183 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Camping near Cape Porpoise, Maine encompasses a mix of established campgrounds and resort-style facilities along the southern Maine coast. Sandy Pines Campground in Kennebunkport stands out as a highly-rated option just a short bike ride from Cape Porpoise village, offering tent sites, RV hookups, cabins, and glamping accommodations including platform tents and unique structures like A-frame chalets. Hemlock Grove Campground provides a more wooded setting with spacious, level sites, while several beach-oriented campgrounds like Old Orchard Beach Campground and Bayley's Camping Resort are within 20-30 minutes north along the coast. The area balances coastal access with proximity to small harbor villages and beach communities.
Most campgrounds in the Cape Porpoise region operate seasonally from May through mid-October, with peak season running from late June through Labor Day. Advance reservations are strongly recommended, particularly for weekend stays and waterfront or premium sites. Summer temperatures typically range from 60-80°F with occasional humidity and afternoon thunderstorms. Cell service is generally reliable throughout the area, with Verizon providing consistent coverage. Fire regulations vary by campground, with most allowing campfires in designated rings when no regional bans are in effect. Many facilities offer firewood for purchase on-site to prevent the spread of invasive insects.
The camping experience near Cape Porpoise varies significantly between properties. According to reviews, Sandy Pines offers "impeccably maintained campsites" with mountain biking access through the Tyler Preserve down to Cape Porpoise. Visitors appreciate the proximity to Goose Rocks Beach, described as "the best shoreline beach on southern Maine," just a 10-minute ride from the campground. Family-oriented campgrounds like Bayley's Camping Resort and Old Orchard Beach Campground provide extensive recreational amenities including swimming pools, playgrounds, and organized activities. For adults seeking a quieter atmosphere, Wild Duck Adult Campground in Scarborough offers "nice sized, quiet spots" with good access to Portland, beaches, and local restaurants.
"Sandy Pines is located a very short bike ride from Cape Porpoise, home of Nunann's Restaurant , Mussette, Lost Fire and Pier 77."
"For those so inclined, there is great mountain biking either through the Tyler Preserve down to Cape Porpoise or North through the Emmitt Smith Preserve."
"Just a stones throw away from Old Orchard Beach, fantastic Sandy Maine beach. Staff was friendly. Only thing I would say is there were a lot of people!"
"Mainly pancakes and bacon. The only problem I had with this campground with no fault of there own is the noise at night."
"Old Orchard Beach is a fun, family-oriented campground located in the fun little beach town of Old Orchard Beach."
"Easy access to area stores, eats. Very accommodating. Clean showers, laundry, arcade."
from $100 - $145 / night
Check Availability"Right next to the road. So yes lots of family glamping fun. But not for those looking for a more visceral Maine camping experience."
"The campsites are on top of each other all the way around. Of course, as we always find in the RV community, everyone was very nice."
"This campground is located near Kennebunkport in Arundel, Maine. Campsites are well-spaced and have level asphalt pads. Ours came with picnic table and fire pit."
"Has a beach. lake has a no motor requirement. Also trails to wonder"
"Spent three nights in a nice sized, quiet spot, on the camps’ outside loop. The park is well located, near the beach, shopping, and with access to Portland."
"This adult only campground is peaceful and quiet, with the sounds of birds and the trees being the main thing you hear - it is quite relaxing. "
"Campground is beautifully set in the woods off of main road . Our site was towards camp store and road so had a bit of road noise but wasn’t bad . Sites are spacious , level , with gravel pads ."
"Maine Diner was fantastic! WiFi worked great, cable tv also. No pool but the beach is nearby."
from $44 - $58 / night
Check Availability"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."
"While this is a large campground, requiring rules to be followed for everyone’s sake, it is in an excellent location."
"Great location, dog friendly. Very clean."
from $47 - $90 / night
Check Availability"Great campground, it is walking distance to Old Orchard beach and has large sites. Many family activities including fishing, 2 pools, a dog park, and a snack shack."
"Walking distance to Old Orchard Beach, this campground has something for everyone. While the site are fairly small and crowded, it harldy matters because of all of the amenities at the campground."
from $63 / night
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RangerLOVE this campground. Beautiful grounds with campsites nestled in a hemlock pine forest with lots of forest all around. So peaceful. Full hookup. Nearby Kennebunk and Kennebunk Port. No hiking trail on the grounds but many a short drive away. Pickleball and disc golf nearby. Only bummer was we wish we stayed longer. We would love to return for a week or more!
ScoutThis is our 2nd year as seasonal campers and it is wonderful. The seasons sites are very spacious and most have plenty of shade/sun. The transient site are not as spacious but have grassy areas and plenty of sun. There are no tent sites at this time
ScoutThis was a cool agritourism campground. A little pricey but the cleanest campground I have stayed at over the last month and a half traveling around the great lakes area and then into New England. I'm traveling solo but definitely a cool spot if you have kids, the outhouses are kept as spotless as one could hope for and there are is a cool loop trail around the property that has educational stops. Camp store has local produce and food from the farm, there are trails where you can go down to the shoreline.
