Cobscook Bay State Park Campground

Cobscook State Park is beautiful. The park is big, and many sites are very far apart - we had almost complete privacy.  There are both reservable and non reservable sites.  Some sites have Adirondack shelters.  All sites have picnic tables and fire pits.  The majority of the tent sites and small rv sites, and some larger rv sites, are on the water.   We stayed at 2 different sites - a waterfront site and non waterfront - and both were scenic and private.   There is no water/electric/power at any site.  There are water stations around the park, as well as a bath house and dump station.  The park rangers are friendly and helpful. There is a lot of wildlife and waterlife - we saw many seals and cormorants in the water, as well as a few eagles.  You can launch a kayak from your campsite, or from the large  dock/boat launch area in the park.  Kayaking should be done with prior research to ensure familiarity with the tide changes (which are up to 20 ft) and currents, which are strong and dangerous in certain areas of Cobscook Bay.   There is a great map published by Cobscook Shores that shows recommended kayak areas and tide access.  It includes the launch that is in the park.  https://cobscookshores.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CS-System-Map.pdf  

 There are also a few open areas for picnicking or just relaxing, as well as a play area for kids.  There are a few nice, relatively short and easy  hiking trails that run through the park.  One of the trails is right at the entrance, so you can park there if needed. For more advanced hiking, the Cutler Preserve land, Boot Head, and Quoddy Head are all nearby and offer incredible hikes of varying distances, up to 10 miles.  Quoddy Head also has a lighthouse that is a popular attraction .

This is a beautiful state park in a quiet part of the state and ideal for those looking for a quiet getaway with lots of outdoor activities. The park is surrounded by Cobscook Bay on three sides so you definitely get a feel of being near the water. As the 20+ tides come into the bay so does an abundant of aquatic life (our favorite being the seals and otters) and bird life which makes for great wildlife viewing. Cobscook has 106 campsites which vary from pull-thru to back-in, RV or tent, and all are set in a nice wooded environment. The best sites are those right on the water. Some of the sites have really long driveways while some of the pull-thrus are close to the road. The thick woods provide some shade and lots of privacy and the campground is pretty large so you don’t feel like you are on top of your neighbors. Campsites have pretty large level spots for setting up camp. We loved our site that was deep in the woods and had lots of privacy. 

There is one bathhouse with showers near the ranger station. Otherwise, you have to use vault toilets which are scattered about and not super close to lots of campsites. A dump station and water fill sit are also near the park entrance. On Sundays when all the weekend campers were leaving, the line for the dump station was pretty long so bring your patience. 

One drawback of this campground for us was that the trees lining the roads needed to be trimmed back and we scraped quite a few trees overhanging the road when coming and going. Something else to consider are the bugs! Ticks, mosquitos and black flies (these tiny little bugs that gnaw on you and create huge welts) are prevalent. Definitely bring insect repellent and/or a screen room. Later in the fall the bugs are not nearly as bad. 

There are two short hiking trails and one has a short spur leading up to a view point overlooking the tidal river. If you are looking for longer hikes, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge is adjacent to the park A nice paved boat launch with large parking area is located within the park. We launched are kayak and paddle board there at high tide when the water is slack and paddled across the river to a nature preserve for a hike. Make sure you watch the tides because the water can really rush in and out at certain times. 

Not too far is a great little restaurant called Sue’s Coobscook Café. We stopped in for lunch but they were serving breakfast all day and we quickly switched to the delicious brunch menu. The Greek omelet was amazing and the breakfast was huge with great portion sizes and reasonable price.

One could easily break an ankle or leg here trying to scramble to your assigned campsite. These are not drive in sites-- with isolated exceptions.

These are mainly walk-in sites which, here, means that you park near the road and have to scramble down a hill or up a hill on a trail which was never prepared for foot traffic. Some sites have steep drops to the bay - really steep: a concern at night particularly.

Some normal drive-in sites are #53, 54, 63, 64, 66, 68. My site 68 was excellent but unusual in its normalcy.

I had one of the very rare sites in which you can pull in next to your campsite but most sites are really  "walk-in". There is no grading and apparently no such thing as trail prep here to mitigate the exposed roots and hazards. It is wild.

Toilets are outhouses only. Wifi does not exist here. Staff not friendly.

Most sites are for tents--- but there is an industrial RV section high on the hill (sites 1-27) with good sized parking on a loop furthest from the campground entrance. The tides are extreme--- take care.

We needed a place to stay the night near Lubec. This campground isn’t luxurious by any means but it has everything you need for an outdoors experience.

