Published: June 4, 2026 | Last updated: July 7, 2026
An old stone fort to explore, one of the largest sandy beaches in Maine, and a small coastal village.
This Popham Beach, Maine travel guide covers the best ways to enjoy the massive sandy beach, explore the Civil War fort, and find the best seafood in town — including the only place in town.
Popham, located at the tip of the Phippsburg peninsula where the Kennebec River meets the Atlantic Ocean, is one of Maine’s most historic and visually striking coastal regions. It blends pristine natural landscapes with remnants of early European settlement and military history.
🏖️ Beaches – Beach Names & Quirks
Popham Beach State Park
Popham Beach State Park is a spectacular, 605-acre coastal reservation known for having one of Maine’s rarest and most expansive segments of sandy beach. Unlike much of Maine’s rocky coastline, this park offers a rolling landscape of sand dunes, dynamic river cuts, and dramatic tidal shifts.
At low tide, the beach expands dramatically, exposing vast sandbars that allow visitors to walk out to nearby Fox Island. Visitors must carefully watch the returning tide to avoid getting stranded.
The rolling Atlantic surf makes this park a premier destination for sea kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and surfing.
Fort Popham Beach
The beach directly in front of the fort is rocky but photogenic, with views of the fort walls and the river meeting the sea.
🚴 Bike Rides – Route Descriptions
It’s a short bike ride from Popham Beach State Park into the village of Popham — only about 2 miles on a single road. The road is mostly flat and shaded. It winds along a country lane lined with oak trees. You’ll pass by homes when suddenly the view opens up to then ocean. You won’t get lost.
🍽️ Food – Fresh, Local & Unique
Spinney’s Restaurant & Lodging – Popham
Fresh, off‑the‑boat seafood — lobster dinners, steamed clams, fresh oysters. Some of it comes from the waters you’re looking at. Excellent restaurant, which is good because it’s really the only choice in town.
Cafe Creme – Bath
Cafe Creme is a popular coffee shop located at 56 Front Street in Bath, Maine, known for its excellent coffee, pastries, and cozy atmosphere. It offers a variety of food options, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free choices.
The cafe has a warm and inviting ambiance, making it a great spot for relaxation or work. It’s especially a welcome spot in the afternoon of a day of surf, sun, and fun.
📜 Local Knowledge & History
🏛️ Fort Popham
Fort Popham State Historic Site is an impressive, semi-circular granite coastal defense fortification situated right on the banks of the Kennebec River.
Construction began in 1862 to protect nearby Bath—a vital shipbuilding hub—from Confederate raiders. Built using massive blocks of locally quarried granite, the fort features beautiful stone archways and spiral staircases. Though never fully completed, the fort was garrisoned during the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World War I. Visitors can explore its open-air casemates and enjoy panoramic views of the river and ocean.
Popham holds a foundational place in American colonial history as the site of the Popham Colony (or Sagadahoc Colony). Established in August 1607 by the Plymouth Company, this English settlement was founded at the same time as Jamestown, Virginia. Though the colony was abandoned after just one year due to a harsh winter and leadership changes, it achieved a major milestone: the construction of the Virginia of Sagadahoc, a 30-ton pinnace that was the first ocean-going vessel built by English shipwrights in North America.
🏛️ Bath
You got yourself a real working town right here in Bath, Maine. Tourists may visit but it’s not a tourist town like most we visit.
Known famously as “The City of Ships,” Bath is a historic waterfront city located along the Kennebec River in Sagadahoc County, Maine. It seamlessly blends a rich maritime industrial identity with the quintessential charm of a coastal New England town.
Bath’s identity has been inextricably linked to shipbuilding for over 400 years, tracing back to the construction of the Virginia of Sagadahoc nearby in 1607.
Blessed with a deep-water river port and access to vast inland timber resources, Bath grew into one of the most prominent shipbuilding hubs in the country during the 19th century. At its peak, the city’s yards produced roughly half of all wooden sailing vessels built in the United States, including massive multi-masted merchant schooners.
🎥 Video Highlights
Much of this video is of inside the fort but does include some surfing. It ends with a lobster party back at home base.
📌 Tips for Popham Maine
- First stop the beach – Get to the state park first and park your car and don’t move it all day. The beach is enormous. Spend as much time there as you like.
- Bike ride into Popham Village – It’s a short bike ride on the only road.
- Fort Popham – A classic granite rock fortification. Fun to explore.
- Spinney’s Restaurant – A typical Maine seacoast experience. Some of the seafood comes from the waters your looking at. Excellent restaurant which is good because it’s the only choice you have.
- Bath, Maine – after you’ve had enough beach time stop in Bath on your way out. You’ll drive right through it.