Just south of Rockland, Maine, a rocky, wooded peninsula protrudes into the Penobscot Bay. The tip of this peninsula is home to the Owls Head State Park and Lighthouse. This small state park captures the north and south shores of the Owls Head Peninsula and offers access to the Owls Head Lighthouse.
South of the parking area are a few picnic tables scattered among the grass and conifer trees with views south toward Monroe Island and the Atlantic. A small gravel beach can be accessed from this area.
The main pathway from the parking area leads to the popular Owls Head Lighthouse. An intersection off this pathway leads down to the rocky north beach located on the Penobscot Bay. There are a few picnic spots complete with tables and a few grills. These spots offer great views north across Penobscot Bay to the Camden Hills. The keeper’s house can be seen from the beach as well.
The biggest draw to this state park is the historic Owls Head Lighthouse. While the lighthouse is technically not part of the state park, the state park provides a public access point. The lighthouse grounds are property of the United States Coast Guard, which leases the keeper's house and lighthouse tower to the American Lighthouse Foundation that runs daily tours of the lighthouse during the summer months.
The Owls Head Light is a white cylindrical lighthouse that stands 30 feet high and can be seen as far away as 16 nautical miles. It was first constructed in 1825 and then rebuilt in 1852. There used to be a covered walkway that extended from the keeper's house up the hill to the light. This covered walkway was removed when the lighthouse was electrified in 1932 and was deemed unnecessary and too costly to maintain.
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