Cobscook Bay in DownEast Maine is a spectacular natural gem, boasting a 40-square-mile tidal sea with the most extreme tides in the continental U.S. Its twenty interconnected parks provide opportunities to kayak, birdwatch, botanize and hike a range of landscapes and terrains, all within reach of the historic town of Lubec.
The Long Island Passage as seen from Red Point Island
A picnic site on Red Point Island
The intertidal crossing to Red Point Island
Paddling Cobscook Bay (Photo: Scott Martin Images)
Beach access at Old Farm Point Shorefront Park
Visitors cross the intertidal zone from Red Point Island
Winter conditions on the Hardscrabble River, Dennysville
The Cobscook Shores Outdoor Education Program leads a ski outing at Riverside Field
Skiing at Riverside Field on the Hardscrabble River, Dennysville
The jewel in nature’s crown along the coast of Maine is also its most unsung destination. Cobscook Bay is a 40-square-mile tidal sea composed of seven large bays and hundreds of “coves within coves,” just below the U.S.-Canada border. Cobscook, the Native American term for “boiling waters,” has the most extreme tidal range in the continental United States, as great as 28 feet.
Here, visitors can explore 20 individual parks, all connected by the fertile waters of Cobscook Bay. Kayaking and canoeing opportunities abound within this vast land and waterscape—one of the best conserved on the Atlantic coast. From the bucolic, family friendly Old Farm Point just across the bay from the town of Lubec, to the remote and challenging Black Duck Cove, Cobscook Shores offers a range of settings across its 25 kilometers of trails. Hand-built screened pavilions, campsites and restrooms provide excitement and convenience.
Layers of human history are evident throughout Cobscook Shores, including the fascinating apple orchard at Pikelands, where dozens of varieties of heritage apple trees adorn the landscape.
Flocks of shorebirds gather on the sandbars and rocks during spring and fall migrations, while warblers and thrushes sing and feed in the shrubs and trees.
The beautiful and historic town of Lubec, easternmost point of the United States and once the epicenter of sardine fishing in America, is just minutes away. Lubec features excellent dining and lodging, along with summer music events—the perfect complement to a day on the trail.
Own & Operate
Set in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, Black River Environmental Improvement Association is a window into upstate New York’s breathtaking diversity of terrain.
Joining 30,000 protected acres along one of South Carolina’s most exotic rivers, Black River Cypress Preserve is the finest semitropical park in the northern hemisphere.
On Maine’s Penobscot River Trails, visitors can experience the same magnificent riverscape that inspired the writings of Henry David Thoreau.
Cobscook Bay in DownEast Maine is a spectacular natural gem, boasting a 40-square-mile tidal sea with the most extreme tides in the continental U.S.
Less than two hours from New York City lies the “Gunks,” one of North America’s most historic mountain ranges.
One of the most remote and dramatic parks in South America, Perito Moreno National Park is an incomparably wild destination for adventurous travelers.
The monumental Patagonia National Park encompasses 640,000 acres in Chilean Patagonia and represents one of the world’s most successful efforts to restore native flora and fauna.
Beautiful, ecologically rich and dynamic, the Islas y Canales Verdes del Rio Uruguay preserve is home to a diverse population of plants and animals.
New York Times
“Vacationland,” as Maine calls itself, thrives on the allure of its craggy coast and woodlands, and attracted more than 3 million visitors in the first nine months of 2021 to coastal Acadia National Park alone. Navigate 95 miles northeast near Lubec to find a new park that aims to ease overtourism: Cobscook Shores.
Green & Healthy Maine
In far Downeast Maine, about 3 miles west of the Lubec waterfront, an arching black steel gate marks the entrance to Red Point Nature Preserve. A pleasant gravel lane beckons, leading into parklike terrain that was once cleared farmland. Much of the property has been reclaimed by forest, but some lovely meadows and orchards remain, including what may be Washington County’s oldest apple tree, which is thought to be around 200 years old.
