Cobscook Bay State Park

One Of The Best State Parks In Maine For Birdwatching

Cobscook Bay State Park is an 888 acre park surrounded by the waters of Cobscook Bay and situated a few miles south of the town of Dennysville, Maine.


The bay is an extremely interesting place in many ways.

Firstly it has an amazing tidal range, on an average day the tides rise by as much as 24 feet and on an exceptional day it can be as much as 28 feet.

Secondly the mudflats and sheltered coves of the bay make it a wonderful stopping point for thousands of birds on their migratory journey south. Huge numbers of black ducks spend the winter in the area around the bay.

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A Secluded Cove At Cobscook Bay S.P.

The exceptional tidal range and the force behind the waters led to the bay being chosen for a hydroelectric scheme in the 1930`s known as the Quoddy Project. It was proposed that a series of dams should be built across the bay to harness the powerful tides to drive turbines to generate power. Some dykes were built but the plan was soon shelved.

Due to the large amounts of plankton in the waters of the bay great numbers of fish arrive to feed on this food source. Species such as Atlantic salmon, striped bass, shad, trout and smelt abound. This in turn leads to other wildlife appearing to feed on the fish. Seals, otters, osprey, eagles and even the occasional bear can be seen taking advantage of the easy pickings!

Cobscook Bay State Park was actually part of the huge Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge. This is a tract of land 24,400 acres in size that was designated by President F.D.Roosevelt and opened in 1937. The president had a summer home on nearby Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada.

It was land from The Moosehorn Refuge that was offered to the state of Maine to create a recreation area on Whiting Bay that led to Cobscook Bay State Park being opened in 1964.

The park is open to visitors from May 15th through to October 15th and is one of the most popular places to enjoy Maine coastal vacations. It has 106 campsites for both RV`s and tents, modern shower blocks, picnic areas and shelters and there is also a boat launch. However, because of the fast moving tides which can create rapids, it is recommended that boating is only for the very experienced.

Visitors to Cobscook Bay Park can enjoy what is a bird watchers paradise. As well as spotting bald eagles it is estimated that there are over 200 other species that visit the park.

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Broad Cove At Cobscook Bay State Park

Cobscook is also the only one of the state parks in Maine where guests can dig for clams, they are to be found in large numbers in Whiting Bay, but always be aware of the state of the tide.

Within the park are two short hiking trails which are suitable for people of all ages. The two mile long Nature Trail has a route that passes through woods, along a stream and then climbs up to two lookouts over Burnt Cove and Whiting Bay. The second trail is less than a mile long. Known as the Shore Trail it loops along the beach beside some of the campsites. Less than a mile away from Cobscook Bay State Park there is a wilderness loop trail six miles long through the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge.

Although the park is only open for camping between May and October the hiking trails are open all year round. About the only drawback to this stinningly scenic area is that in Spring and early Summer there are usually plenty of mosquitoes and midges - so bring plenty of repellant!



Here is the address and contact details for the park -

Cobscook Bay State Park
40 South Edmunds Road
Edmunds Twp.
Maine 04628

Phone - (207) 726-4412


Here is a county map of Maine with the position of Cobscook S.P. indicated with a star.





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