The campground has a sewer dump and potable water fill at the beginning of the campground. The hot showers are there too. Beware of spiders. The showers were clean but boy do the spiders living in the shower house remind you that you are in the woods. We ended up showering in the van in the parking right outside the shower house because we could fill up and dump next door at the sewer/water fill station. We just couldn’t get that close and personal with spiders. That’s where we draw the line.

The grounds are very well manicured. In our area, the sites were super deep and private (rigs up to 30’). The restrooms are outhouse style that are ventilated. They have hand sanitizer inside. Bring a light for night time restroom use as it will be very dark otherwise.

Beware of the mosquitoes. Bring all the mosquito mitigation like wearable netting, bug spray, Thermacell or just don’t go outside. Never. Unless it is the middle of the day.

Internet. Verizon via iPhone 12: 8 mbps down and 3 mbps up with 73 ms ping; T-Mobile via Nighthawk MR1100: 6 mbps down and 0 mbps up with 300 ms ping.

We decided to spend the night at this park after having to adjust our plans due to high winds. Given our timing(early October), the place was almost entirely empty. We chose one of the small lean-to shelters for the night. There are a few of these and they do require you to walk your gear in a short distance, so pack accordingly. 

The site we stayed in had a gorgeous view of the bay and it was super cool to watch the tide come and go with such a drastic change in the water levels. We even saw a racoon take a swim across the bay at high tide. 

There was a nice small and consolidated fire ring and a large picnic table. The lean-to was the perfect size for our three-person tent and kept us out of some cray wind(gusting up to 40 mph). 

The state park has primitive pit toilets scattered throughout the various loops that require a bit of a trek from where we were camped. There are also numerous sites right on the water in the picnic area that would be great day use options if you’re just looking to enjoy the area for a few hours. The gentleman making the rounds was friendly and it was nice to know there were a few employees still around and available if needed.

The state park is located close to Lubec as well as the St. Croix International Historic Site, which we visited while we were in the area. Given the pandemic, we weren’t able to venture over to Canada but maybe next time!

Let’s be real. Camping near ANY water, fresh or salt, includes high likelihood of bugs...warmer weather makes it worse, of COURSE. And perhaps predictably, any odor, fecal or otherwise, is amplified with heat...hence the effectiveness of scented candles, no?

I just spent the most splendid two nights at this gorgeous place, in site 103. We brought our kayaks too, and waved off launching not because of the steep path to the water, but simply due to the fascinatingly rapid tidal movements. We’d been camping for a week at a couple of lake places and had enjoyed enough kayaking to hold us over. And for the record: the government website clearly shows a diagram that describes all campsites designated as “walk-ins”, and most adults could be expected to be capable of using online topography and aerial photos to preview applicability of specific sites for shore access...ahem.

That permitted plenty of time for casual touring locally and innumerable amazing photography opportunities on trails and at the sea coast. Breathtaking is a word overused but I have zero hesitation to apply it here.

Locals are congenial and rightfully proud of their beautiful homeland, and happy to share information and recommendations.

We stayed at the very beginning of October-leaves near peak color, no crowd and no bugs. Never smelled any poop except when contributing personally.

Clams are so easy to harvest at low tide that the park sets a 1 Peck limit! Look it up-a peck is a sizable volume, haha, and refreshingly non-metric.

DID find showering first thing in the morning to be an exercise in personal fortitude! Air was frosty and the facility was open to ambient conditions so there was quite a difference in temperature between the air in the stall and the hot water from the nozzle. Oh sure, the curtain was showing signs of a long season yet still functioned to shield my fresh towel and clothing from direct spray, and the stall had a plywood door and latch for privacy regardless. Hot water lasted fine and bathing success achieved.

PLEASE consider general realities of outdoor environments and do not pass up any chance to stay here. It’s as nice as any place I’ve ever stayed and I’m a geezer with lots of comparators.

Surrounded by water on 3 sides, this state park has a lot to offer. Well off the beaten track on the tidal backwater of Cobscook Bay, this park has a wide variety of sites to suit everyone’s style of camping. From full water and electrical RV hook-up sites, to tent-only camping loops, you can find your own camping bliss in this amazing park. 

Each site comes with the standard picnic table and fire pit, but many have a shelter over the table as well. There are many pit-toilets scattered throughout, and the centralized bath house only offers inexpensive showers and sinks, no flush toilets however. 

Additionally, there is a huge playground for the kids, as well as designated picnic sites complete with fire pit and picnic shelters. The campground loops wind around small headlands into the bay, so there are literally dozens of waterfront sites, but they are of course the most popular. 

