Hermit Island Campground

I’ve been to nearby Popham Beach SP a few times and wanted to check out camping in the area. I’d read good things about Hermit Island. If you camp here, you won't need to venture over to Popham Beach because the beaches are on site.

This large coastal campground has campsites nestled among trees or dunes. Where natural separation of trees and grasses are insufficient, they’ve provided visual separation between sites, adding small fences where necessary. Some are expansive with plenty of space while others you’ll be cozy with your single vehicle and tent; others are walk-in sites. Sites have picnic tables and fire rings. There are lots of narrow curvy roads to the sites; you’ll want the map and read the street signs! Pop-ups are permitted on some sites, but absolutely no hard-sided trailers, no, not even teardrops(I mention this because I’ve seen some teardroppers expect to be treated like a tent, but that’s not an option here). With all the water around, have a plan for dealing with insects.

It’s a bit of a haul to get here once you turn off the main road, so plan to do any last minute shopping in Bath or Brunswick(30 minutes to Bath without summer traffic). I could not get cell service at the campground, though I had spotty phone coverage on the road before the turnoff, but calls dropped randomly even when I was standing still.

Reservations are by snail mail or phone months in advance and the prices are steep compared to a no-frills campground elsewhere; you’re paying for the privilege of being on the beach. There’s a large open to the public beach near the entrance and a few smaller beaches along the island. Bring your bikes and/or wagons…you’ll want them to get to the beach, explore the trails, or ride up to the camp store/snack shop. There are places to launch a kayak.

One of my favorite places, the perfect coastal campground for checking out and roughing it. Tent & pop-up campers only, with limits on amplified noise and  number campers makes it a great place to relax. Little to no cellphone service so might as well turn the phones off and enjoy nature. There are site options along the dunes, in the woods and along the cliffs of Joe's Head and Osprey Point.

Some great hiking trails and isolated beaches on the North side of the island. There is a pavilion near Sailboat Beach up to the left just before the end of Island Road which is a cool spot for a group to hang for the day. The all dirt roads are fun and easy for mountain biking. There's a few spots for cliff jumping, one in the Bathtub and another at Osprey Point. No motors, but there is boat access if you have and enjoy kayaking or canoeing (be sure to say hi to the seals!)

Be sure to load up at the Shaws in Bath, ME before heading down 209 towards Phippsburg. The campground store by the main entrance has the basics for camping in case you forget anything and will steam fresh lobster or clams to order. The Kelp Shed across from the store is a great place to hang if the weather turns or just to grab a snack (you need to try the Maine Blueberry Ice Cream!)

I have been camping at Hermit Island for my entire life. Every year we have an annual camping trip there with friends and family. I believe this is the best primitive camping experience you can have.

Some info that may be helpful. Campsites do not have any electricity, there is no water at the sites, but most water faucets are a short walk. No radios or music allowed in the campground. No cell service (you may be able to get a little at the office).

We love the quiet the campground offers due to the no excessive noise. I have noticed campground security drive around somewhat regularly at night, even stopping and shutting their lights off periodically to see if anyone is making a ruckus. 

Most campsites have a lot of privacy. You're neighbors are not right on top of you like most campgrounds I've been to. The sites are a good size, at times being able to fit 3 maybe 4 tents in a pinch, though they do say 2 adults and 2 children. 1 vehicle per site with additional paid parking off site from 3rd parties.

I've been to other campgrounds with beaches, but I love Hermit's beaches, they are very long with plenty of room for everyone. There is one beach open to the public and the others for campers only.

The store has basic necessities as well as selling live lobsters and clams that they will even cook up for you and give you a time to come back to pick them up. Across from the store is the Kelp Shed which has some tables, arcade games, pool tables, and a small snack shack for stuff like burgers, pizza, sandwiches, ice cream, etc.

As someone who drives 3+ hours to camp here, I love the feeling of "being in the middle of nowhere with no cell service" it really brings back the good old days of camping, you have to find your own fun.

The hiking trails are fantastic,  they range from short to long. All relatively easy. They all have great sights, especially the one along the rocky coast. You can even hike to a private beach!

If I lived closer, I would camp at Hermit's Island all the time. It is by far my favorite campground.

We do an annual camping trip for multple families camping together and decided to give this location a try based on a recommendation. That said, unfortunately, we won’t be going back.

Starting from from the beginning.....

This campground does not have an online reservation system. You have to mail in your request or call. When calling during the ‘winter’ months (anytime from September through Mid-June), staff can only be reached from 9:00-2:00.

Because we needed multiple sites together, the availability was low so we ended up staying on Harbor Grove. Upon entering the road, all of our vehicles were swarmed by mosquitoes- SWARMED. We rolled up the car windows and covered ourselves immediately in loads of bug spray and set up camp.

Absolutely NO CELL SERVICE. Sounds like a good thing, right? Nope. Not for us because in case of emergency, couldn’t call anyone for help. Had to drive about a mile out to get reception. And yes, we brought a hotspot, but out there, it was useless.

We then left to get groceries. Closest grocery store was shaw’s, about 25-30 minutes away. However, we needed more - bug spray, thermocells, et al - so we went Brunswick to get everything, 30-35 minutes away. The camp store was very reasonably priced, accepts credit/debit cards and has a lot of the basics. We just needed more, so we had to leave the grounds.

Staff is excellent - we’d rate them 5 stars for friendliness and helpfulness. This place has pretty beaches and is secluded enough to allow easy water access for kayaking, hiking and swimming... but for the bugs. Even as seasoned campers, they were too much and due to bugs, we ended up leaving a day early.

We visited this campground on a beautiful Labor Day weekend. We were not able to select a site close to the water since those sites all get reserved in the early spring! However, we had a large site, not too far from the shower house, on a dirt road in the woods. This campground is unique because it is surrounded on 3 sides by ocean. There are numerous coves and larger beaches to swim at. One can easily bike to all the rocky coasts or sandy beaches. You can see the sunrise from one side, and the sunset from another. There are great hiking trails. There is an outdoor volleyball pit, a game room, and snack shop/camp store near the entrance. We never needed to use them since the weather was good. The camp store was super handy though, since the nearest grocery store/quick mart is at least 15 min. away.

The camp sites are well maintained, and most guests are quite mannerly. No one is allowed into the campground who isn't registered to camp, which can be frustrating, but it keeps the spot private and quiet.

The main detractors is the need to book it so far in advance, unless you want to do it last minute, based on what they have available.

This campground has sites on cliffs right above the water, in sandy coves, in the woods, within walking distance...the options are many. We biked everywhere--since there isn't much parking at the swimming spot. Overall, is a beautiful, relaxing, natural place that we highly recommend.