Cobscook Bay State Park

About Cobscook Bay State Park

The rich waters of Cobscook Bay provide a unique opportunity to observe the ebb and flow of the region's impressive tides. Cob scook, the tribal word for "boiling tide," describes the tidal range, which can reach up to 28 feet, compared with a normal tidal range of 15 to 20 feet for most of New England.

Cobscook Bay State Park is the easternmost Maine campground to explore, and many of the 106 camper pitches are white sand sheltered from the bay by a 1,500-foot-long, 2,000-foot-wide beach.

The park offers boating, canoeing and kayaking on the rapids caused by the fast moving tides, which have an average depth of 1,000 feet and a top speed of 50 miles per hour.

Cobscook Bay is home to more than 200 bird species that feed on the bay's productive food web.

Nutrient-rich saltwater flowing into the Gulf of Maine stimulates plankton growth, which in turn feeds a large number of invertebrates such as mussels and marine worms. Enjoy the rich fish of the bay, including striped bass, bluefish, redfish, salmon, mackerel and other fish species.

The bay and interior of the bay are home to many bird species, such as black ducks, which winter in Cobscook Bay State Park and other state parks during the winter months. Thousands of birds on land stop and eat along the coast, attracted by the protected bay and the rich fish and marine life on its shores.

A free bird watching list for Cobscook Bay is available at the park entrance and a free map is available on the website. The geology of this park is characterized by the rocks below, such as volcanic tuff and breccia, which date back to the end of the last ice age about 4,000 years ago and were deposited by a mixture of rock, sand, mud and clay known as glacial inclination. Where the rocks are exposed, the grooves left by ice sheets, known as "glacial shells," are visible. These sediments formed during the retreat of the ice sheet from the east coast in the mid-19th and early 20th centuries.

Cobscook Bay State Park is part of the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, purchased by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Maine Department of Natural Resources (MNRF). One of our nation's oldest protected areas has been inhabited since President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who spent the summer on nearby Campobello Island in New Brunswick, was named the National Wildlife Refuge in 1937.

In 1964, the Refuge offered the state of Maine the opportunity to create a recreational area in Whiting Bay, and with the consent of the Maine Legislature Cobscook Bay State Park was established and the administration of this area was transferred to that state.

Cobscook Bay State Park has two vantage points overlooking Whiting Bay and Burnt Cove. A nature trail that starts at the entrance to the park offers an easy walk through the forest that leads to a forest stream and then climbs to the top of the hill to Bur Burnned Cove and the beach. CobscOOK Bay State Park features a number of hiking trails and trails for all ages and abilities, as well as a variety of picnic spots.

The path to the view is short, steep and stony, so special care is required in wet weather. Many visitors also like to explore the coast, but do not go hiking, camp or camp near the water, pay attention to the fast moving tide or camp in the camp water. The Anthony Beach Trail, also known as Anthony Bay Trail or Anthony's Beach Trail, is a 1.5 km circular trail that starts next to campsite 17, leads to a jetty on the coast, winds through the forest, runs along the coast to Bur Burnned Cove and the beach and ends at campsites 18 and 20. This educational trail ends at a picnic spot for returning hikers, campers and visitors to Cobscook Bay.

If you do not want to hike this route, please stop in the park to get a map and pay the daily fee. If you do not want to camp in the parks, please stop in the parking lot and get maps.