Big Eddy Cabins & Campground sits along the Penobscot River, accessible via a 30-minute drive on unpaved roads that can become challenging in poor weather conditions. This private campground operates seasonally from mid-May through mid-October, accommodating RVs up to 28 feet with electric hookups alongside tent sites and cabin rentals.
The campground centers around the river's big eddy current, where rapids open into a larger pond that draws swimmers and anglers. Kathryn W. calls it a "beautiful rustic campground on the Penobscot river." Sites are dispersed but closely spaced, with some reviewers noting limited privacy between camping areas. The facility maintains clean bathhouses with coin-operated showers at $2 per use.
Campers frequently mention the campground's role as a staging area for Baxter State Park activities, though hiking requires driving into the park itself. The location provides good fly fishing access according to multiple visitors. Cell service becomes spotty about 30 minutes before arrival, making advance route planning essential. Summer months and holiday weekends see increased activity from rafting groups, while shoulder seasons offer fewer crowds.
Staff receives consistent praise for helpfulness, and the grounds stay well-maintained throughout the operating season. Frost Pond Camps and other campgrounds operate within a few miles for those exploring different options in the area.
Description
The area north of Millinocket is a vast sweep of forest, dotted with lakes and ledge, and cut by one of the most fabled rivers in Maine, the West Branch of the Penobscot. This is Thoreau country, the setting for the journeys described in Henry David Thoreau’s The Maine Woods. It is a land rich in human and natural history, and nowhere more so than at Big Eddy, where the Penobscot River finally slows after a 5-mile tumble through the rapids of Ripogenus Gorge.
Situated just outside Baxter State Park, Big Eddy is considered a world-class site for Landlocked Salmon and has been a destination for fishermen for at least 100 years. The road to Big Eddy is equally stirring.
Just beyond Millinocket, the grand Katahdin Range looms on the horizon, and the summits of Doubletop, The Owl, the Brothers, and Mt. O-J-I are all visible on a clear day. It is still possible to see more moose than cars on an early-morning drive on the Golden Road. Then there’s the river itself, a dark constant cutting through the region’s geology and culture.
Big Eddy remains one of those rare places that seem unchanged by time. Join us for an experience in one of the most spectacular places in New England.
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsBig Eddy Cabins & Campground is located in Maine near Frenchtown
Directions
North of Bangor, take I-95 to Exit 244 Medway/Baxter State Park Follow Routes 157 & 11 to downtown Millinocket. Follow signs through town toward Baxter State Park. After approximately 11 miles, turn left at the North Woods Trading Post & General Store at the blue & white signs for West Branch Region and Big Eddy Campground. From here, DO NOT follow sign to Baxter State Park. Continue on the Golden Road. Travel approximately 17 miles to Chewonki’s Big Eddy Campground (entrance on your right).
Address
8027 Golden Road T3R11
Millinocket, ME 04462
Coordinates
45.89068926 N
69.1297454 W
Connectivity
T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoors
T-MobileNo Coverage- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Connectivity
T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoors- T-MobileNo Coverage
- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Cabins
Features
For Campers
- ADA Access
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Showers
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Pets
- Fires
Drive Time
- 1 hr 43 min from Bangor, ME
- 3 hrs 8 min from Lewiston, ME
- 3 hrs 45 min from Portland, ME
- 6 hrs 44 min from Burlington, VT
