Best Campgrounds near South Eliot, ME

Camping opportunities near South Eliot, Maine include several established campgrounds with cabin accommodations within a 30-mile radius. Coastal Maine campgrounds like Libbys Oceanside Camp and Dixons Coastal Maine Campground offer ocean views and proximity to beaches, while inland options such as Old Stage Campground provide wooded settings near rivers. Most facilities accommodate a mix of camping styles including tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin rentals. Several campgrounds in the region feature seasonal operation patterns, typically opening from May through October, limiting year-round availability.

The majority of campgrounds in the South Eliot area require reservations, particularly for cabin accommodations and during summer months. Full hookup sites with water, electric, and sewer connections are commonly available at developed campgrounds like Beaver Dam Campground and Sea Coast Camping and RV Resort. A recent review noted, "Clean bathrooms and washing machines" at Libbys Oceanside Camp, highlighting the amenities found at established sites. Seasonal considerations affect camping availability, with most facilities closing between late September and early May due to New England winter conditions. Campgrounds near beaches tend to have tighter spacing between sites, while those in wooded areas offer more privacy.

Waterfront locations receive consistently positive feedback from visitors, particularly those with ocean views. Campers highlight the scenic value of coastal sites, with one review describing "stunning views of the ocean, lighthouse, stars, moon and the rising sun in the morning" at Libbys Oceanside Camp. Family-friendly environments are emphasized at several campgrounds, with Old Stage Campground described as "kid friendly, accommodating, and safe" in visitor reviews. Most developed campgrounds in the region provide standard amenities such as showers, restrooms, and picnic tables, with many also offering firewood sales on-site. For travelers seeking a balance of natural settings and convenience, the mixed-use campgrounds around South Eliot provide good access to both coastal attractions and inland recreation areas.

Best Camping Sites Near South Eliot, Maine (160)

    1. Pawtuckaway State Park Campground

    44 Reviews
    Raymond, NH
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 895-3031

    $35 - $140 / night

    "It is close enough to the White Mountains of NH and all they have to offer (Lost River, Flume Gorge, etc.), NH's seacoast and colonial Portsmouth, the seacoast of Southern Maine with its widow's walks"

    "Much of the lake is better suited to paddle craft rather than motor boats due to it's shallow nature and rocks. The an expansive beach as well, a camp store and boat rentals."

    2. Wakeda Campground, LLC

    16 Reviews
    Exeter, NH
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 772-5274

    $48 - $97 / night

    "We stayed At Wakeda Campground overnight during a trip from Maine back to Long Island, NY. It was located very close off of 95 and allows pets. We were overwhelmed by the beautiful massive forest."

    "Our full hookup site was very close to other sites, so unfortunately we had to deal with some noise issues."

    3. Old Stage Campground

    9 Reviews
    Madbury, NH
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 742-4050

    $43 - $47 / night

    "Walking distance to rest rooms and showers. Great owners. 1st trip in a hurricane."

    "Learning to get away from the bad campers."

    4. Sea Coast Camping and RV Resort

    10 Reviews
    North Hampton, NH
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 964-5730

    "So clean, friendly staff and plenty to do here or close by. Minutes away from some very nice beaches"

    "Their location is close to Hampton Beach and Rye sea walk and good restaurants including a doughnut shop within walking distance."

    5. Libbys Oceanside Camp

    8 Reviews
    York Harbor, ME
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 363-4171

    $50 - $125 / night

    "Great place to camp right on long sands beach in York Maine. WiFi and cable is available."

    "Love the location & the town of York!

    The views are beautiful!"

    6. Dixons Coastal Maine Campground

    9 Reviews
    Cape Neddick, ME
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 363-3626

    "The location to the coastal beaches of York, Wells, Agunquit and Kennebunkport is the main reason we stayed here. It’s one of our favorite locations in Maine and we will definitely stay here again."

    "It seems that most of them on the coast of Maine are. "

    7. Beaver Dam Campground

    8 Reviews
    North Berwick, ME
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 698-2267

    "IT is 9 miles from Wells Maine which is on the ocean.  LOTS OF GREAT restaurants there and nearby, like Ogunquit Maine and York Maine, etc. "

    "Campground is superior in its warmth, cleanliness, dog friendly and access to points of interest."

