If you're looking for glamping near Calais, look no further. The Dyrt can help find the best glamping in and around Calais, ME. Whether you're looking for a quiet location in the woods or a site closer to all the action, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect glamping spot.
$20 / night
$35 - $40 / night
Eleven primitive campsites. At South Bay on Rocky Lake, two sites can accommodate medium RVs and two are walk-in tent sites (there are additional walk in sites at Mud Landing). Water-access sites include: Loose Rock (a lean-to), Eagle Ledge (on Second Lake); Lower Riffl es (E. Machias River); West Beach, Piney Point, and Rocky Lake Island. https://www.maine.gov/DACF/parksearch/PropertyGuides/PDF_GUIDE/rockylakeguide.pdf
Our new Bell, Explorer and Safari glamping tents have a variety of sleeping options – queen, king, two queens, a queen and a twin — with soft mattresses and quality sheets, pine furniture, fans, electric lights, wood pellet stoves and heaters. The glamping tent platforms are in the trees, with a veranda, outdoor chairs and a small enclosure with a portable toilet and sink. A short walk takes you to a new building with showers and toilets in private bathrooms. There is an area for barbequing and outdoor dining. Our hot tubs under the stars are also nearby.
Ranger
Sites are right on top of each other--better hope you like your neighbor! Otherwise, good location if you're traveling in a van/RV to the Lubec area and want a spot near town. Showers are a bit tiny, but great in that they're not coin-op nor on a timer.
Scout
Pay no attention to any reviews that are a year older as there are new owners now. The prices have tripled and there are 7 pages of rules you have to sign off on!! This campground has lost its personality! The previous owners were fantastic and extremely accommodating. New owners are invisible and everything is automated online and pricing is ridiculous! This used to be a very busy place but not anymore! I hope the new owners figure it out before it’s too late!
Ranger
Picked this location because it was close to several locations we could take day trips to the coast.
Visited Bar Harbor, Eastport and several places in between.
Because of those activities, we spent most of our time here sleeping and preparing 1-2 meals a day.
Evenings here were pretty quiet and not much traffic after dark. Bathroom was good but no water or garbage service.
ScoutDespite taking place during the period of social distancing, everyone at the SF-160 campsite strictly followed the clearly posted epidemic prevention regulations. This created a safe and comfortable space for everyone. Experience Traffic Jam 3D right now!
ScoutI stayed in a small site, just me and my vehicle. I asked for a quiet spot with elec and the site was perfect. It is basic, but more like what you would find at national parks, which I prefer MUCH MORE. My spot was shaded and level enough to have a tent, vehicle, chairs and table (not provided at my site), and they have a fire ring.
It isnt the usual RV sites that are sterile and squished in like sardines, so if thats what you looking for, this isnt it.
I paid $36 for my night, on par with national/ state parks, but much cheaper than most commerical camping grounds. The area is a little overpriced, so it was nice to stay somewhere reasonable, especially at the end of the season.
THere isnt wifi, my car (ATT) got better service than my phone (Tmobile).
The road is decent, maybe a few spots to watch out for, and they ask you to keep the speed down (5mph) so they are trying to take care of it (or not let it get torn up too much)
I didnt use the shower, but the bathroom was plumbed.
LegendPros: Location overlooking Johnson Bay 50 AMP & water hookup 4 miles from eastern most point in US
Cons: Gravel site No shade No sewer hookup
Guide
This is a huge campground. So many of the campsites here are lovely, many with views of the water and the amazing change of tides. Some are perched on a slope with tent platforms level but not much else on the site is. Pit toilets. There are showers at the main area, a bit of a walk or drive. There is a boat launch area a short distance away and the kayaking is great. This campground was so quiet and peaceful. We loved it.
LegendThis is a beautiful state park in a quiet part of the state and ideal for those looking for a quiet getaway with lots of outdoor activities. The park is surrounded by Cobscook Bay on three sides so you definitely get a feel of being near the water. As the 20+ tides come into the bay so does an abundant of aquatic life (our favorite being the seals and otters) and bird life which makes for great wildlife viewing. Cobscook has 106 campsites which vary from pull-thru to back-in, RV or tent, and all are set in a nice wooded environment. The best sites are those right on the water. Some of the sites have really long driveways while some of the pull-thrus are close to the road. The thick woods provide some shade and lots of privacy and the campground is pretty large so you don’t feel like you are on top of your neighbors. Campsites have pretty large level spots for setting up camp. We loved our site that was deep in the woods and had lots of privacy.
There is one bathhouse with showers near the ranger station. Otherwise, you have to use vault toilets which are scattered about and not super close to lots of campsites. A dump station and water fill sit are also near the park entrance. On Sundays when all the weekend campers were leaving, the line for the dump station was pretty long so bring your patience.
