Need a break from notifications and neighbors? Little River Lighthouse offers something most accommodations can’t: complete island solitude in a piece of living maritime history. Located on its own 15-acre private island off Cutler, Maine, this restored 1876 lighthouse station lets you claim an entire island for the night—lighthouse tower and all.
What You’re Actually Booking
This isn’t a hotel room with lighthouse views—it’s the authentic keeper’s experience.
The stay centers around the fully restored 1888 Victorian keeper’s house, where lighthouse families once weathered decades of Maine storms. Three bedrooms (typically one queen, one double, one with twins) share common areas that feel more like a coastal cottage than resort accommodations.
The real prize? Climbing access to the cast-iron lighthouse tower itself, offering 360-degree views across Maine’s Bold Coast whenever you want.
Your island logistics include:
- Season: June 1 through September 30, when weather permits reliable boat access
- Capacity: Maximum six guests across three rooms, entire island to yourselves
- Pricing: Around $400 per night for the first room, additional fees for extra bedrooms
- Access: 10-15 minute boat ride from Cutler dock (scheduled around tides and weather)
- Amenities: Full kitchen and electricity, but bring your own food and expect minimal cell service
The Digital Detox You Didn’t Know You Needed
With spotty Wi-Fi and only ocean sounds for entertainment, the island forces genuine disconnection.
This isn’t glamping with lighthouse aesthetics. The experience functions more like a heritage preservation program than luxury lodging, with overnight fees supporting the American Lighthouse Foundation’s restoration work. That means self-catered meals, shared bathrooms, and the kind of isolation that makes scrolling Instagram feel absurd.
The station has been maintained through the efforts of the American Lighthouse Foundation and its Friends of Little River Lighthouse chapter. Guests essentially become temporary lighthouse keepers, funding ongoing restoration while experiencing the solitude that defined this profession for over a century.
The booking process happens directly through the lighthouse’s official website, with departures coordinated around weather windows that can shift Maine plans as quickly as coastal fog rolls in.
For travelers seeking authentic experiences over curated ones, Little River Light delivers the real thing: a night inside New England maritime history, with waves as your soundtrack and stars uncompromised by light pollution.
