Camden Hills State Park Campground

Camden Hills is ideally situated for exploring midcoast Maine with its rocky shores, islands, and lighthouses. I made reservations for several nights in mid-August, hoping to catch the Perseid meteor showers from the top of Mt Battie. The weather cooperated for one night! That said, I enjoyed exploring trails in the park and the town. There's a road to the summit of Mt Battie which offers views of the town and harbor below. Climb the tower for a view of the sunset. Other trails lead to Megunticook and different views. Camden has a pretty harbor to explore and nice seaside shops plus a few homemade ice cream stands. Put your kayak in and explore the islands. Drive farther afield and check out some classic lighthouses or take a ferry to some of the offshore island.

There are rustic sites as well as those with water and electric. They offer a mix of reservable and first-come, first-serve sites and require a minimum of two night stay on peak weekends. This place really clears out Sunday afternoon (at least in mid-August), leaving a lot of sites empty. I made reservations late and was in site 106, in a field area surrounded by trees, with 4 spots. The site was level and easily accommodated my small teardrop trailer. I would NOT recommend this site however, nor do I recommend 102-104 because they are very close to the dumpster. A full dumpster, high humidity, and warm temperatures lead to a ripe odors wafting to your site. I was grateful I wasn't there much during the day, but I didn't want to sit outside by my fire in the evenings. I have no idea why they placed the dumpster so close to the sites…and then don't get them emptied often enough. It was nearly full when I arrived on Friday and didn't get emptied all weekend. Sites are on the hillside, but generally level. Those on the loop higher up the hill do not offer hookups. Rates vary, higher for hookups and also higher for out-of-state guests. If you make reservations online, be sure to print and bring your permit with you.

The road to the summit closes at 8:30pm and the road into the campground &amp; park closes at 10pm (with check-in by 9pm), so plan to arrive before that or park outside the gate. I wanted to leave early one morning, so I moved my car to the parking lot outside the gate to facilitate a departure before sunrise.

Your firewood purchase helps support the wi-fi in the park and it is available at most sites. Each site may have 2 devices on the wi-fi and it's adequate for basic browsing, but don't count on it for data-heavy activities. Cell phone coverage (Verizon) is spotty; I had better luck closer to the restroom in the lower loop than I did at my site.

Great location for exploring midcoast Maine

Short hike to the summit where we found two lean tos. Set up camp for the night.

Mild Backpacking.

I have come to Camden many times and have always loved it being in the area. The town is charming and there is so much to do in the immediate area and the surrounding towns of Rockland, Rockport, Owls Head, Lincolnville, and Belfast . . . just to name a few. One of the best parts of coming to Camden is Camden Hills State Park.

Overall, this is a really great park. Camden Hills State Park is located three miles from downtown Camden but the 5,700 acres provide you with that serene feeling that comes with being in the peaceful woods. We arrived just a few days after the park opened for the season so the campground was especially quiet. Our large back-in site was set in an open sunny area but most of the sites are nicely tucked into the woods with plenty of space between them. One of the real pluses of this park were the miles and miles of hiking trails just outside our doorstep. Driving the tour road to the summit of Mt. Battie (elevation 800') is a must and the views are spectacular (especially for watching the sunrise). If you would like to burn a few calories try hiking the trail to the top for a truly rewarding experience.

Sites and patios are gravel and level with a picnic table and fire pit. Approximately, half the sites have water and 30/50 amp electric and the others are no hookups. The campgrounds website has a very helpful [map](http://www.maine.gov/dacf/parks/camping/campground_maps.shtml#) showing which sites are reservable and what they offer. There is a dump station and water spigots are scattered throughout the campground. Free showers are located in the bathhouse/restrooms and were clean.

For television watchers, there is no cable and satellite can be difficult due to trees. There are nine sites (55 - 63) located in an open field that may be able to pick up satellite. Our antenna found one major network and a few PBS stations. The Verizon signal on our phone and wifi on our hotspot were strong. The park does have free wifi at most campsites and the signal was very strong. (Sites #68-81 do not have wifi).

Reservations can be made on-line but only about half of the sites are reservable leaving the other half for walk-ups. I would advise making reservations if you want to stay over a weekend or during the summer season as this park really fills up. You can stay up to 14 days which would definitely require a reservation in the summer. Although the park accommodates larger RV's, there are a limited number of sites for those over 35 feet and the gravel roads are easy to navigate in a big rig. There are really no amenities at this park other than the tour road to Mt. Battie, a swing set from the 1970's, a picnic shelter, and the trails.