    8. Salisbury Beach State Reservation

    25 Reviews
    Salisbury, MA
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (978) 462-4481

    $28 - $38 / night

    "The feel here is electric, and positive. Lots of RV’s that stay here all summer long. Feels like you are in a tight-knit community, very friendly folks, packed tightly together."

    "We stayed in a site right next to a large bathhouse with showers, plentiful stalls, and water bottle fill-up and rinse off station."

    9. Thousand Trails Moody Beach

    10 Reviews
    Ogunquit, ME
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "Consider the Thousand Trails membership when booking this site. Our annual membership fees basically covered what it would cost to camp here for two weeks."

    "We stayed in the newer area with larger spots near the entrance to the park. There are activities and food within walking distance."

    10. Wellington Camping Park

    5 Reviews
    Lee, NH
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (603) 659-5051

    $45 - $55 / night

    "Had to walk around to find signal for phone call."

    "Sites are wide I parked my truck next to camper and still had enough space for a safe fire in the pit."

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Recent Reviews near South Eliot, ME

719 Reviews of 160 South Eliot Campgrounds


  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 6, 2025

    Beach Rose RV Park

    Nice park

    Owners were helpful on arrival, level concrete pad full hookups. Sites close together but quiet.

  • Utshob A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 2, 2025

    Bear Brook State Park Campground

    Convenient and fun

    The park was easy to get to, only about half an hour from Manchester. It has kayak rentals and a very well stocked camp store, that was close to the camp sites. Our campsite was only about a hundred feet away from the camp store but still felt private.

    Our campsite also had a fire pit and a picnic table which were great.

    The size of the sites varies quite a bit though as well as their isolation, some were out in the open.

    For cell service: ATT seems to have pretty decent coverage but not Verizon.

  • Julie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 26, 2025

    Wassamki Springs Campground

    Great Family campground!

    The amenities here make it a wonderful place for kids and adults!!   Nice,  clean and quiet!    I stayed on a spot by the water, that was totally worth the upgrade.

  • Kaileigh K.
    Aug. 25, 2025

    Sandy Pines Campground

    Amazing location and campground amenities

    We had an amazing long weekend at Sandy Pines and will definitely plan to return. I loved that there was a tent only area that felt a little more secluded and quiet with some nice privacy between sites. The playground and pool were a hit with the kids. The bathrooms were always clean and single user, some had showers as well. The proximity to goose rocks beach was a major plus!

  • S
    Aug. 23, 2025

    Cold Springs Camp Resort

    All Around Exceptional

    This place is just great! They have clean, flat sites, easy to navigate and get our fifth wheel in. The facilities are spotless. There are numerous pools and hot tubs, activities and the people that work there are just the nicest! Our kids were never scolded for being loud and neither were the adults. We have booked our return trip already and can't wait to go back!

  • d
    Aug. 19, 2025

    Cape Ann Camp Site

    25 cents for a shower

    The aerial photos of this place are very deceiving. This camp ground is the foreground of the main house which, is situated on the top of the hill. The sites are all dirt. There is no concrete pads. There is no WIFI. There is no sewer hook up however, near the street there is a "dump station."  The camp ground is run down and unmaintained. Our site had a fire ring which, was filled with ash. Our first night we woke up to a trailer filled with smoke because, someone near by had a fire in 92 degree heat. Most campers are full time residents. There is no sight of them during the day light hours but, at night they are up and about on bikes and mingling with each other. 

    25 cents per 5 minute hot shower is offered in the public restroom. Some shady people immediate started to hover near the public restroom once we drove up the hill to use the public restrooms. For $70/nite for a view it's not worth it. I was glad to leave- very creepy.

  • R
    Aug. 15, 2025

    Sun Outdoors Wells Beach

    Zero wifi or cell signal

    Stayed back in 2023 with travel trailer and experienced almost zero wifi signal as well as verizon cell signal. Returned this past week and found no improvement whatsoever. This on back half of property. Manager stated they are awar and working on it. (For 2 years?). Could not plan anything, check weather unless you walked or drive up front. Light globes at various sites next to campers lit all night and were annoying so covered with bag. Some sites are just bad..huge pine tree at 428 caused camper to park his angled. Fire wood being sold is all pine & burns up immediately.