One drawback of this campground for us was that the trees lining the roads needed to be trimmed back and we scraped quite a few trees overhanging the road when coming and going. Something else to consider are the bugs! Ticks, mosquitos and black flies (these tiny little bugs that gnaw on you and create huge welts) are prevalent. Definitely bring insect repellent and/or a screen room. Later in the fall the bugs are not nearly as bad.
There are two short hiking trails and one has a short spur leading up to a view point overlooking the tidal river. If you are looking for longer hikes, Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge is adjacent to the park A nice paved boat launch with large parking area is located within the park. We launched are kayak and paddle board there at high tide when the water is slack and paddled across the river to a nature preserve for a hike. Make sure you watch the tides because the water can really rush in and out at certain times.
Not too far is a great little restaurant called Sue’s Coobscook Café. We stopped in for lunch but they were serving breakfast all day and we quickly switched to the delicious brunch menu. The Greek omelet was amazing and the breakfast was huge with great portion sizes and reasonable price.
ScoutI love it
LegendWe love this campground because of the location and amazing views! Sunset Point is a small, family-owned campground that sits beautifully perched on Johnson Bay just minutes from downtown Lubec. After a busy morning of hiking or paddling we loved hanging out at our campsite in the afternoon and watching the seals, bald eagles, seabirds, and the tides come and go.
This is one campground where the tent sites are actually in the best location in the campground as all of them have great unobstructed water views. (The only downside is they are farther away from the bathroom.) Some tent sites (A– D) have a wooden shade structure with picnic table and fire pit, the others just have a fire pit and picnic table. RV sites are 50-amp/ water and vary in length. Some are right on the water and others are in rows behind them. Warning: RV sites are very close together and there is not much space between you and your neighbor. The best sites are 12, 12A, 12B, and 16 which have the best views and are the largest sites. There are no sewer hook-ups but there is a dump station, a tote (a.k.a.,“blue boy”) that you are welcome to borrow, or you can schedule a pump out for$10/tank. Most motorhomes (in sites 16-29) choose to pull-in forward so they have a water view out of their front window and run the utilities under their RV to hook-up. Warning: do not leave your awning out while you are away from your camper as the winds can really pick up in the afternoon and damage them.
The restrooms were super clean (although a little dated) and there is a laundry with three sets of washers and dryers for$1.50 each. Wood ($3) and ice are for sale in the camp store where they also have t-shirts/hats/post cards and a few other miscellaneous items. Wi-Fi at our site (#16) was pretty poor but worked very well near the office/laundry. We had a strong Verizon signal so we didn’t rely on their Wi-Fi. The grounds are manicured with nicely mowed grass. The only problem was that some people put out patio mats or screen rooms that killed the grass so the next camper has a big dead spot. There is a primitive kayak/canoe launch (which is basically a mowed path down to the water) which we used almost daily. It was so convenient to leave our boats down along path so we didn’t have to bring them back to our site every day. Beware that the tidal range is around 20 feet so make sure you paddle around high tide or you will have to cross a mucky, seaweed covered, rocky clam flat to get back to shore. There are lots of great places to paddle and downtown is about a 15-minute paddle and there are plenty of seals at high tide and the mackerel fishing is great. The campground has free use of lobster pots, burners, and propane tanks if you want to cook your own lobster and there is a seafood place right down the street that sells live lobster. Or you can drive about 25 miles to the town of Cutler and buy them fresh off the dock.
Lubec is a cute little town with a few shops, restaurants, historical museum, a brewery, grocery, and a scenic view of the Passamaquoddy Bay. There is plenty of hiking on nearby nature preserves. Bring your passport and cross over to Campobello Island which was the summer home of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and is now a museum open for tours. There is also lots of hiking and two lighthouses on Campobello. Nearby is Quoddy Head State Park which has some beautiful oceanfront hiking trails and a picturesque lighthouse.
TravelerLoved every minute of our stay. Almost every site has a water view. Bathrooms are clean. Showers are free. Loads of hiking and dramatic coastline to be explored.
TravelerVery quiet. One shower facility with only 3 showers per side for entire campground. Pit toilets but numerous and clean Beautiful views. Bring bug spray.
GuideAbsolutely loved this small campground. Well groomed lawns surrounded by water with beautiful views of the sunset and near to attractions nearby.
LegendOne could easily break an ankle or leg here trying to scramble to your assigned campsite. These are not drive in sites-- with isolated exceptions.
These are mainly walk-in sites which, here, means that you park near the road and have to scramble down a hill or up a hill on a trail which was never prepared for foot traffic. Some sites have steep drops to the bay - really steep: a concern at night particularly.
Some normal drive-in sites are #53, 54, 63, 64, 66, 68. My site 68 was excellent but unusual in its normalcy.
