Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Boothbay Harbor, ME

I have come to this campground every year for about 20 years and have seen it change hands and change but remain a very nice campground.  It has wooded sites and sites out in the open, some by the water and some by a little tiny man made pond.  Well manicured, about 4 miles or so into Boothbay Harbor Maine.  Great shopping, hiking, being a tourist, go to Damariscotta or get a lobster down one of the peninsulas.  See Puffins if you take the boat out to see them.  There are a zillion things to do and the campground houses you so you can do all those things.  Shore Hills is in a great location.

We had an incredible stay at this lovely little family owned brewery and RV park. Plenty of privacy in between pull-in spots and the grounds are well maintained. Close to Boothbay Harbor and the Botanical Gardens are a must see! Bathrooms are at tap house for now, but next season there will be a brand new bathroom and laundry facility. The beers are tasty and they have a great menu! Stop by our YouTube channel and check out our in-depth review. We spent some time with Riley Mitchell the RV park manager and got a great interview and tour! @skywaystohighways on Instagram (link in our bio) and YouTube https://youtu.be/gwkw5LPfIH8

My wife and I just spend an overnight here.  The brewery is really cool, and the wood fired pizza is some of my favorite.  The folks who run this place are really friendly and accommodating. Both my wife an I really enjoyed ourselves.

This is definitely an RV park.  The sites are close together, with full hookups.  50, 30, and 20 Amp, water and sewer.  We had a pull through site which worked really well for newbies like my wife and I. They also appear to have a few cabins which look super cute. 

If there is a down side to the park it would be the road noise.  You are right off of Rt. 27, which is the main road into Boothbay Harbor.  The upside is you can easily ride the bike lane into town for some exploring without having to deal with tourist parking.  Especially in the summer time, parking is at a premium.

If you are looking for fun weekend with great beer and food, this is definitely worth the trip.

Boothbay Harbor is a cute coastal Maine town and Shore Hills Campground is a great location for visiting the downtown and other Maine towns like Wiscasset and Easy Boothbay. Shore Hills has a wide variety of sites that can accommodate everything from the biggest size RV to tents. The great thing about this campground is that there is a such a large selection of sites that you pretty much can get what you want. 

Some of their 30-amp waterfront sites come with great views. They also have some sites tucked in the woods that are super wide with huge patios and lots of privacy between you and your neighbor and great for families or large gatherings. The 50-amp full hook-up sites towards the front of the park are closer together with not as much privacy and near the road so you get some of that noise. The last we time we stayed there we were in a long pull-thru in the front which was$59/night. Our site had a wooden deck with a picnic table on it. The deck was nice but I had to be careful where I parked so my steps cleared the porch. Each site has its own garbage can which I super convenient. Hook-ups at our site worked fine and were well-placed and easy to connect to. The wifi was a joke and we got frustrated and gave up. Not sure if it is any better in other areas of the park but it seems to be a common complaint that they tend not to fix. On the other hand, the cable had lots of channels and a great HD picture. The roads to our site were easy to navigate with our 45’ RV and tow car but the check-in area near the office is very small and tight and at times, it was very backed up and RV’s were out on the main road. During certain times of the year, the park offers a shuttle service to and from downtown which is nice because parking can be expensive(from$7-$20). There are free parking spots downtown but they are few and far between and limited to 2-4 hours. 

The park has a short trail across to an island which our dog loved to run around on and jump in the water. The tides are crazy in Maine so be careful if you use the boat launch that you don’t get stuck on a mud flat when the 9-11’ tide disappears. Nearby is the Ovens Mouth Preserve which has great hiking and nice water views and is just one of many nature preserves in the area which all are very nice, well-marked, well-maintained, and dog-friendly. 

