Gloucester · US

Hodgkins Cove

Tucked along Gloucester's quiet western shore on Cape Ann, Hodgkins Cove is a small, working inlet where Annisquam meets Lanesville and the water opens out into Ipswich Bay. Far from the bustle of the main harbor, it tells a concentrated story of New England's waterfront: colonial sawpits, a granite-boom shipping wharf, a lobster-import depot, and today a university marine-research station on the same ledges. For travelers, the appeal is atmosphere and access rather than attractions. The cove rewards a slow drive down Washington Street, a look at its weathered granite wharves, and—best of all—a kayak paddle from its free public landing, where light surf and a rugged shoreline give a genuine open-coast feel within easy reach of town.