GuideThere are no bad camping spots at this charming, scenic, squeaky clean campground. If you love water views, walking trails and exploring low-tide. Run, don’t walk and make a reservation today!
GuideBeautiful park! Real contact with nature, super safe... get ready to walk.
GuideThis is a nice campground with 90% permanent upscale sites. Don’t let that deter you, the nightly spots are concentrated have excellent natural surroundings. Decent size spaces and mostly level. Workers were nice and many things to do.
TravelerA mix of seasonal and short term campers. Here for 3 nights I did not feel out of place at all - quite the opposite. Staff are very nice, campground is quiet, clean and has lots of amenities(laundry, games- pool, table tennis, badminton, small kids playground, kayak rental for the placid river, swimming area at the river"beach"). All sites have water and hookup. Couple of excellent tent spots right on the river. I had a small space down by the river for my tent trailer and found it quite spacious. Sites overall are somewhat close together but not overly and it remains peaceful. About 30 minute easy drive to the coast (Portsmouth, Hampton Beach etc.).
Scout⭐**Gunstock Campground: Apparently Your Reserved Site Is More of a Suggestion**
I don't believe I have**ever** left a negative Google review. I generally think that when something goes wrong, you contact the business, give them an opportunity to make it right, and most businesses are genuinely interested in doing exactly that.
Gunstock Campground has cured me of that quaint notion.
I reserved a full-hookup campsite for two nights. I was unable to make it there the first night, but arrived shortly after 7:00 a.m. the next morning. The camp store, where registration takes place, wasn't open yet, so I headed out for my planned hike— about six miles through the Belknaps, including summiting Rowe twice and Gunstock.
By the time I returned, I was utterly exhausted, starving, and actually feeling weak. My ambitions for the afternoon were modest:**eat something, take a shower, and collapse at the campsite I had paid for.**
The staff at the camp store greeted me warmly, checked me in, and sent me on my way.
I drove to my site. There was already a camper in it. Not merely*parked* there, mind you. They had apparently moved right in. They were hooked up to**my site's water and electric**, with water spraying from their ill-fitting hose connection and forming a rather impressive puddle underneath the camper.
I returned to the camp store to report that someone had apparently activated Gunstock's new**"Choose Any Site You Like"** camping plan. A staff member went down to speak with them and came back to tell me they were "packing up." Excellent! My mistake was assuming" packing up" meant**leaving**. It did not.
Apparently these campers had actually reserved a site**two rows away** that had**no water or electric**. Yet somehow, sometime after arriving the previous night, they had accidentally found themselves two rows over, in my clearly different site, connected to utilities their reservation didn't include.
We've all made mistakes. I've occasionally parked one space away from where I intended. I've never accidentally parked**two rows away, hooked myself up to someone else's electricity and water, and spent the night.**
But perhaps I lack imagination.
After they had now consumed about an hour of my afternoon— which, incidentally, is an hour I normally bill at attorney rates— I went back toward my site expecting to find it finally vacated.
And it was! Because Gunstock had moved these folks to another site**two spaces away from me**, apparently allowing them to pay for the upgrade they had already been test-driving. So the people who knowingly or unknowingly occupied my reserved full-hookup site, used the utilities, and delayed me from getting into the site I paid for were rewarded with...a nearby full-hookup site.
They never walked over to apologize. At that point, I no longer felt comfortable staying. It's difficult to relax at a campground when you've just discovered that site assignments appear to operate somewhat on the honor system— and that when someone helps themselves to your reserved site and utilities, management's solution is apparently to make sure *they* remain comfortably accommodated nearby. So I left. On my way home, I called Gunstock and asked for a refund. Surely, I thought, this would be the easy part. After all, I had paid for two nights, hadn't used the first, couldn't get into my site when I arrived for the second, waited while unauthorized occupants vacated it, and ultimately left because the entire experience had become so unpleasant.
Nope. Instead, the staff member **defended the other campers**. I was told they arrived late and "mistakenly" took my site. I was even told they supposedly **hadn't used the utilities**. This was particularly fascinating information for me to receive because **I PERSONALLY SAW THEM HOOKED UP TO THE WATER AND ELECTRIC.** I also took photographs. Including the enormous puddle underneath their camper from the leaking water connection. But apparently my eyewitness account and photographs were no match for the alternative version of events.
For my inconvenience, however, Gunstock did give me a coupon for a **free Bavarian pretzel**. So there is that.
