Summer schedule, Monday/Tuesday/Friday/Saturday pattern, effective April 14 - November 2, 2026
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~40 min
Operator
Maine State Ferry Service
Map – Bass Harbor – Swans Island Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult passenger, round trip (peak season, Jun 1 - Sep 30) | $23.00 |
| Adult passenger, round trip (off-peak season, Oct 1 - May 31) | $15.75 |
| Minor passenger 6-17, round trip (peak season) | $15.00 |
| Minor passenger 6-17, round trip (off-peak season) | $8.00 |
| Child 0-5, round trip (both seasons) | Free |
| Commuter round-trip ticket (peak season) | $92.00 |
| Commuter round-trip ticket (off-peak season) | $63.00 |
| Standard vehicle and driver, round trip (peak season) | $55.00 |
| Standard vehicle and driver, round trip (off-peak season) | $41.50 |
| Motorcycle incl. rider, round trip (peak season) | $42.50 |
| Motorcycle incl. rider, round trip (off-peak season) | $32.00 |
| Truck, per foot of length, round trip (peak season) | $7.00 |
| Truck, per foot of length, round trip (off-peak season) | $6.00 |
| Vehicle or truck reservation fee (per vehicle, non-refundable) | $17.00 |
| Adult bicycle incl. passenger ticket, round trip (peak season) | $29.75 |
| Adult bicycle incl. passenger ticket, round trip (off-peak season) | $22.75 |
| Minor bicycle incl. passenger ticket, round trip (peak season) | $21.75 |
| Minor bicycle incl. passenger ticket, round trip (off-peak season) | $14.75 |
| Bass Harbor terminal parking, per day (Jun 1 - Sep 30 only) | $17.00 |
This crossing sits on the same Tariff 11 rate card (effective June 1, 2025) as the rest of the Maine State Ferry Service network, charging a higher rate from June 1 through September 30 and a reduced one from October 1 through May 31 - the September 15, 2026 reference date used on this page falls inside that higher-rate stretch, two and a half weeks before the lower rate takes over. Every ticket sold is round trip only, carries no expiration date, and isn't tied to a fixed origin, so the two halves can be used as separate one-way crossings on entirely different days if needed. The online webstore covers passenger, commuter, vehicle, motorcycle and bicycle purchases; a truck ticket or a vehicle reservation still has to be arranged by phone or in person at a ticket office. All fares in US dollars (USD).
Swans Island's ferry link is the smaller, quieter sibling among Maine State Ferry Service's Hancock and Knox County crossings, and the timetable reflects that: a normal Monday, Tuesday, Friday or Saturday gets six round trips between Bass Harbor and the island, and that's actually the busiest pattern the route has. Only four of the seven days follow it.
Wednesday is where first-time riders get tripped up. Rather than one fixed Wednesday timetable, the operator runs two different ones depending on where the date falls in the month - the 1st and 3rd Wednesday see just four round trips, while the 2nd, 4th and 5th Wednesday get five. Thursday and Sunday each carry their own five-trip pattern as well, both starting later in the morning than the Monday/Tuesday/Friday/Saturday lineup. There's one more wrinkle: the 11:00 am departure out of Bass Harbor on the third Tuesday of every month sails without passengers, since it doubles as a scheduled fuel run for the M/V Captain Henry Lee, the vessel that has worked this route for years.
The crossing itself is brief - about 6 miles and 40 minutes over Blue Hill Bay - connecting Bass Harbor, in the Mount Desert Island town of Tremont near Acadia National Park, to Swans Island in Hancock County. That's a different place entirely from Swan Island, an uninhabited, state-managed island near Richmond on the Kennebec River with no ferry connection to speak of.
Ticketing follows the same rules used across the Maine State Ferry Service system: every ticket is round trip only, never expires, and isn't locked to one direction, so the two halves can be spent as separate one-way rides whenever it suits. Vehicle space is the part to plan around - reservations open a month out, can be arranged in person whenever the Bass Harbor terminal is staffed or by phone starting at 9:30 am, and cover only four vehicle and two truck spots per sailing, which routinely sell out by mid-morning once summer hits. Anyone without a reservation joins a plain first-come, first-served line, and a driver taking an unreserved vehicle off the island has to call ahead a full day in advance. Terminal parking runs $17 a day from June through September and costs nothing the rest of the year. An adult round trip is $23.00 in peak season (June through September) and $15.75 off-peak; a standard vehicle round trip runs $55.00 peak, $41.50 off-peak.
- Arrive at the terminal several minutes before departure; vehicle lanes close earlier than the foot-passenger gate.
- Check the operator's service alerts before you set out — weather, tides and vessel maintenance change sailings.
- Confirm accepted payment methods: some crossings are card-only and some take cash only.
Frequently asked questions
Around 40 minutes for the 6-mile crossing of Blue Hill Bay - one of the shorter hops in the Maine State Ferry Service network.
No, and it's worth double-checking before you book. This page covers Swans Island, off Bass Harbor on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County. Swan Island, without the 's,' sits on the Kennebec River near Richmond and is a separate, uninhabited state property with a completely different kind of access.
Because the operator alternates two Wednesday timetables through the month instead of running one. The 1st and 3rd Wednesday get a lighter 4-round-trip day (Swan's Island 6:45 am, 8:15 am, 1:15 pm, 4:45 pm; Bass Harbor 7:30 am, 11:00 am, 4:00 pm, 5:30 pm), while the 2nd, 4th and 5th Wednesday get 5 round trips, more in line with the rest of the week.
Adults pay $23.00 in peak season (June through September) and $15.75 the rest of the year. There's no one-way option - every ticket sold is round trip, and it stays valid indefinitely, so an unused half can be saved for a later visit.
It's strongly worth it given how few spots exist: bookings open a month ahead and can be made in person whenever the Bass Harbor terminal is staffed, or by phone from 9:30 am. Each sailing carries just 4 vehicle and 2 truck reservations, which can be gone by roughly 8:30 am once the summer crowds arrive. Holding one costs a non-refundable $17.00 on top of the fare.
You take your chances in a plain first-come, first-served line - there's no numbered ticket system to hold your place. Heading off the island without a reservation is a bit stricter: you're expected to call the Swan's Island terminal a full 24 hours ahead so they can plan the line-up.
A round trip for a standard vehicle and its driver is $55.00 in peak season, $41.50 off-peak, plus the $17.00 reservation charge if you book ahead. Longer vehicles and trucks pay a per-foot rate instead - $7.00 a foot in peak season, $6.00 off-peak.
It does, all year. What changes is the density of the timetable: the Summer pattern (April 14 - November 2, 2026), with its six daily round trips on most days, gives way to a leaner Winter schedule with fewer midday sailings once the season turns.