Marginal Way, Maine

A previous post highlighted a few places visited during a May trip to Ogunquit, Maine. This post focuses on one highlight of that trip.

The Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine is one of New England's only paved, public shoreline footpaths. The entry is located off Shore Road, Ogunquit's main street and is surrounded by hotel gardens on both sides until the walkway reaches the coastline. Josiah Chase Jr. donated the land to the town in 1925. The walkway was fully restored in the 1990s. 

A non-profit organization established in 2010 raises funds to maintain and protect the route. Parts of the walkway were badly damaged from nor-easters this past March.

The 1.25-mile walkway offers wonderful coastline views. You can see Grenville taking a photo below. The cliffs can be rocky and dangerous in places. Some are fenced to discourage cliff walkers and people can be seen walking the rocky cliffs in other areas. Wheelchairs and baby carriages can navigate the path; but there are some narrow areas.
The walkway starts in downtown Ogunquit. It ends in the picturesque village of Perkins Cove, a working dock for fishing boats. It also includes shops and restaurants, all packed into a rather small area. A drawbridge opens for larger sailboats. 
Folks who don't walk the Marginal Way to Perkins Cove can drive there, but parking fees are costly. The sweeping panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and walkways lead to rocky beach areas which didn't deter beachgoers and surfers. This is typical for a New England beach area.

The walk has easy bends and inclines. You can rest and admire the views from one of 39 benches along the walkway. 

The benches are dedicated to others who enjoyed and cherished the area. No additional benches are planned as the bench dedication program ended in the 1980s.  

The scenic footpath is called “the margin” because of its patterned development along the edge of Maine’s cliffs. The path winds along the rocky coastline as you can see here. 

We really enjoyed this area and will return after the summer tourist season, which is in full swing now. Ogunquit is a small walkable town and (for us) best when it's uncrowded.

Our selfie on the Marginal Way