I paid for a full-hookup campsite. Someone else occupied it and used the hookups. I lost roughly an hour waiting to access what I had reserved. The other campers were accommodated with an upgraded site nearby. I left because I no longer felt comfortable staying. And when I asked Gunstock to make the situation right, they refused to refund me and instead argued with me about things **I had personally witnessed and photographed**. The most disappointing part isn't that another camper took my site. Campers can behave badly. Businesses can't control everything their customers do. **What a business CAN control is how it responds when that happens. ** Gunstock had every opportunity to turn this into a mildly annoying story about a camping mix-up. Instead, they turned it into my first negative Google review.
But hey... **I do have that free pretzel coupon.**
ScoutWe stayed midweek and the park was 1/2 empty. Lots of kids activities. Wonderful bathrooms and showers. Great laundry. Close to Freeport but not the water
Camping options near Cape Porpoise, Maine are nestled along the southern coast where average summer temperatures range from 60-85°F with coastal humidity levels between 65-75%. The peak camping season runs from mid-May through mid-October, with most facilities having fewer restrictions on pets and campfires after Labor Day. Water access varies significantly between oceanfront locations and inland wooded sites.
Beach exploration: 7 miles of sandy shoreline at Old Orchard Beach offers a classic New England beach experience. It's accessible via a trolley from Paradise Park Resort, located just a quarter-mile from the beach area. "A shuttle will take you to the town beach or you can walk/ride bikes the .25 miles," notes Jessica S.
Kayaking through marshlands: Launch from campgrounds with water access to explore the protected Scarborough Marsh. "The kayak/paddle board, canoe launch is great because the river is impounded so you never have to worry about the tide going out while you are paddling," explains Nancy W. about Bayley's Camping Resort.
Bicycle along Eastern Trail: This multi-use trail runs through Scarborough Marsh and connects to several campgrounds. "My wife and I enjoy riding our bikes on rail trails. This quiet campground is about a mile from the Eastern Trail through the Scarborough Marsh," shares Kevin W. about Wild Duck Adult Campground.
Adult-only environments: Several campgrounds offer child-free options for quieter stays. Wild Duck Adult Campground provides "nice sized, quiet spots" where "you constantly saw yellow-shirted people busily working." According to Heather C., "This adult only campground is peaceful and quiet, with the sounds of birds and the trees being the main thing you hear."
Proximity to coastal villages: Many campers appreciate being close to small harbor towns while having camping amenities. At Hemlock Grove Campground, you'll find a "beautifully set in the woods" location that's "convenient to Kennebunkport and restaurants." Kimberly R. notes that sites are "spacious, level, with gravel pads."
Maine seafood options: Local lobster stands near campgrounds offer fresh seafood without driving far. Red Apple Campground stands out with their lobster delivery service. "Best part was ordering lobster and having it delivered to the campsite. Steamed and ready to eat!" reports Chris O.
Seasonal variation affects availability: Most campgrounds in the region operate from May through mid-October, with significant price differences between peak and shoulder seasons. Sun Outdoors Wells Beach and similar facilities fill quickly during July and August, often requiring reservations months in advance.
Mosquito preparation is essential: The coastal marsh areas create ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes, particularly in wooded campgrounds. Megan W. warns about Wild Duck: "The mosquitoes were TERRIBLE. In the time it took after we parked the camper, to when I could dig the bug spray out of our truck I was covered in bites."
French-Canadian visitors: Several campgrounds near Old Orchard Beach attract significant numbers of Quebec tourists. At Paradise Park Resort, Nathan S. noted, "We were surprised by the amount of French speaking campers from Quebec! We loved the diversity it brought."
Pool options vary significantly: For families seeking water activities beyond the beach, compare pool features. Old Orchard Beach Campground offers "a hot tub for kids" according to Tonisha T., while Paradise Park Resort provides "multiple pools and playgrounds."
Entertainment schedules: Family campgrounds often coordinate activities during summer months. Paradise Park offers "fun dances with kid games at night," says Alycia G., adding that "the streets are flat for the kids to bike."
Noise considerations: Different sections of larger campgrounds offer varying noise levels. At Bayley's Camping Resort, Andrew G. advises that the wooded sites "tend to be more private and less loud. Staying by any of the pools will be louder."
Site selection for privacy: RV sites vary dramatically in spacing and privacy, even within the same campground. At Sun Outdoors Saco Old Orchard Beach, Rachel P. recommends: "KK15, K3, K2 and K1 are great options as well, located along the wooded edges of the grounds."
Seasonal rate advantages: Many Cape Porpoise area campgrounds offer substantial RV site discounts during May, September and October. April C. notes that at Old Orchard Beach Campground, "WiFi worked great here" during their shoulder season stay in October.
Site layout challenges: Some campgrounds use unconventional layouts that affect the RV camping experience. Arno W. cautions about Moody Beach: "The campground layout is quite unusual, with campers parked lengthwise along the road. This means that you share the space where you sit outside with the camper behind you, resulting in very little privacy."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Cape Porpoise, ME?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Cape Porpoise, ME is Sandy Pines Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 22 reviews.
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