Camille's Arches: September 2026

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Portland's Head Light Arch

You can see a video from our visit to the Portland Head Light Arch here: Portland Head Light Arch

We visited Portland, Maine in August of 2026. I had done some research online to see if there were any arches in the area, especially along the coastline. The only arch I could get any information on was a small arch near the Portland Head Light, which is a lighthouse that has been photographed more than any other lighthouse in the United States.

We took an Uber to the lighthouse, although I was worried at first because it took awhile for my app to come up with a driver. We had arrived by cruise ship on a Sunday morning, and I think that most of the Uber drivers may have been at home in bed. Finally we did connect with an Uber driver and he took us out to the light house.

First we admired the light house, and then we went to explore south of the light house to try to spot the arch. I had only received brief instructions online about how to find the small arch, and they proved helpful because as we walked along the path toward the south, soon the arch came into view down on the shore.

We found a place to climb down onto the rocky shore, and then climbed over rocks and through tidal pools and eventually up into the arch. It was only a quarter mile walk from the arch up to the lighthouse parking lot, but it was not an easy walk. We climbed over large and slippery rocks and got a bit dirty and wet trying to make it over to the arch. There was a couple rock hounding down on the shore under the arch, as well as a few people fishing on the shore.

Next to the arch was an old lobster cage, and unfortunately there was quite a bit of graffiti near the arch. This made me very sad that people would deface such a beautiful place. There is a stunning view of the lighthouse through the arch. The arch is bigger than I expected, and I could easily stand up underneath it. I enjoyed watching and listening to the waves on the coast, as well as admiring the beautiful view. Afterwards we climbed back up to the path on a much easier route than the first one that we had found.

There is not good cell service at the lighthouse, so we walked around a little bit before getting a good enough signal to order an Uber driver. Then we waited a few minutes for him to arrive. We were able to shop a little bit at the small vendor tables near the light house. There is a lot to explore near the lighthouse, including Fort Williams, and a museum. The Portland Head Light is located here: Portland Head Light. The google maps location of the arch is here: Portland Head Light Arch