10 Amazing Things To Do In Cape Elizabeth, Maine This Summer
Some Maine towns win you over right away. This one takes its time, then somehow ends up stuck in your head long after you leave.
It is the kind of place where you can start the morning beside a historic lighthouse, wander along rocky trails by lunch, and end the day with sandy feet, farm-fresh food, or a tiny museum you will still be telling people about weeks later.
The coastline is rugged and the pace feels just slow enough to make you breathe a little deeper. There is plenty to do here, but nothing feels rushed. You can chase views, explore quiet coves, look for wild blueberries, or simply sit somewhere beautiful and let the day unfold.
After spending time along this memorable stretch of Maine coast, I pulled together ten summer experiences worth adding to your list.
1. Tour Portland Head Light
Standing at the edge of Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Portland Head Light is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the entire country, and the moment you see it, you will understand exactly why.
Commissioned by George Washington himself and completed in 1791, this working lighthouse has guided sailors safely along the rocky Maine coast for over two centuries. The setting is genuinely jaw-dropping, with waves crashing against granite boulders and the Atlantic stretching endlessly to the horizon.
The keeper’s quarters have been converted into the Museum at Portland Head Light, where you can explore exhibits about the lighthouse’s history, the life of a lighthouse keeper, and the maritime culture of the region.
Admission to the museum is affordable, and the surrounding park grounds are free to explore. Bring a picnic blanket and claim a grassy spot overlooking the water.
Summer mornings here are especially magical, when the light is soft and the crowds are still thin. Photography enthusiasts will want to arrive early to capture the lighthouse against a golden sky.
This is the kind of place that stays with you long after you have driven home.
2. Explore Two Lights State Park
Named after the twin lighthouses that stand nearby, Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth offers some of the most dramatic coastal scenery you will find anywhere in New England.
The park sits on a rocky headland jutting into Casco Bay, and the views from the cliffs are genuinely stunning. On a clear summer day, you can see for miles across the open Atlantic, and the wind coming off the water keeps things refreshingly cool even in July.
The park has picnic areas, grills, and open fields where families spread out and spend entire afternoons. Hiking along the rocky shoreline requires sturdy footwear, but the effort is absolutely worth it.
Tidepools form in the crevices of the granite ledges, and if you look closely, you will spot periwinkles, crabs, and the occasional sea urchin clinging to the rocks.
Two Lights is a favorite spot for painters and photographers, and you will often see easels set up along the bluffs. The park is open year-round, but summer brings it fully to life with wildflowers blooming along the trails.
Pack a lunch, grab a good book, and plan to stay longer than you originally intended.
3. Swim At Crescent Beach State Park
Maine beaches have a reputation for being cold, and honestly, that reputation is earned. But Crescent Beach State Park in Cape Elizabeth is the kind of place that makes you forget the temperature the moment your toes hit the sand.
This gorgeous mile-long crescent of sandy shoreline is one of the finest swimming beaches on the entire Maine coast, and it draws families, solo adventurers, and everyone in between all summer long.
The beach faces southwest, which means it catches afternoon sun beautifully and stays warm well into the evening hours.
Facilities include restrooms, changing areas, and a snack bar that serves exactly the kind of fried clams and ice cream you want after a swim. A small day-use fee applies for entry, and it is well worth every cent.
Bodysurfing the gentle shore break, building elaborate sandcastles, or simply lying on a towel watching the lobster boats pass in the distance are all equally valid ways to spend a morning here.
Arrive before 10 a.m. on weekends to snag a good parking spot. Crescent Beach has a way of turning a simple beach day into a full-on summer memory you will talk about for years.
4. Go Strawberry Picking
Few summer activities are as satisfying and delicious as picking your own strawberries straight from the field. Cape Elizabeth and the surrounding coastal Maine area are home to working farms that open their fields to visitors during peak strawberry season, which typically runs from late June through mid-July.
Jordan’s Farm on Wells Road in Cape Elizabeth is a beloved local institution that has been growing vegetables and berries for generations.
The experience is wonderfully simple. You grab a basket, head into the rows, and spend an hour in the warm sun hunting for the reddest, ripest berries you can find.
Children absolutely love it, and adults tend to rediscover a kind of focused, peaceful joy that daily life rarely offers. The berries you pick yourself taste noticeably sweeter than anything you will find at a grocery store.
Plan to pick more than you think you need, because half of them will disappear on the drive home. Freshly picked strawberries are fantastic on their own, spooned over yogurt, or baked into a classic shortcake.
Checking the farm’s website or social media before visiting is a smart move, since picking availability depends entirely on what the season and the weather decide to cooperate with.
5. Dine At The Well At Jordan’s Farm
There is a particular kind of meal that feels like it was made specifically for summer, and dinner at The Well at Jordan’s Farm is exactly that.
Located on Wells Road in Cape Elizabeth, this seasonal farm-to-table restaurant operates right on the working farmland of Jordan’s Farm, meaning the vegetables on your plate may have been harvested just hours before you sat down.
The menu changes based on what is growing, which makes every visit feel genuinely different. The atmosphere is relaxed and communal, with long tables set up in a converted barn space and a kitchen that treats fresh, local ingredients with real respect.
Dishes are creative without being fussy, and the focus is always on letting honest flavors shine. Reservations are strongly recommended because seats fill up fast, especially on weekends in July and August.