I had one of the very rare sites in which you can pull in next to your campsite but most sites are really "walk-in". There is no grading and apparently no such thing as trail prep here to mitigate the exposed roots and hazards. It is wild.
Toilets are outhouses only. Wifi does not exist here. Staff not friendly.
Most sites are for tents--- but there is an industrial RV section high on the hill (sites 1-27) with good sized parking on a loop furthest from the campground entrance. The tides are extreme--- take care.
GuideWe had Site 9, which seems to be one of the least popular RV sites. Personally, I was pretty happy with the site as it was fairly private. Campground has a potable water fill amd sanitation dump, both clean and well maintained. The grounds are kept well, and the coastal scenery was absolutely breath taking.
A note about mosquitos. This is Northern Maine, and you should expect mosquitoes. We came armed with Deep Woods Off, and happy to have it. We set up the screen structure the first night, but put it away as we were not using it.
We will definitely return to this campground.
GuideWasn't sure what to expect, but went anyway. After turning off the highway you take a dirt road for about a mile until you see a sign for the campsites. (My sedan easily made it down the road)
There's a site immediately when you turn in, but about 2 minutes further you'll find a parking lot with what looked to me like 4 more campsites and a boat ramp.
2 sites were on the lake and the other 2 were behind the parking lot. The lot also had a porta-potty in it. 3 of those sites were taken, and none of the sites had much privacy so I took the one right off the road (I could see the road easily from the fire pit/table).
It was a little noisy from the other campers and lacked privacy, but it's a great spot for someone who just needs to pullover and crash.
Traveler
New park so lots of construction going on. Owner is very helpful. Will be a great park when it really gets going. W/E/S at most sites. Reasonable price. 35 to 45 bucks, in Maine thats not bad.
TravelerWhat an awesome campground. We own our own (very small) background in WV (www.CampCacapon.com) and this is truly a wonderful location. We had site S11, one of the best for sure. Unobstructed view of the bay. You can see whales swimming by. A single tree sits over the picnic bench... Where I connected to their WiFi and joined a WebEx work meeting.
The town of Eastport is so nice (really nicely updated, but authentic looking), but sadly looks to be mostly shutdown (assuming due to COVID-19).
We did a nice short hike in Shackford Head State Park.
We also walked along the beach area in the campground, to watch the sunset.
TravelerOur site had an unobstructed view of the bay, right under a nice size pine tree. The staff was amazing, even the gentlemen contracted for landscaping was super nice. WiFi was great and I joined a WebEx for work. Stayed only 2 nights. Next time will be more!
ScoutThis was an amazing escape despite variable weather. Being at the tent sites on the peninsula are worth every cent and even better when visited during the week and volume at the campground is lower. The walk in sites are amazing.
ScoutThis is a small, well-run campground with lots of amenities. All but the tent sites have E/W. There is a dump station, restrooms/showers, and 3 sets of basic (but efficient) washers and dryers. ($1.50 each). Each site has table/fire pits, and firewood is plentiful and only $3/bundle. WiFi is weak and slow, but free and usable. We have great Verizon signal, so didn’t really need it. The grounds are well cared for, with lots of grassy spaces. They also maintain a mowed pathway down to the “beach” for water access and to launch a kayak. There is a broad variety of sites, so be sure to check out the campground map as well as satellite view when requesting a reservation. The tent sites are great — right on the water’s edge — and much more spacious and private than the hookup sites. Of the RV sites (E/W), some are MUCH more desirable than others. 12A and 12B are close to the water with great views, but only suitable for smaller camper vans and trailers. Of the other RV sites, 12, 13, and 16 are nice because they are at the end of their rows so there are neighbors on only one side. 13 is next to the pond, but still has a good view of the bay, and the added bonus of a million frogs serenading throughout the night. (This may not be a positive thing for some.). The rest of the E/W sites are side-by-side RV park style where the only view (from inside) is the side of your neighbor’s RV just a few feet away. The town of Lubec is tiny without a lot of charm, but the waterfront area provides a nice view of the rushing tide and Canada across the narrow channel. Nearby Quoddy Head State Park has a picturesque lighthouse and a couple of nice hiking trails. Antique lovers should visit the nearby Clutter Shop. HD&Sons about a mile west sells freshly caught lobster for about $10/pound and will cook them up for $5/pot. The campground is on a peninsula, and there was never a day without a nice breeze.
GuideI wouldn’t recommend this site to an inexperienced camper looking for simplicity. The sites are rugged, and some you’ll need a short hike uphill to get to. Be cautious with small children here as there are a lot of sites with drops to the bay.
Our site was beautiful, had a gorgeous view, not too far from the outhouses, and fit what we needed perfectly. The site wasn’t huge and fitting more than two 6 person tents might be a struggle. The fire pit was on the smaller side which would legitimately be my only complaint for my families experience.