The bay is tidal, and has a HUGE tidal range, so opportunities for tide pooling, paddling, and other water sports just need a little planning ahead.   Be sure to check out the reversing falls, just a 20 minute drive from the park. There is a nice boat ramp and picnic area just north of the park on the main road. 

Calais is the nearest town, about 30 minutes away, and has all the you need while camping in the area.

Cobscook Bay is quiet and beautiful. Almost every campsite features a water view. It is the most quiet campground I've ever visited. There are some important things to know:

1. There are NO flush toilets, but there are many outhouses throughout the park.

2. There are 3 male, 3 female, and one ADA shower with plentiful wood boiler fueled hot water. One shower was broken when we visited. The men's lacked shower curtains. There are hot and cold water sinks with mirrors in the shower house.

3. There are no dumpsters, there are a few garbage cans throughout the park.

4. You can rent clamming gear. There is no sign for this, you have to ask.

5. The office staff do not all wear uniforms, they are friendly but not as over the top welcoming as at other State Parks. They do not preach about bears, raccoons, quiet time, or safety. Be smart on your own.

6. It is not easy to access the water. The campsites are high on "cliffs" you have to Scrabble down to the water from most sites. Still, you have a two or three sided water view with fantastic tidal changes.

7. Prepare for the smell of tidal mud flaps at low tide. The outhouses emit a similar fragrance.

8. Prepare to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the region: Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge, West Quoddy Head Light House, Blueberries, hiking, exploring, eating local cuisine.

9. Don't miss out on Lubec Brewing Company or Campobello Island

10. Bring your passport and be prepared for a relaxing adventure.

The easiest directions from the southern part of the state would be to drive north on I95 to Bangor, then take a right and go east until you run out of US soil. That is correct, this is some of the most eastern parts of the United States. A nearby state park holds the official title but we will chat about that later. On our way up, we counted over 30 licence plates from different states, plus another 4 provinces from Canada during this road trip. You would have thought the parents in the car were a couple kids every time we saw a new plate. There are even Apps you can download that help keep track while also providing trivia on each state. We truly live in the Vacation State and lots of people were trying to soak up what’s left of summer, including us.

This trip was our 3rd camping trip as a family and we spent 2 nights, 3 days away. We also brought our dog Baxter on this one but not because we 100% wanted to. Bax is what some would call high maintenance and he’s a hard one to find a sitter for on long weekends. Our dog Braddock on the other hand has a fan club but that doesn’t mean he’s less work. He’s just not 75lbs of pure muscle and is twice Baxter’s age. You might say we failed in some areas at training our pups over the years but we love em both, warts and all. So, we took a leap of faith now that we had a couple trips under our belt with the baby and added Baxter to the mix. Not only did it work out, but the monster was given an overall B for the weekend. He crushed it! You have to realize a B for Baxter is pretty much an A for other dogs. Bax is not much of cuddler but he snuggled up both nights in the tent. He looked peaceful all weekend and really seemed to love the experience. We underestimated this city dog for sure.

Either people have never heard of Cobscook Bay or they say it’s one of the best parks in Maine. With that in mind we had some high expectations before spending the weekend there. We chose August for this trip a while back because the weather can be tricky in this part of Maine and we figured mid-August would be ideal temperature wise; we ended up hitting the nail on the head. When it comes to picking parks to camp at, we are shooting for at least 4 a year, but also being mindful of average weather, black flies, etc. For example, in June we chose Camden Hills because after a very buggy spring we figured the closer to the coast the better, and it worked out perfectly.

Machias is the last town with large stores before you get to the park and it’s about 35 minutes away. There are some gas stations closer to the park, but we decided to hit up Hannaford while driving through. We didn’t expect the couple minutes of bumper to bumper traffic for the annual Machias “Wild Blueberry Festival.” It was cute and it looks like the whole town comes out for it. While checking out at Hannaford, the bagger stated that the “Black Fly Dance” was the real party of the weekend. Temping, but we took a raincheck on the festivities. This might be a good time to say that we started to get a little smarter budgeting for these trips. On our first camping trip, we spent just over $200 at the grocery store. This camping trip we spent just over $200 for the entire weekend! That’s gas, food, firewood and our camping reservation. This summer has brought some big changes for our family and working off a tighter budget has become a priority. What’s funny is that zero sacrifices were made by following a budget, it just came down to a little extra planning and not being wasteful. Something as simple as bringing condiments and snacks from home and building a shopping list according to our meals which we planned out. Also, why buy a 12 pack of beer when you have a stocked beer fridge at home leftover from summer gatherings? To look back on the weekend, what we ended up having for $200 is mind-blowing. We didn’t skimp on the good stuff either. We bought all-natural meats and produce from Pineland Farms and splurged for the wild Maine blueberries.