Eating here feels like the kind of experience you read about in travel magazines and then assume is exaggerated. It is not.
The combination of farm-fresh food, a beautiful setting, and the genuine warmth of a community-rooted business makes this one of the most memorable meals you can have anywhere in Maine. Come hungry and come curious.
6. Discover Kettle Cove State Park
Kettle Cove State Park sits just south of Crescent Beach in Cape Elizabeth, and while it shares a parking area with its more famous neighbor, it has its own distinct personality worth seeking out.
The cove itself is a small, sheltered inlet with calmer water than the open beach next door, making it a popular spot for kayakers, paddleboarders, and anyone who prefers their ocean a little more peaceful and protected.
The rocky outcroppings that frame the cove are wonderful for exploring at low tide. Tidepooling here rewards patient observers with glimpses of hermit crabs, mussels, rockweed, and the occasional starfish clinging to a submerged ledge.
Kids are endlessly entertained, and adults tend to crouch down and get just as absorbed in the miniature world beneath the water line.
The park is also a great launching point for sea kayaking along the coast, and several outfitters in the greater Portland area offer guided tours that pass through these waters.
Sunset from the rocky ledges at Kettle Cove is genuinely spectacular, with the sky turning shades of orange and pink over the calm bay. This spot rewards those who take the time to look a little closer than the average visitor does.
7. Visit The Umbrella Cover Museum
Yes, this is a real museum, and yes, it is entirely dedicated to umbrella covers. The Umbrella Cover Museum is on Peaks Island, a short ferry ride from Portland near Cape Elizabeth.
It holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of umbrella sleeves, those little fabric covers that wrap around folded umbrellas and somehow always disappear.
The museum is small, joyful, and completely sincere in its celebration of something most people never think twice about. Nancy herself is often on hand to give tours, and she plays the accordion while explaining the history and origin of each cover in the collection.
Covers have arrived from dozens of countries, donated by visitors who caught wind of the world’s most specific collection and felt compelled to contribute.
A trip to the Umbrella Cover Museum is a reminder that curiosity and passion can turn anything into something worth celebrating.
It is the kind of quirky, only-in-Maine experience that makes you smile for the rest of the day. The ferry ride to Peaks Island is a mini adventure in itself, with harbor views that are hard to beat on a sunny summer afternoon.
8. Hike The Robinson Woods Preserve
Not every great summer experience in Cape Elizabeth involves the ocean, and Robinson Woods Preserve is proof of that.
This nearly 200-acre conservation area managed by the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust offers a network of well-maintained trails that wind through mixed forest, past vernal pools, and along quiet wetland edges.
It is the kind of place where you can hear birds instead of traffic and actually feel your shoulders drop about two inches.
The trails are generally easy to moderate in difficulty, making them accessible for families with kids, older hikers, and anyone who wants a genuine nature walk without needing technical gear.
Dogs are welcome, but visitors should check current Cape Elizabeth Land Trust rules for leash requirements and seasonal restrictions before heading out.
Birdwatchers will want to bring binoculars, as the preserve hosts a variety of songbirds, woodpeckers, and raptors throughout the summer months.
The trailhead is located on Broadturn Road, and parking is available in a small lot on site. Hiking Robinson Woods feels like pressing a reset button on a busy day, and most visitors leave feeling noticeably calmer than when they arrived.
9. Grab Treats At The Cookie Jar
Some places earn their legendary status one chocolate chip at a time. The Cookie Jar in Cape Elizabeth has been doing exactly that for years, quietly becoming one of those beloved local spots that regulars defend with the kind of loyalty usually reserved for sports teams.
The baked goods here are made with care, and you can taste the difference the moment you take a bite of a still-warm cookie that has no business being as good as it is.
The selection rotates, but you can typically count on a range of cookies, brownies, muffins, and seasonal treats that reflect whatever is fresh and in spirit at the moment.
The shop has a cozy, unhurried vibe that feels like a genuine small-town bakery rather than a chain trying to seem like one. Portions are generous, prices are reasonable, and the staff actually seems happy to be there.
Stopping in after a morning hike at Robinson Woods or a swim at Crescent Beach turns a great day into a near-perfect one. Grab a few extra cookies for the drive home, because you will absolutely wish you had.
The Cookie Jar is the kind of sweet, uncomplicated joy that summer in Maine was practically invented for.
10. Roam Battery Blair
Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth is home to more than just Portland Head Light. Within the park is Battery Blair, a reinforced-concrete coastal defense battery completed in 1903 as part of Fort Williams’ harbor defense system.
Battery Blair once mounted two 12-inch breechloading rifles on disappearing carriage mounts. Each gun could fire a 1,070-pound shell up to eight miles, making the battery one of the largest coastal defense installations at the fort.
Today, visitors can see part of Battery Blair within Fort Williams Park, about 500 feet southwest of Portland Head Light. One exposed gun emplacement has been preserved as an interpretive area, with panels explaining the fort’s history and the battery’s role in protecting Portland Harbor.
History enthusiasts will appreciate the scale of the remaining concrete structure, while casual visitors may be surprised by how much military history sits quietly beside one of Maine’s most famous coastal landmarks.
It is a quick stop, but it adds another layer of context to Fort Williams Park and Cape Elizabeth’s maritime past.