Bass Harbor Head Light

Built in 1858 to mark the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay, this lighthouse on the southwest corner of Mount Desert Island draws an estimated 180,000 visitors a year — making it the fifth busiest destination in Acadia National Park. Congress appropriated funds for construction in 1855; the fourth-order Fresnel lens installed in 1902 remains in service today. No public access to the interior, but the shoreline viewpoint is real enough. Go early, or accept the sunset gridlock.