment that can stir emotions in visitors and locals alike. If you feel the need to document it, just make sure you’re not the one driving.
Cape Neddick Lobster Pound buoys
Colorful, weather-beaten buoys are a surefire way to make tourists salivate, even when they’re strategically displayed for that purpose. Restaurants, including Luke’s Lobster in Portland and Stewman’s in Bar Harbor, seem to recognize the potential of these backdrops, which can entertain waiting customers and get their businesses tagged in Instagram posts. The collection at the Cape Neddick Lobster Pound hangs from a shingled shed on the water, surrounded by lobster traps to fill out the scene.
‘Welcome to Kennebunkport’ sign
On the bridge connecting Kennebunk’s Lower Village to Kennebunkport’s Dock Square is a metal sign, topped with the town’s skyline, inviting you into Maine’s Hallmark-iest hamlet. It’s selfie central pretty much anytime of year, though someone apparently got fed up with all the duck faces; the sign went missing for a week in the winter of 2020 and was eventually located behind a nearby building, thanks to an anonymous tip.
Portland Head Light
Many of Maine’s lighthouses are in contention for most picturesque: the red-and-white-striped Quoddy Head, hill-topping Nubble Light and “Forrest Gump”-featured Marshall Point among them. Still, it’s not hard to imagine why Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth is the most photographed, considering its prettily painted outbuildings, dramatic rocky coastline and proximity to the state’s largest airport. Instagram posts have used #portlandheadlight some 77,000 times, and a panoramic shot serves as the banner photo on Maine-born actress Anna Kendrick’s X account.
Custom House Wharf
Both sides of this Portland pier are equally iconic. On one is the entrance to Harbor Fish Market, with its red clapboards, green trim and vintage-looking signs advertising the various types of fresh seafood on offer. The grimier backside shows the waterfront at work, with fishing boats and lobster traps lining water-soaked pilings. Whichever you prefer, be grateful most of it’s still standing, thanks to the quick work of firefighters who quelled a blaze that destroyed several businesses last winter.
Giant Bean Boot
During the soon-to-wrap renovation of its flagship store in Freeport, L.L.Bean knew better than to cut off access to this 16-foot replica of its signature shoe, a size 410 if it was being fitted for a foot. Made of fiberglass with steel reinforcement and a cementitious shell, the structure was created for the retailer’s 90th anniversary in 2002 and replaced in 2015. It’s not the only one of its kind; a few other stores, including one at the Mall of America, have their own.
Taste of Maine lobster roll
For some, it seems like there’s no point in getting a lobster roll if you don’t take a picture of it first. Costing as much as they do, you can’t fault anyone for wanting to get a little more for their money, even in the form of virtual validation. Although lobster rolls all over Maine have had well beyond their 15 minutes of fame, a recurring sight is the table-spanning sandwich from this Woolwich restaurant that claims to serve the world’s largest — 3 feet long and filled with 2.5 pounds of meat, for a whopping $260.
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens giant trolls
This is a newer addition to the list but, as soon as these giant trolls were installed in 2021, they became a favorite prop for family photos. Tucked away in the woods at the Boothbay destination, the trolls stand as a high as two stories, though climbing is discouraged in favor of giving hugs. Made by Danish artist Thomas Dambo from recycled wood, the trolls will remain as long as people take care of them, and otherwise will just rot into the land. Considering the attention they’ve attracted, that won’t be happening anytime soon.
The view from Mount Battie
Whether you make the quick and dirty scramble, take a meandering nature trail or drive yourself to the top of Mount Battie, the reward is the same: the view looking down on Camden Harbor with boats dotting the cove that nestles up against the historic village, like something you’d see on poster. The experience can be heightened, literally, by taking it in from the top of a stone tower, built as memorial to World War I veterans, and, figuratively, by doing it during peak foliage.
Lower Main Street, Bar Harbor
There are a bunch of spots in Acadia National Park that are popular for photos: the top of Cadillac Mountain, the waves crashing at Thunder Hole, the lawn of the Jordan Pond House with The Bubbles in background. In town, though, it’s the sloping stretch of shops along lower Main Street that inspires people to pull out their cameras. We get it; it’s about as quaint a row of storefronts as can be, and from the right angle, you can squeeze in a sliver of the harbor below.
Stephen King’s Bangor home
You couldn’t draw up a more appropriate dwelling for the master of horror than the Victorian mansion in Bangor where Stephen King and his wife, Tabitha, lived for many years and is now home to his archives. Fronted by a wrought-iron gate that resembles a spider web and is topped with bats, it doesn’t disappoint fans who travel far and wide to visit the city that inspired Derry, the oft-used setting of the writer’s stories, “It” included.
Baxter Peak summit sign
The sign marking the summit of Mount Katahdin’s Baxter Peak, the highest point in Maine and northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, is almost exactly a mile from sea level but a whole lot farther to hike — especially if you started at Georgia’s Springer Mountain. That doesn’t, however, give you the right to carve your initials into this landmark, like a couple vandals did last fall. Just take a picture, will you?
We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs. You can update your screen name on the member's center.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can subscribe here. Questions? Please see our FAQs.