These Maine Coastal Islands Have Lost A Bit Of Their Small-Town Soul
Maine’s coastal islands have long been sanctuaries of salt air, tight-knit communities, and rhythms set by tides and fishing boats. But lately, some locals notice shifts that change the texture of island life.
Rising real estate prices, ferry fare hikes, and the steady hum of short-term rentals have begun to reshape what it means to call these places home year-round. Still, each island keeps pockets of magic worth discovering if you know where to look.
Here are eight coastal islands people in Maine say have lost their small-town charm.
1. Mount Desert Island
Acadia’s glow pulls record crowds in summer, and Bar Harbor’s cruise cap fights congestion while the courts fine-tune what that means in practice. You still find quiet coves in October, fishing boats at dawn, and blueberry air after rain.
Reach MDI by car via Trenton or by seasonal bus. Morning fog clings to Cadillac Mountain’s granite slopes, and tide pools along Otter Cliff reveal starfish and periwinkles.
Local bakeries open early for hikers, and sunset from Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse paints the sky in peach and violet strokes that make the ferry lines worth enduring.
2. Peaks Island (Portland)
More short-term rental rules now shape who can host, and ferry vehicle fares climbed in 2025 as ridership swells in peak months. Step off the boat to bikes, tide smells, and cottage porches that hum at sunset.
Reach it year-round on Casco Bay Lines. Battery Steele’s graffiti-covered tunnels offer urban exploration with ocean views, and the loop trail delivers beach glass and harbor seals lounging on ledges.
Grab a sandwich at the island market, pedal past hydrangeas spilling over picket fences, and catch the last ferry under a sky streaked with gold.
3. Vinalhaven (Fox Islands)
Rising demand for seasonal and investment homes pushed prices up and lights out on some winter streets, so the island is adding workforce housing. Harbor still thumps with traps, bait, and gulls at first light.
Reach it by the Maine State Ferry from Rockland. Lawson’s Quarry offers freshwater swimming in an old granite pit, its clear green depths framed by cliffs and rope swings that locals have used for generations.
Walk Main Street for coffee and conversation, then hike Lane’s Island Preserve where wild roses tangle along the shore.
4. North Haven
Housing groups are working to keep year-round families in place as costs rise. Lobster boats still set the rhythm, church suppers still fill the calendar.
Reach it by ferry from Rockland. Pulpit Rock rises above the Thoroughfare, offering views across to Vinalhaven and seals that bob in the current below.
Rent a bike at the ferry landing, pedal past stone walls and meadows dotted with lupine, and stop at Mullen’s Head Park (often called “Big Beach”) where the sand is coarse and the water stays bracingly cold even in August.
5. Islesboro
Season swells the population, and ferry fares increased again in 2025, sharpening the affordability conversation. Maple-lined roads, pocket beaches, and glassy Penobscot Bay still feel timeless.
Reach it by the Maine State Ferry from Lincolnville. Pendleton Point offers a rocky perch for seal-watching, and Grindle Point Lighthouse stands guard over the narrow passage where currents rush past.
Pack a picnic for Warren Island State Park, accessible only by boat, where campsites nestle in spruce groves and the only sounds are waves and wind through the trees at dusk.
6. Chebeague Island
Town planners advanced a registration requirement for short-term rentals in 2025 while locals invest in housing for year-rounders. Spruce, salt wind, and shorebirds keep the calm intact.
Reach it via Chebeague Transportation Company from Cousins Island or by Casco Bay Lines. Rent a golf cart or bike to explore Indian Point, where great blue herons stalk the shallows and tidal pools teem with crabs.
Hamilton Beach stretches wide and sandy, perfect for kite-flying and beachcombing, while the island’s historical society shares stories of shipbuilders and farmers who shaped this place generations ago.
7. Monhegan Island
Day-trippers arrive by the boatload in high season, and trails can feel busy near the cliffs. Evening fog, studio lights in windows, and the scent of spruce keep the artist-colony soul alive.
Reach it by seasonal ferries from Port Clyde, Boothbay Harbor, or New Harbor. Whitehead Trail leads to vertiginous views where surf explodes against black rock and seabirds wheel overhead in endless loops.
Stay overnight to experience the island after the crowds leave, when painters work in open studios and the village feels like a secret shared only among those who linger past the last ferry horn.
8. Bailey Island (Harpswell)
Conversations about regulating short-term rentals moved from the task force to planning language in 2025 as housing costs bite. Fishermen still mend gear by the cribstone bridge, and kelp dries in the sun.
Reach it by road over the historic bridge, one of the world’s only cribstone spans, where granite blocks allow tides to flow through gaps engineered over a century ago.
Giant’s Stairs descend to the open Atlantic, where waves carve honeycomb patterns in ancient rock, and Land’s End offers lobster rolls with views that stretch to the horizon, salt spray included at no extra charge.