Camden should be on everyone's list of places to see if you are traveling the Maine coast. Within 10 miles are great museums like the Farnsworth Art Museum, the Maine Lighthouse Museum, the Sail, Power, and Steam Museum, and others. There are attractive lighthouses and great restaurants. In neighboring Rockport is Shepherds Pie - one of our favorite restaurants and the Market Basket a great shop for pastries, sandwiches, wine, and coffee. Downtown Camden has a great wine and cheese shop called Lily, Lupine, and Fern and excellent clam chowder at Cappy's Chowder House. If you are looking for a great place to paddle or cool off in the crisp Maine water, check out Lake Megunticook just five miles away from the state park.

What we really liked was the convenient location to downtown Camden and other cute towns, there are hiking trails just outside your doorstep, and you are within five miles of a grocery, restaurants, attractions, etc. The sites are large and have nice privacy. And the price was right at $27/night.

Ideal Park in Perfect Location

This was the perfect location to explore the mid Maine coast. The camp sites are large and well spaced apart. Bathrooms were clean. We loved the view from the top of Mt. Battie. Definitely check out the trails along the ocean. Mt. Battie Take Out is a great stop after a long day of exploring.

The best place to stay in Camden

the campground was normal with nothing special, however, the park continues across the street and onto Maine rocky shoreline with access along the water which makes the entire thing more than worth it! the town is also quaint and everything Maine with ice cream on a pier and lobster boats galore! I’d go again!

worth it!

beautiful state park! lots of good hiking and a short walk across the street to the ocean. Also a short walk (1 mile) into the town of Camden. 

beautiful

**Campground Review**

We have been coming to Camden Hills and the midcoast Maine area for years, and we love this park. We have camped, hiked, and mountain biked here many times.

The camping area has different loops. Sites 1-50(ish) are more wooded, sites in the upper loop for the most part are more open and field-like. Some sites are reservable, some are first come first serve. Be aware of events in the area (lobster fest, etc) as well as holiday weekends - the park books up quickly in nice weather.

The park itself has some great hiking/running trails, including Mount Battie (accessible by auto road also) and Mount Megunticook. Not huge peaks by any means, but the trails up (especially Megunticook) are challenging rocky/rooty New England trails. Both offer beautiful views over Camden Harbor and Megunticook Lake. Mount Battie also has a tower at the top which is fun to check out!

The campground was very clean, and the staff very accommodating (on one of our stays we ended up in a more open site in hot summer weather. We were able to easily switch the next day when some campers moved out of the first come first serve sites in the more wooded loop.

The area is beautiful and full of great things to do. Across the street from the camping area are some trails and and picnic areas along the ocean. Downtown Camden is a fun town with great restaurants, coffee shops, and a beautiful harbor with boat tours and kayak rentals. Head south to Rockland and Owls Head for the transportation museum, or head north to Belfast (don't miss Marshall Wharf Brewing). There is some amazing mountain biking at the nearby Camden Snow Bowl and adjacent Ragged Mountain Preserve.

**Product Review**

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. On this trip I tested some bars and a backpacking meal from [Wild Zora](https://wildzora.com/). Wild Zora is a line of paleo bars (meats and veggies) and dehydrated meals - see their [website FAQ here](https://wildzora.com/pages/faq) for more info on the company and their products!

I had a variety pack of their meat and veggie bars as well as some paleo meals to try out. I have been snacking on the bars during hikes, as well as after a run and for a quick snack during busy times at work when I don't have time to get a full meal. The consistency of the bars is great - just chewy enough, and very satisfying. The flavors are interesting combinations and I haven't had any that I didn't like (parmesan beef was probably my least favorite, I really enjoyed all the others). We also tried out the Palisade Pineapple Mango meal to go for breakfast. The meals and bars have a good amount of calories in them - perfect for fueling before/during/after hiking, biking, etc. while camping. They also pack and travel well - stuff into a pack easily while hiking, but can also be thrown into a carry on for plane travel, etc - just add some water or open your bar and you have a healthy alternative during a long flight to your adventure destination.

My husband and I shared the Pineapple Mango meal as a snack with our coffee - it was tasty and filling. I liked the nutty taste and there was a lot of fruit in it (we had the older version, slightly bigger pouch with more calories). If I was fueling for backpacking or a long run/hike/bike the whole pouch would be perfect, over 600 calories in the older version, and 520 in the new pouches.

