At this time of year my family likes to explore the coast, because there isn’t much snow there. After the past few weeks of spring we’ve had, we are tired of snow boots. Marginal Way’s Cliff Walk in Ogunquit fit our requirements for wearing our warmer weather foot gear.

Plus, the big crowds have not yet arrived at this popular and picturesque destination, so it’s a great one to explore with your family this spring.

Additional Photos

Marginal Way’s Cliff Walk in Ogunquit allows no bikes, rollerblades or scooters, and no dogs April 1 to Sept. 30. Photos by Wendy Almeida/Staff Writer

A perch on a seaside rock is one of the pleasures of the Ogunquit trail, but ocean spray often comes along with the view.

The path is narrow along Marginal Way, so be prepared to walk in single file while passing others.

The trail head for Marginal Way is at Perkins Cove. There is limited parking at the cove, so it’s best to get an early start on your hike to ensure a spot for your car. Or be prepared to add a little hiking mileage by parking on Shore Road and walking to the cove.

The path along the cliffs is about 1 mile, one-way, and is doable for children even if you have to park away from the trail head parking lot.

Within minutes of parking the car, the kids and their friend were at the shore taking pictures. My older daughter is a photography enthusiast and really enjoyed capturing the scenery with her digital SLR, while my younger daughter was content to snap pictures with her cell phone.

We did not make a lot of mileage progress for the first 20 minutes of this hike, because we were all too busy taking pictures of the gorgeous coastline.

This trail is paved but narrow, so a family with a baby stroller would be challenged to maneuver around others on the trail. Even with our early start on a cool April morning, we saw quite a few other families and couples. But we never saw a stroller.

We climbed down to the rocks at several spots to explore the shoreline. There was not much tidal pool creature activity, but my 13-year-old really enjoyed climbing on and around the rocks. The sea was fairly calm the day we visited, but I would guess a stormy day would offer more impressive wave action along the trail.

At one point, my daughter climbed onto a large rock and found that she had underestimated the reach of spray from the crashing waves. She didn’t get soaked but was wet enough to take a bit more caution about where she chose to perch next.

The ocean was not the only interesting sight along this trail. The homes along the walk offered some entertainment as well.

A mermaid weather vane atop a house was a topic of conversation for us, mostly in trying to determine if it was in fact a mermaid. There was also a tall pine tree leaning very close to a home perched on higher ground. Our group speculated what the chances were that the tree was going to fall on the house. I mused that if it became an issue, the owners likely had the resources to make the repairs.

We found a small geocache (a hidden box found by using GPS coordinates). It was hidden in a clever location and all the girls were pleased to find a less typical box type hidden in an unusual place.

There was one interpretative panel along the walk to explain the basic geology and birds that live in the area.

We had brought along binoculars to view the birds but discovered people surfing off Ogunquit Beach were just as much fun to watch through the lenses.

The path ended at Obed’s Lane, where we turned around and headed back the way we came. We decided to pass our parked car and explore the shops in Perkins Cove and find the public bathrooms before we left the area.

Our GPS recorded a total mileage of 2.5 miles for our trip.

Although a very easy hike for my family, we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the cliffs and ocean views. Marginal Way is well worth a visit this time of year when the crowds are at a minimum. And after the winter we’ve had, the lack of snow on the southern coast was a nice reminder that spring really is on its way.

Staff Writer Wendy Almeida can be contacted at 791-6334 or at:

wea@mainetoday.com

Follow her on Twitter at:

Twitter.com/RaisingMaine

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