11 Things to Avoid in Kennebunkport
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Just saying the name Kennebunkport draws images of shiplap buildings along the docks and stately sea captains’ homes. You can almost smell the salt air and hear the distant fog horn. Why would you want to avoid any of that Maine maritime beauty? Because you want to skip the tourist traps or rookie mistakes to maximize your time.
We’ve put together a mix of things to avoid, secret spots, and best practices that might not be apparent to a first-time visitor or someone visiting during a new season.
Avoid Saying the Name Wrong
Unless you’re from Maine three generations deep, you’re invariably going to pronounce the name of something wrong here. However, people “from away” tend to pronounce Kennebunkport (and Kennebunk, for that matter) wrong. The correct way (or the Maine way, at least) is Ken-KNEE-bunk-port, like your knee. It’s not Ken-UH-bunk-port.
To make it more confusing, the Kennebec River is pronounced Ken-UH-beck.
You won’t have to worry about The Kennebec unless you’re taking a Route 1 road trip to Bath or driving up the Kennebec Valley.
Avoid Thinking Kennebunkport Is Only Awesome During Summer
We like to think we’ve told you enough times that Maine is a four-season state, but it’s a point that can’t be punctuated enough. Especially in tourist havens like Kennebunkport, something is happening during every season. A trip during fall can give you views of those storms that roll in off the coast or open the possibility of stunning fall foliage.
Plus, the crowds thin out enough in the shoulder seasons and winter.
Avoid Assuming You Know When Seasons Begin
If you are going to visit Kennebunkport in summer, look to the seasonal ebb and flow of tourists and the tide, not the calendar. Peak summer travel season is July through early September.
Fall foliage peaks in mid-October on the Southern Maine Coast, so visiting in September won’t give you the show you’re expecting unless you head to the Highlands.
Even spring is elusive in Maine, as May temperatures in Kennebunkport still dip into the low 40s at night and barely break the 60s during the day. However, for those who live here, that might as well be 80 and sunny in Miami compared to the brisk winter weather.
Avoid Assuming Every Charming Site is Kennebunkport
A friend of mine made a bucket list trip to Maine and, in a group chat, said, “Kennebunkport is NOT crowded.” It was late August. Of course, it was crowded. I prodded a bit more, and she responded, “I walked down Main Street and visited the Brick Store Museum. It was busy but not crowded.”
Ah ha. She was in Kennebunk, not Kennebunkport. Don’t get me wrong – both cities are fabulous (along with the trifecta town of Arundel rounding out “The Kennebunks.”) You just need to know the lay of the land.
Kennebunkport is most of Dock Square, east of the Kennebunk River, Cape Porpoise, various islands, and the land east until the Little River. Kennebunk is west of the river, with part of Dock Square, the Lower Village, Downtown Kennebunk, three beaches, and west to the other Little River. Arundel fits like a sloppy piece of pie between the two.
Avoid Sticking to Dock Square
You’ll get a lot of advice that Dock Square can be filled with tourist traps, but don’t let that dissuade you. We just encourage you to look beyond the fishing village and explore the history and culture that can be tucked a few blocks or a few miles back.
For example, the First Families Museum is just a block from Dock Square and celebrates the founding families of the town and the history of President Bush’s family. Cape Porpoise is part of Kennebunkport but a much more laid-back, active fishing town.
Even just offshore, you have the islands of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust to consider, including Goat Island Lighthouse.
Avoid High Tide or Get to the Beach Early
The beaches of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport draw huge crowds in the summer, and that’s going to create traffic troubles, limited parking, and packed beachgoer towels in the sand. At high tide, very little beach space remains for the multitude of people trying to get a spot.
Goose Rocks Beach offers the most space, and that one is in Kennebunkport. Should anyone suggest you visit Gooch’s, Middle, or Mother’s Beach, you’ll be on the Kennebunk side of the river.
If you plan to arrive early, be sure to note the high water mark on the sand and get a spot just on the dry side of that line. You’ll be safe from an incoming tide, even if your schedule doesn’t match up with the tide schedule.
Avoid Driving Right By a Really Cool Pocket Park
The one place you do want to be as the high tide is coming in is Blowing Cave Park. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stop just west of the Bush family home of Walker’s Point. As the tide comes in, waves splash over a small sea cave. A memorial to George H.W. Bush with a huge anchor is also right near the road.
The excellent views start at the small parking area, but those who are more daring can walk the path down to the rocks. Avoid going in the cave, even at low tide.
NOTE: Walker’s Point is not open to tourists, and you’ll interact with a less-than-pleasant Secret Service member if you try to get onto the property.
Avoid Getting Stranded on Timber Island
Let’s ride the tide for one more “avoid” topic. Just outside the KBPT boundary is Timber Island, part of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Preserve. The relatively easy Timber Point Trail is 2.4 miles roundtrip, but at low tide, you can walk across the sandbar to Timber Island.
However, if you time the tide wrong, you’ll be marooned on the island for the next 12 hours. Plenty of signs warn you to avoid this fate, with a chart telling you when the next high tide is coming in.
Avoid Assuming Parking Is Easy
While Kennebunk and Kennebunkport blend flawlessly in many ways, parking prices and requirements are vastly different. One price for parking doesn’t cover both cities.
In Kennebunkport, Dock Square Parking is paid by the hour from May 1 through the end of October. North Street’s parking lot is about half a mile from Dock Square, and parking is free.
Goose Rocks Beach parking is by sticker only, and that’s going to set you back about $30 a day between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Check the street parking rules before you try to find an overflow parking area.
Avoid Sandals and Flip Flops
Visiting Kennebunkport means a lot of walking. You’ll face inclines, slopes, cobblestone, gravel lots, and wooden walkways. It won’t take long for blisters, sunburn, or tired feet to limit how much farther you can go.
If you plan to take a boat tour, bring boat shoes or deck shoes – anything with non-marking soles that have a good grip.
Avoid Wearing Black When It’s Warm
This has nothing to do with heat and so much to do with deterring those swarming, biting black flies that plague woods and waterways in the summer. Many first-time visitors are baffled by these aggressive, angry insects that make mosquitos look like teddy bears.
To limit exposure to black flies, avoid streams and rivers, especially around sunrise and sunset. Wear white, as the insects are attracted to dark colors. Ideally, your clothing has long sleeves and full-length pants.
The best time to visit outdoor areas for minimal bug activity is between noon and 4 p.m.
The One Thing You Shouldn’t Avoid in Kennebunkport
For a place called Vacationland, Maine certainly comes with a lot of unwritten rules. We’ve told you how to avoid looking like a tourist, but the most important thing is to get the most out of the experience.
If you want to own the kitschy tourist vibe, you should wear that bib while eating lobster! Wait in the long line when other places serving lobster rolls have open seating.
If you want a more authentic Maine seaside experience, talk to the locals. Go on a lobster boat tour first thing and get all the intel from the lobstermen. You can always tell if a local considers you “Maine enough” by asking for directions. If they tell you, “you can’t get there from here,” you’re a tourist through and through.