Overall, I highly recommend especially if you’re visiting downeast. It’s a beautiful side to admire.
Also, you can go clamming here, with a one peck limit. So, if you’re wanting a seaside experience with fresh seafood you gather yourself, this campground is perfect.
RangerNice size sites, 50/30/20 electric, there are a few single picnic tables under shelters, nice small pond, tent sites two with W/E. Heated shower rooms, restrooms are open. Opened couple days early to accommodate a few early campers, I being one of them. Yes I would gladly stay here again!
RangerWe needed a place to stay the night near Lubec. This campground isn’t luxurious by any means but it has everything you need for an outdoors experience.
The campground has a sewer dump and potable water fill at the beginning of the campground. The hot showers are there too. Beware of spiders. The showers were clean but boy do the spiders living in the shower house remind you that you are in the woods. We ended up showering in the van in the parking right outside the shower house because we could fill up and dump next door at the sewer/water fill station. We just couldn’t get that close and personal with spiders. That’s where we draw the line.
The grounds are very well manicured. In our area, the sites were super deep and private (rigs up to 30’). The restrooms are outhouse style that are ventilated. They have hand sanitizer inside. Bring a light for night time restroom use as it will be very dark otherwise.
Beware of the mosquitoes. Bring all the mosquito mitigation like wearable netting, bug spray, Thermacell or just don’t go outside. Never. Unless it is the middle of the day.
Internet. Verizon via iPhone 12: 8 mbps down and 3 mbps up with 73 ms ping; T-Mobile via Nighthawk MR1100: 6 mbps down and 0 mbps up with 300 ms ping.
LegendWe decided to spend the night at this park after having to adjust our plans due to high winds. Given our timing(early October), the place was almost entirely empty. We chose one of the small lean-to shelters for the night. There are a few of these and they do require you to walk your gear in a short distance, so pack accordingly.
The site we stayed in had a gorgeous view of the bay and it was super cool to watch the tide come and go with such a drastic change in the water levels. We even saw a racoon take a swim across the bay at high tide.
There was a nice small and consolidated fire ring and a large picnic table. The lean-to was the perfect size for our three-person tent and kept us out of some cray wind(gusting up to 40 mph).
The state park has primitive pit toilets scattered throughout the various loops that require a bit of a trek from where we were camped. There are also numerous sites right on the water in the picnic area that would be great day use options if you’re just looking to enjoy the area for a few hours. The gentleman making the rounds was friendly and it was nice to know there were a few employees still around and available if needed.
The state park is located close to Lubec as well as the St. Croix International Historic Site, which we visited while we were in the area. Given the pandemic, we weren’t able to venture over to Canada but maybe next time!
ScoutI stayed here in August 2020 on a trip downeast. What a great place. Campsite was right on the water. The bathrooms/showers were clean. There was a great playground for children. I will definitely go back!
GuideLet’s be real. Camping near ANY water, fresh or salt, includes high likelihood of bugs...warmer weather makes it worse, of COURSE. And perhaps predictably, any odor, fecal or otherwise, is amplified with heat...hence the effectiveness of scented candles, no?
I just spent the most splendid two nights at this gorgeous place, in site 103. We brought our kayaks too, and waved off launching not because of the steep path to the water, but simply due to the fascinatingly rapid tidal movements. We’d been camping for a week at a couple of lake places and had enjoyed enough kayaking to hold us over. And for the record: the government website clearly shows a diagram that describes all campsites designated as “walk-ins”, and most adults could be expected to be capable of using online topography and aerial photos to preview applicability of specific sites for shore access...ahem.
That permitted plenty of time for casual touring locally and innumerable amazing photography opportunities on trails and at the sea coast. Breathtaking is a word overused but I have zero hesitation to apply it here.
Locals are congenial and rightfully proud of their beautiful homeland, and happy to share information and recommendations.
We stayed at the very beginning of October-leaves near peak color, no crowd and no bugs. Never smelled any poop except when contributing personally.
Clams are so easy to harvest at low tide that the park sets a 1 Peck limit! Look it up-a peck is a sizable volume, haha, and refreshingly non-metric.
DID find showering first thing in the morning to be an exercise in personal fortitude! Air was frosty and the facility was open to ambient conditions so there was quite a difference in temperature between the air in the stall and the hot water from the nozzle. Oh sure, the curtain was showing signs of a long season yet still functioned to shield my fresh towel and clothing from direct spray, and the stall had a plywood door and latch for privacy regardless. Hot water lasted fine and bathing success achieved.
PLEASE consider general realities of outdoor environments and do not pass up any chance to stay here. It’s as nice as any place I’ve ever stayed and I’m a geezer with lots of comparators.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Calais, ME?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Calais, ME is Cobscook Bay State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 28 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Calais, ME?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 glamping camping locations near Calais, ME, with real photos and reviews from campers.