I would highly recommend Wild Zora as a fueling option for an active camping adventure. Interesting flavors and quality foods that are paleo friendly. My only improvement would be to see a couple of vegetarian meals to go incorporated into the lineup. I eat vegetarian most of the time and my husband is a vegetarian, so there weren't a whole lot of options to share with him that I could choose.

Ranger Review: Wild Zora Foods at Camden Hills State Park

Camden Hills State Park was our third camping stop along Maine's coast and all three were wonderful. Our schedule allowed us to stay here only one night (disappointing!), but we loved this campground. Our site (74) felt private and was so beautiful among all the trees. While we didn't get to take advantage of the hiking trails, we drove up to Mt. Battie (part of this park) and the views were phenomenal! Had another friendly, helpful ranger check us in and, again, super clean bathrooms and showers. We explored the area a bit; loved Camden and headed down to Rockland to the Farnsworth Museum -- all within an easy drive. Also drove out to Owl's Head Point, but the fog overtook it. I bet it's super cool on a clearer day. Loved this place!

Beautifully wooded, wonderfully located 

We are pop-up campers. We had plenty of room for our camper. Dog friendly. Bathrooms were very clean. “Playground” is a bit of a stretch. Firewood was a bit pricey at $7 a bundle. Nice hike and mountain views! Camden is a great town by the water with restaurants and shops. Kayaking and sailboats are also available.

Great state park with cute town attached!

We stayed over Memorial Weekend 2019. Most sites were full, but it didn’t feel crowded. The state employees running the campground were very nice. We were allowed to check in early, and they even offered to charge our phones for us since we were staying in a site without hook ups. The bathrooms/showers were clean and well kept, but we mostly used the bathroom in our rv. The sites were well spaced....we could see our neighbors but we didn’t feel like we were packed in too tight. Definitely drive up Mnt Batty, and check out the day use area. I recommend a trip down the road to McLaughlin's Seafood for some fantastic take-out.

Clean and friendly.

We chanced upon this campsite on the way to Bar Harbor and decided to stay the night. It was a great location with excellent WiFi signal, clean bathrooms, for a great price. 

  

A short hike to the top of the hill to catch a panoramic sunset view of the bay and the town, and just across the road, we walked down to a fantastic view of the coastline.

Great location 

Camden Hills SP is a no contest campground if you are visiting Camden and surrounding MidCoast areas. 9 out of 10 times I visit Camden (one of my favorite places in Maine), I stay at this campground. You are not only a short drive into town with shops, beaches and restaurants but also have access to many trails right outside of your tent (or camper). Camden is where the “Mountains Meet the Sea” and the trails in CHSP offer some of the most beautiful views on the coast. I personally am a sucker for ocean views from mountaintops. The park staff are the best and very friendly and knowledgeable about the park and trails. The campsites themselves are fairly secluded with enough tree and brush in between you and your neighbors to feel separated. Bathrooms/showers were very clean. Every time I have stayed here it has always been very quiet and relaxing—a great place to recharge. You are also close to many great kayaking/paddleboarding areas such as Megunticook Lake and Camden Harbor (Curtis Island Lighthouse is a must). I give Camden Hills all the stars.

A Camden Must

Great experience! Campground is clean and well organized. Sites are well separated and bathroom/showers are well stocked, clean, and easily accessible. Staff was super helpful and friendly. Miles and miles and miles of hiking trails right off the site and easy access to Camden for a day on the town.

Amazing Experience

You really need to be very cautious when selecting a site here. So many of them are challenging since the park is on a significant pitch. We could not get level, particularly at site 33 with a large 40’ rig. There are no sewer hookups so make sure you have tank space b4 setting up. Otherwise, great location to Camden and surrounding areas. All field sites looked terrific and that’s what I’ll reserve next time. Park has WiFi but it is very weak, cell service (Verizon and att) very weak as well. Route 1 road noise was a factor.


Great Location, tough sites

This beautiful state park is behind on maintenance of sites &amp; bathroom facilities. The bathroom for the lower loop needs a vigorous power wash and updating of the stalls, lighting and dryer system. Gross was the word that kept repeating in my mind for the shower and flush toilet housing…although the roof seems new. 