  • Cassie G.
    Aug. 12, 2025

    Winding River Campground

    Fun laid back place. This campground has a lot of potential. Some info on their website and Facebook isn’t accurate.

    I would like to share my experience this past weekend at Winding River in Exeter NH. My family of 3 Stayed at tent site 523 in the Oak area. We also had family at 553 and 554 and Cabin 2.

    About site 523: I clearly had one of the largest and most private tent sites. It was set back with a long driveway tucked between 522 and 524. It’s a very steep drop into the river making most sites a little nerve wracking with a little one. Online it said water available nearby. Most sites had a hookup but there wasn’t a one on my site. It looked like there may have been one to share on the road, but I didn’t end up needing to figure that out.

    Tent sites 522 and 524: Along with most of the tent sites these sites were very close to each other, much smaller and closer to the road. I wished my family members had gotten 552 and 553 as they blended together nicely if you are tenting in side by side spaces. The ground was very rocky making staking tents down difficult. They were right next to the bathroom which was convenient but loud. Ventilation in the bathroom was not good so the doors were propped open much of the time and loud hand dryers.

    Shower:

    • This is the smaller of the two bathrooms in the campground. There are 2 showers there. Each with a single insufficient curtain and no hooks on the wall or bench to place things down. Water was hot enough, pressure was ok if you set it to the high power massage-like setting.
    • The showers in other bathroom (near the town center area) had a door and two curtains. Some had hooks (some of which were broken). I almost tripped going in and out of these bathroom stalls because they are raised up but there is no marking on the ground to indicate that.

    Cabin 2: Ac worked well. There was a good sized bed downstairs, smaller beds in two lofts. I was surprised the couch didn’t pull out. Fridge and all dishes were nice and clean. All the cabins seem to have different back porch setups. This porch was smaller than C1. There was a propane grill that smelled rancid with sooo much caked on The burners. The location of the ceiling fan under the other lights in the ceiling gave them a flashing effect that really bothered me.

    Pros:

    • Lower price compared to other campgrounds (but I don’t feel like I got everything advertised on the website)
    • Two playgrounds, both were nice.
    • Water slide was fun
    • We arrived Thursday at the gate and were told how to get to our site, to set up and then come over to the office which was nice.

    Cons:

    • The river is very low and yucky so none of the boating or fishing advertised was possible. likely causing the massive amount of mosquitos.
    • The whole arcade building was was “out of order”
    • The laundry room had two washers (one was broken) and two dryers 2.50 each per load. Not sufficient for a campground this size (especially when people leave their clothes in the machine for 30 mins after they’re done!)
    • Camp store was poorly stocked (multiple empty coolers).
    • Ice $3 per SMALL bag.
    • Wood $10 per bundle and rules say you can’t bring from off-site. I saw people with huge metal bins of wood but was never offered that option when I payed for multiple bundles.
    • Camp store closes at 3 on Sunday and doesn’t open until 11 am during the week (which is also checkout). This made it a little confusing when I wanted to return the golf cart. They have a small area with icecream that is scooped and maybe a kitchen. I never saw it open but I think the sign said open morning to 12 and then again in the evening.
    • The pool was green and cloudy on day 3. I called the office and was told they had just shocked it and that was a result of the copper. I am not informed enough on pool safety so I opted out of swimming on the hottest day of our stay. My son was bummed.
    • Planned activities were only scheduled for Friday and Saturday, when online mentions “daily”. During adult kareoke there were plenty of kids and really poor wifi (wasting so much time between songs).

