Best Glamping near Brunswick, ME

More of a compound than a campground. It’s a tourist event park but great if you have kids… my particular site was for a tent and it was up against the fence where the maintenance garage was hidden. Right next to the road. So yes lots of family glamping fun. But not for those looking for a more visceral Maine camping experience.

This is a glamping campground and so much going on for kidd and adults. The pond is amazing. The store is huge! The sites are huge! We always get the same HHK. But they offer everything from a basic site to cottages. Nightly events for adults kids and family. Kayak/canoe rentals an anzing beach. Guided hikes. If you bring yoyr own kayaks there is a ruver with a take out close to the campground. U could walk back or drive in with a truck for pick up! This place is amazing! Will continue to go every year!

We stayed in the MainelyGlamping Camper Glamper which is a mobile glamping unit for hire. It was Memorial Day Weekend and we had a three night night stay. We loved the campground and it is great for our eight year old daughter who can safely ride her bike around with the other kids at the campground, enjoy the beach and enjoy the playground, but it still provides my husband and I with some relaxing/peaceful time together in the woods or sitting on the beach. We had two paddleboards which are add-ons with the MainelyGlamping package and we spent some time on one of the calm clear mornings paddling around the lake which was amazing.

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.

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.

I have a love– hate relationship with KOA campgrounds. They tend to be overpriced and not consistent. You will find one that has nice sites at a decent price. Then, there are the others which are complete opposite. This KOA is on my good side.  There are lots of site choices, cabins, yurts, and tent sites to choose from.  The location is good as it is about 10-15 minutes far from the town of Freeport(home to L.L. Bean and tons of outlet stores), the pretty coastal town of South Freeport, four craft breweries and a cidery, and Bradbury Mountain State Park. The owners and work campers are very friendly and the super welcoming. Normally I am not concerned how nice people are but they go out of their way to make sure you get all the discounts you can and put you in a site that you prefer. 

We have stayed here a few times and are always impressed how well-cared for the grounds are and how and clean the common areas, bathrooms, and pool are. The grass is always cut, weeds trimmed, fire pits cleaned and there is no trash lying on the ground. There are lots of seasonal sites but they are in the back portion of the park with the transients being in the front. The park has nice super long 50 amp FHU pull-thrus in the front of the park which will fit any length RV and tow vehicle. Some of these sites are “buddy” sites with a shared patio, but are so wide that even if you don’t know your neighbors, it would not be a bother because you are far enough apart. The only downside to these pull thrus is there is no shade. We tend to be there in cooler months so shade is not a problem. However, the rest of the campground has a very park-like feel with over 50 acres there is plenty of room to roam and even a short nature trail through a wooded area. Many sites backup against the woods or are in wooded areas so keep that in mind when making your reservation. We give this park two thumbs up for their dog park which is ten times the size of the average KOA dog park. My lab had plenty of room to run and chase a ball and there were never any other dogs there which was nice. Plus, it was clean and free of dog poop! Normally, there are plenty of activities like s’mores by the fire, crafts, pony rides (yes, they have their own ponies on site), ice cream social, hay rides but this year they were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We don’t use those amenities anyway so that wasn’t a problem but can see that would be fun activities for kids. We were in a buddy sites with our friends and liked the shared patio. Since we were in the open area, we were able to get both satellite with our roof-mounted dome and some over-the-air channels from Portland which is about 45 minutes away. All of our hook-ups were in an accessible place but we were also in a long pull thru and could position the RV in the site accordingly. 

Some of the cons for this park are the lack of cable, so-so wifi, and the dusty gravel roads and pot holes. There are a few restrooms buildings scattered around the park which may not be close depending on what site you are in.

Classic Maine oceanfront camping. Decent sized sites and well maintained outhouses, thank you!

Recompense Campground, is a not only a campground, but a working educational farm located on the most beautiful Maine Coast.  Situated on Wolf's Neck, all sites are either directly on the water or a short hop to the water.  This is perfect if you like to Kayak or canoe.  Bring your own or rent on site! The campground is well maintained with level sites and easy to access clean restrooms. The camp store is well stocked and the snack shop even features  Maine Lobster! Plenty of places to hike or ride your bike in a lovely bucolic setting. And when you run out of propane, the LLBean flagship store is just down the street in Freeport! This campground is a gem!

Small family owned campground with a variety of people enjoying piney Maine scenery. Owners are super nice and helpful. Salt water pool, walking or biking trails, boats to use. Situated on a river/inlet.

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!

Sebago Lake is a great state park, one of the few in Maine that offers hook-ups (W/E; there is a dump station). Its popularity results in higher rates and demand for resevations. Reservations open up in February a week before other state park campgrounds, with rates higher for non-Maine residents. Site are level and large, some of them along the waterfront. there are trails for walking along the lake and it's easy to launch a kayak. There is also a trailered boat launch. The beach is beautiful! Wonderful place for a family! I was there in autumn, but I imagine when it's busier in the summer, noise may be more of an issue.