It would be hard to find a bad site at Cobscook Bay State Park. This park is around and on a peninsula so there are a lot of sites on the water, and several with water on both sides. There are over 100 sites so odds are you would have your pick, especially if you planned ahead before summer started. Most sites are quite private with lots of shade, covered picnic tables, plus they are groomed and well cleaned. They were very flat and free of rocks and roots; which is a tenters dream. The one time we thought for a second, “maybe those two sites might not be the best to have”, we quickly realized how truly amazing this park was. There were two sites not far from us that were in the open and not as private. They are still near the water (with a view), had a bathroom next to them, were extremely flat and free of debris, had their own water stations, a fire place with higher walls and easy access to the road. After a closer look, we realized they were reserved handicap sites and they were designed perfectly for families that might need additional amenities, but still getting the full experience of the park without missing a beat. I’m sure many of you reading this can think of family and friends who are often limited to experiencing certain things based off lack of handicap accessibility. With all the beauty and wonder of this park, these site were a highlight for us. Kuddos to the park and their staff; hopefully it’s something we see more of as we travel around the state.

This park is on the ocean, I repeat, you are camping under tall trees on the ocean. It was a dream! Just an absolute treasure of a park. There are clam shells in the woods, I mean where are we? The trees are towering and thin, everything is super green from the moisture in the air. The tides will be like something you’ve never seen before, dropping in some areas up to 24 feet! You feel like you’re on the edge of the world and this isn’t the first time we experienced this. While our daughter, Eloise was still baking in the oven in April of 2016, we did a 10 mile, 1 night, 2 day hiking trip along the Cuter Preserve. It’s quickly becoming a popular hike after several publications have featured this area of Maine as must see for destination hikers. We won’t get into that trip, but all we will say is that it’s a bucket list type of hike. Cutler isn’t too far from this park so the terrain here brought back some wonderful memories. There is a perfect little hike on the Cobscook Bay State Park property called the “Nature Trail” that takes you along the water and into the woods. It’s ideal for kids but still challenging in a couple areas as you make your way up to the gorgeous scenic overlook.

Eloise passed out on our way back and it was enough to tire Baxter out so that he was more manageable on his leash about half way through. We spent just over an hour exploring on the trails before it emptied us out less than 100 yards from our site. Somehow, for the first time we were able to transfer a napping baby from one area to another. Eloise usually doesn’t allow this, but she went from passed out in the hiking pack to getting some extra Zs in the camper.

Not much more to say besides it’s a place you want more time at. We could have used another day there to be honest, but because of the drive up and back and everything in between, we could have used another day at home as well. We certainly felt pretty run down when we got home and even more so getting ready for work the next morning. It took a couple days for us to get back to our well-oiled routine, but that’s what trips like this are all about. They are made to derail your routine and slow life down to the point where the little things stand out and you don’t overlook or take them for granted. We had lots of firsts on this trip. Eloise tried and shared a vanilla soft serve with her mom. Mom, who doesn’t drink coffee, fell in love with black coffee and Dad was forced to master starting a fire with wet wood. Eloise also officially slept through the night for the first time. She made it to 6am! Never thought this day would come and especially in a camper.

We didn’t visit the two state parks (Shackford Head and Quoddy Head) that were within 30-45 minutes of Cobscook Bay State Park because this park shouldn’t have to share a weekend. Actually, we never plan to visit any two parks in one day but I’m sure we will have a few long weekends in which we will visit a couple. It just gives us a reason to come back another year as a family. We plan to lump in an overnight stay on Campobello Island in Canada during that visit as well. If it was good enough for FDR and his family, then I guess it’s good enough for the Rubys.

 With all the license plates we saw, Maine plates dominated in the park. It’s not a place you stumble upon and it’s certainly not one of the usual must-see attractions regurgitated in a Maine magazine. With that being said, the folks that we met at this park seemed to be on the same page as us. Everyone waves as they drive by, people take time to introduce themselves, and the park staff even offered to deliver our fire wood down to our site after check in. Our neighbors at a nearby site who also happened to live within a couple miles from us in Portland, checked in before going to the store to see if we needed anything after we were setting up on night #1. We had our space but when we were around people, they were the type of people we wanted to be around. Of course, going to a park way out in the middle of nowhere wasn’t easy and when you experience more wilderness you sacrifice some amenities, but all the good outweighed any little blemishes for us. This is the type of escape we prefer and what we want to expose Eloise to. We highly recommend you spend some time exploring this unique and less crowed part of Maine.