The lower loop is a large one and those who reserve at the far end might keep in mind that this is a very, very dark and uneven dirt roadway to walk at night when seeking the bathroom. Be wary of sites # 40-53 overlooking a lower meadow that is full of huge RV’s {55-63} parking lot style. Site # 44 would be a good choice for a tent near the bathroom as would site # 13. Site# 41 is pretty beaten up. Some sites are level; many others are slanted.Generally, grading is needed. The upper loop has some private sites but poor access to toilets. We stayed in site 25 that backs up to the woods at the far end …no electric but a good size. Nice level site with fairly good privacy.

This campground needs serious attention. Most sites are in deep or open shade. Ticks abound. Wifi is good and access can be purchased for$3, per device, for the length of the stay. 

Some sites have electric hook-up. It's a mixture of tents and Rv's.

The road up to the top of Mount Battie is not to be missed for a stunning view of Penobscot Bay. 

Camden Hills campground is very close to the cute town with its celebrated harbor. That's a plus.

Camden Hills campground has seen better days

We really like the place. Hiking is good nearby, so are Camden, Belfast, Rockport and Rockland. No bike trails nearby and the bathrooms are dated, a bit old looking and maybe not as clean as they could be but not that bad. WiFi is $3 per device and not very fast but available.

Quiet, beautiful, heavily treed 

 As with all real estate, location, location ! The camp is well situated amongst many Maine towns all of which are worth a visit to. Camden is around 1 1/2 miles and is a nice place to spend a few hours walking around and enjoy New England. Booth Bay harbor is also a very nice town to visit along with Belfast.

The hiking trails at Camden are all excellent trails and going up to the summit of Mt. Beattie is worth the hike or if you ant there is the summit road with parking available.

From the summit are some spectacular views that shouldn’t be missed.

The sites aren’t all that level but they’re close. The bathrooms are somewhat dated but they were clean. The staff is very friendly and very helpful.

Will return

We stayed in site # 31. It was a nice sized site and very shaded. We had water &amp; electric and there is a dump station onsite.  The had a problem with the water so we filled up at the Camden Fire station which was close to the campground. You can pay a few extra dollars for WI-FI it's worth it. The sites are not level yet in the hills they usually aren't. There is a section of campsites that are along the side of the office that have no shade. If you like sun those sites are for you. 

  

The auto road was closed so we didn't get up to see Mount Battie. You could hike it yet my husband couldn't hike due to health issues. The day use area is across the street from the campground. It has some hiking trails and a nice place to just hang out. 

  

The town of Camden is quaint and has shops and good places to eat. Traffic is bad yet worth it. If you like Thai food Long Grain is so good. You need a reservation or you won't get in. They were so busy they even quit taking to go orders. Some of the best Thai food I've ever had. 

  

We drove to Searsport and went to a antique/nautical place to buy some lobster pot buoys nice little shop. We stopped at McLaughlins on the way back and had some dinner. It was ok. Lots of people said it was good yet pricey and just ok. 

  

We found a great Mobil RV guy Chris Burbelo (207) 322-4526. We had issues several places we stayed and he came out &amp; fixed it all. He fixed our slideout, a leveler, a window and the fridge. We went 2 months with our slide stuck in. He made our trip. Highly recommend him.

Nice clean park with shaded sites

Nice state campground with tons of hiking trails right from the campground. We stayed in a non-hookup site for $38/night- very expensive but we wanted to stay in the area and enjoy the hiking trails. Most sites don’t have enough sun for solar, and those that do, are FHU sites. Go figure. We were in site #65, recommended to us by the ranger as having the most sun for our panels. 65 was nice because it was set apart from other sites, and kind of enclosed so it was nice for the dogs. But it’s in direct view of the dump station so if that bothers you don’t pick this site! 

  

The drive up Mt Battie Rd was worth it for the views at the top. RVs are ok to drive on this road, and there’s RV parking at the top. 

  

Showers are free, hot, and good pressure, but they are the creepiest campground showers, rusty and dark. Dump station and potable water are available. 

  

There’s a little free library book exchange at the ranger station at the entrance. Verizon service was usable but very weak, ATT was better, and fine with the weboost. The campground offers wifi at $3 per day per connection, but we didn’t use it.

great hiking

Camden Hills state park is in a great spot, close to town and has a waterfront access. If you have a bigger rv you’ll want to stay in the field sites in the front of the park. The higher you go the better for tenting it is as it gets more forested. 