Plan Your Visit

Photo: Marcia Little

Visit

PERKINS COVE

Perkins Cove is a picturesque and historic area of Ogunquit - "Beautiful Place by the Sea" which has been a romantic lure to visitors including tourists, artists, and fisherman since it opened in 1900. Pretty as a postcard, “The Cove” is one of the most photographed, walked, and talked about destinations in Maine.

What is Perkins Cove 03907?

Perkins Cove 03907 is a collaborative of the 30-something restaurants and eateries, shops and galleries, attractions and accommodations, and the music and events happenings that draw thousands of visitors to explore here. Designed as a visitors' resource our website showcases all there is to see and do…and experience here in Perkins Cove.

Vintage photo of The Whistling Oyster in Perkins Cove

From the collection of the Wells and Ogunquit Historical Society

Photo: Patrick Maloney Photography

Seasons of The Cove

Summer is the high season and “The Cove” is bustling with the flourishing energy of its businesses, its visitors, its vacation vibe. Spring and Fall are quieter and are great seasons for those who like a slower place, a time to enjoy the nature that surrounds us; seasons when some restaurants and shops are open, but not all. Winter is silent and rife with stark beauty in and around Perkins Cove, but the local businesses are hibernating. Its perfect for taking photos, strolling The Marginal Way in solitude, for reflecting on the still contrasting beauty of winter in southern coastal Maine.

Welcome to Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine.

You will love it here!

PARKING & DIRECTIONS

PARKING

There are three parking areas in Perkins Cove.

While Ogunnquit and Perkins Cove parking can be challenging on busy days, there are convenient locations for car parking and scooter parking* in and around Perkins Cove.

Coming into the Perkins Cove area the parking lots are, in order:

Perkins Parking Lot - Located at the fork just before the entrance to the cove area, this lot opens daily at 9am and offers all day paid parking for cars, SUVs, and scooters.

Barnicle Billy's Parking Lot - Located on the left side of the road at directly across from Barnicle Billy's Etc, at 50 Perkins Cove Road, this paid lot chareges a flat fee for all day parking and opens at 10am. Complimentary guest parking for their diner's is available by valet in an adjacent lot.

Cove Parking Lot - Managed by the Town of Ogunquit, this lot is located in the heart of 'The Cove.' There are many spaces for parking in this area of Perkins Cove. Most of these are pay-to-park spaces for visitors, some are designated for Cove commercial fisherman, and some located in the back of the Cove offer ffree parking with a 2-hour limit.

Handicap Accessible Parking - HA parking is available in all Town of Ogunquit parking lots. For information about accessible parking in and around Perkins Cove and Ogunquit, you can visit the town website's parking table here.

For more Ogunquit parking sites, visit Google Maps here.

*Scooter parking in Perkins Cove is a breeze! There are spaces for scooters in a few additional locations throughout Perkins Cove.

DIRECTIONS

Ogunquit's Perkins Cove, located in the 03907 zip code is just a short 1.25 hour drive from Boston and Logan International Airport to the south. It's less than 1 hour from and Portland Maine, and 5 hours by car from Montreal, Canada to the north.

Getting to Perkins Cove from Ogunquit and surrounding towns and cities is easy. Find the cove area with these coordinates: 43.25° N, 70.35' W.

Or, for directions on your favorite app, search Perkins Cove Road, Ogunquit, Maine.

Benches along The Mariginal Way in Ogunquit. Photo by Rick Barber

A Cliffside Walk

THE MARGINAL WAY

The Marginal Way, a 1.25-mile cliff walk along the craggy Ogunquit coastline, is one of New England’s most scenic and beloved coastal walking trails. A gentle meandering paved footpath it winds past historic homes and hotels on one side and along the dramatic rocky shoreline on the other. Originally built in the 1920s, The Marginal Way extends from Perkins Cove to the Sparhawk Oceanfront Resort on Shore Road, just a block from the heart of downtown Ogunquit. Visitors can settle in for a bit on any of 39 benches perched overlooking Ogunquit Beach, out to sea and into Perkins Cove along their way. Tidal pocket beaches and broad high rocks offer idyllic spots for exploring tidal pools, sunning, and wading. This popular cliff walk is a swoon-worthy spot for watching waves crash on the rocks, surfers paddling out to ride the waves, artists sketching and plein air painting trying to capture the breathtaking scenery, or to ponder the morning sunrise.

Photo: Rick Barber Photography

Historic Perkins Cove Photos

These historic photos of Perkins Cove in Ogunquit Maine have

been kindly shared by our good friends at the

Historical Society of Wells and Ogunquit, located in Wells, Maine.

Perkins Cove drawbridge, Ogunquit, Maine

Footbridge at Perkins Cove, photo by Patrick Maloney Photography

Boats on the riverbed in Perkins Cove, Ogunquit, circa 1930s

Photo: Patrick Maloney Photography

Historic Footbridge

PERKINS COVE DRAWBRIDGE

In 1890 a simple footbridge was built by Capt. Moses Staple, proprietor of Riverside Farm, allowing his guests and visitors to cross into Perkins Cove. Over time the footbridge was fortified and by the 1930s there were concrete columns and a fixed span wood truss center section in place. By 1944, the pedestrian footbridge was fitted with an opening span to allow the center section to be drawn up to open the bridge allowing masted vessels entry in the protected cove. After a storm the bridge was washed out to sea. The replacement was taller and by the mid-1970s the bridge was supported by pilings and over time an electric mechanism operated by push button made it easy for the harbormaster, cove fisherman and sailors to raise the bridge. A horn sound alerts visitors when the drawbridge will be raised for passing watercraft.

The pretty white wood span stands today as a beacon calling locals and visitors to walk across from Perkins Cove over to the other side of Perkins Cove and back again. A romantic landmark, the footbridge has born witness to first kisses and even marriage proposals.

The only double leaf draw footbridge in the U.S.

Offers view of Charles H. Woodbury Studio

One of the most photogrphed bridges in Maine

Tours and Local Transportation

Ogunquit Trolley

Ogunquit Trolley Tours let visitors see all the beauty that is Ogunquit and offers passengers an easy way to get from hotel to town, Ogunquit Beach, to Perkins Cove, or to other cool destinations.

Chamber of Commerce

The Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce is a comprehensive online resource to all that is Ogunquit. Visit them here to learn about the businesses in Ogunquit - from activities both on shore and on the water, to arts & culture to Ogunquit's popular dining and nightlife scene. Find accommodations from guest houses, to B&Bs to boutique hotels and local resorts.

Ogunquit Beach

Ogunquit Maine - is renowned for its 3-mile-long sandy beach. The Main Beach, Footbridge Beach, and North Beach feature both a long sandy beach with sweeping sand dunes as a backdrop and and "riverside" with meandering tidal river. All offer paid parking and restrooms. Main Beach features casual eateries and sundry shops.

Historic Walking Tours

Hosted by the Ogunquit Heritage Museum, these informational tours offer a glimse into the colorful history of Perkins Cove. Reservations are required for the twice weekly seasonal tours. The museum is home to curated exhibits about Ogunquit's heritage and to the 1780 Captain James Winn House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Ogunquit Shuttle Cart

Let the popular the Ogunquit Shuttle Cart transport you to Ogunquit dining, shops and nightlife destinations.

photo of Perkins Cove in Ogunquit by Marcia Little

July 18, 1963