    And just to add:

    • Staff I encountered was friendly enough, but It would be nice if they wore shirts to identify themselves.
    • Golf cart was great, but cost more than the site per night.
    • Pedal go-carts were available for rent (I didn’t ask a price).
  • Rae Y.
    Aug. 11, 2025

    Saddleback Campground

    Uncomfortable feeling for my girls

    I made everyone stay in the trailer every night , we just didn’t feel comfortable with our girls being out after dark. There was def a lot of questionable rif raf that were definitely on something and it was obvious that there were a few girls there that were working.   Always men working on vehicles.  Family will not go back. Don’t want my daughter around that


Guide to South Eliot

Camping near South Eliot, Maine, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

  • Kayaking and Canoeing: Many campers enjoy launching their kayaks right from the shore. At Pawtuckaway State Park Campground, one reviewer mentioned, "Lots of great spots on the water, easy to put a kayak in from."
  • Hiking: Explore the trails that wind through the woods. A visitor at Bear Brook State Park Campground noted, "The park includes a large family beach on the lake. There are many opportunities for hiking."
  • Beach Days: Enjoy the sandy shores at Salisbury Beach State Reservation. One camper said, "The ocean is absolutely gorgeous, clean, beautiful."

What campers like:

  • Scenic Views: Campers rave about the beautiful surroundings. A review for Winslow Park And Campground highlights, "The views were beautiful," making it a great spot for nature lovers.
  • Clean Facilities: Many appreciate well-maintained restrooms and showers. A visitor at Lorraine Park Campground mentioned, "The sanitary building is clean with good showers."
  • Family-Friendly Atmosphere: Campgrounds like Wolfe's Neck Oceanfront Campground are great for families. One reviewer said, "Such a great place for families."

What you should know:

  • Site Spacing: Some campgrounds have sites that are closer together. A camper at Bear Brook State Park Campground noted, "The sites were 4' apart in the section I was staying in."
  • Pet Policies: If you're bringing a pet, check the rules. At Pawtuckaway State Park Campground, pets are allowed on trails but not in the campground during summer.
  • Water Quality: Some campgrounds may have issues with water quality. A visitor at White Lake State Park Campground mentioned, "Water from the spigot is absolutely HORRID tasting."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Choose the Right Campground: Look for family-friendly amenities. A reviewer at Sandy Pines Campground said, "Lots of family-friendly amenities."
  • Plan for Activities: Make sure to have activities for kids. One camper at Wolfe's Neck Oceanfront Campground mentioned, "Great place for kids with lots of variety."
  • Check for Playground Facilities: Many campgrounds have playgrounds. A visitor at Lorraine Park Campground noted, "There is a well-maintained playground for kids."

Tips from RVers:

  • Site Selection: Choose sites that offer enough space. A reviewer at Minute Man Campground mentioned, "Some of the FHU sites are pretty tight."
  • Check Hookups: Make sure your site has the necessary hookups. A camper at Sandy Pines Campground noted, "The sites are closer together and less private than I would have hoped for."
  • Be Prepared for Crowds: Some campgrounds can get busy, especially on weekends. A visitor at Saco Old Orchard Beach KOA said, "This is a very busy campground, with RVers coming and going nearly daily."

Camping near South Eliot, Maine, has something for everyone, from stunning views to family-friendly activities. Just remember to check the specific campground details to make the most of your trip!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the campgrounds near South Eliot, Maine?

Several campgrounds are located within driving distance of South Eliot, Maine. Great Bay Camping is a nearby option with waterfront sites and convenient access from the area. For those willing to drive a bit further, Wakeda Campground, LLC offers beautiful forested sites close to I-95, making it an excellent stopover with electric and water hookups. Other nearby options include Old Stage Campground near Dover, Beaver Dam Campground in Berwick, and Wellington Camping Park. Most campgrounds in the region provide standard amenities like water access, restroom facilities, and sites that can accommodate various camping setups, from tents to larger RVs.

Are there RV rentals available in South Eliot, Maine?

While South Eliot itself has limited RV rental options, several nearby campgrounds accommodate RVs and some may offer rental services. Thousand Trails Moody Beach is equipped for RVs, though the spots can be tight. Yankeeland RV Resort provides electric and water hookups specifically designed for RVs. For those seeking RV rentals, check with local RV dealers in the Portsmouth, NH area or online rental platforms like RVshare and Outdoorsy, which connect travelers with local RV owners. Many visitors to the area bring their own RVs or rent from larger centers in Portland or Portsmouth before heading to South Eliot.

Which is the most popular campground near South Eliot, ME?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near South Eliot, ME is Pawtuckaway State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 44 reviews.