You have to stop at Bet’s Fish Fry for the best fried fish and chips you have ever had. Bring a beer or two and enjoy eating your food on the picnic tables in the nearby park. Another good place to visit is the Boothbay Craft Brewery Company which has good beer and pizza. They also have a small RV park but the sites are pretty close together. Pinkhams Gourmet Market has a nice selection of prepared items, meats, seafood, and gourmet items but for fresh lobster we head down to the waterfront to Atlantic Edge Lobster.

General: Small campground (five full hookup pull-throughs; four full hookup back-ins and two water and electric back-in sites) on the grounds of a brewery. There is also a parking area where you can also stay as part of Harvest Hosts. 

Site Quality: We were in Site 13; it was level and easy enough to back into but just a tad challenging when it was time to leave (we were ok with our 18-foot van, but a larger rig would definitely have trouble). A picnic table, bbq, and fire pit complete the site. 

Bathhouse: Very clean. Two all-in-one units with shower, sink, and toilet. Although not marked, one had a urinal (made out of a beer keg!) In the same cabin was also laundry. 

Activities: “wicked” corn hole and bocce ball plus a beer garden. The pizza received very good reviews, but hubby wanted a lobster roll, so we went into Boothbay Harbor for dinner. 

We were greeted warmly by Riley, the owner, who confirmed our site, gave us the bathroom and WiFi codes, and let us know we could call him anytime we had questions or concerns as he lived on the property. The brewery had a fun vibe to it, and I wish we could have enjoyed it, but we returned from dinner around the time they were closing for the night. Would definitely come back as we also missed the nearby highly rated Botanical Gardens.

Winslow Park is a hidden gem. Not because it's a wilderness camping experience, but because it's a throwback to a time when people would pack a cabin tent or hitch up a camper trailer and take their families to a friendly, safe setting with a variety of old school recreational amenities. Things like swimming and boating. A playground, basketball and volleyball courts. A nature trail and covered group picnic pavilion. A game room where children can play board games and foosball. Opportunities for kids to just run around, toss a ball, bicycle and explore in a safe, sheltered setting. And on Thursday summer evenings, the chance to spread out blankets on a broad grassy green, unpack a picnic supper and enjoy a music concert amidst commanding views of Maine's scenic Casco Bay.

Winslow Park offers a mix of wooded and grassy campsites that accommodate both tent and RV campers. Note however, there are none with water/electric hookups. Basic amenities include a beach, boat ramp, bathroom and shower facilities and a dish washing station. Firewood is available within the park. RV'ers will appreciate the onsite dump station. For those who prefer "glamping", the fully furnished, four bedroom Harb Cottage is available for rent by the week or the month.

If you stay at Winslow, a few things not to be missed: walk or bike past the camping area and follow the main park road into a dense stand of pine. It opens up at Stockbridge Point which features two rocky promontories you can walk out on. This is a stunning place to be at sunset, sunrise or (with the help of a good headlamp) on a starry night. If you bring bicycles, don't miss the opportunity to pedal the 7 or so miles back along Staples Point and South Freeport Roads to US Route 1. There, practically across the street, you can treat yourself to a well-earned frozen confection at Mainely Custard. Biking there means guilt-free indulgence!

Finally, Winslow Park makes an excellent and economical multi-day base of operations for exploring Maine's mid coast region. In addition to L.L. Bean and outlet shopping in downtown Freeport, there are day hiking opportunities of a more wilderness character at nearby Wolfe's Neck State Park and Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary. There's also Portland with its historic Old Port, bustling foodie scene and legendary craft brew culture just 20 miles down the highway to the south, and destination towns like Brunswick, Belfast and Boothbay Harbor within easy drive to the north.

Insider tip: if you're planning a visit in late May or early June, call ahead and inquire about the Browntail Moth situation. It's a noxious nuisance that seems to be peaking along Maine's south/central coast these past few years. For some people it can produce very annoying poison-ivy like symptoms. It's a complete non-issue after June, so either plan your visit for mid to late summer, or consider motels or camping inland if you're visiting Maine earlier in the season.