description Owls Head Light Overview
Owls Head Light is a historic lighthouse located at the entrance to Rockland Harbor in Owls Head, Maine. The light station was established in 1825 to aid navigation in Penobscot Bay, while the current 30-foot cylindrical brick tower was constructed in 1852. The tower is attached to a keeper's house by a covered walkway and remains an active aid to navigation maintained by the United States Coast Guard. It is distinguished by its fourth-order Fresnel lens, which is still in use today, and the surrounding property is managed as Owls Head Light State Park.
help Owls Head Light FAQ
Can visitors go inside Owls Head Light?
Visitors can walk through Owls Head State Park to the lighthouse grounds, which overlook Penobscot Bay and Rockland Harbor. Access to the tower itself depends on seasonal openings and staffing.
Why is the Owls Head lighthouse tower so short?
The brick tower is only about 30 feet tall because it stands on a high rocky headland. That natural elevation places the light much higher above the water than the tower height alone suggests.
Does Owls Head Light still use its original lens?
The station retains a fourth-order Fresnel lens, a compact lens size commonly used for harbor and coastal lights. The present brick tower dates from 1852, while the original light station was established in 1825.
What waters does Owls Head Light mark?
It marks the southwestern entrance to Rockland Harbor on Maine's Penobscot Bay. The light historically helped vessels approach the major shipping and fishing port of Rockland.
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