Best Cabin Camping near Caratunk, ME

The majority of campsites are right on the Dead River in a beautiful region in Maine called The Forks. This area is an outdoor paradise with tons of things to do kayaking, white water rafting, hunting, fishing, hiking, and nature viewing. Riverdrivers has a myriad of overnight accommodations including primitive tenting, RV with electric and water (some just 20A and water and the others 20A/30A and water), cabins with electricity and screened in porch, motel rooms, and a rental home open year-round that sleeps 14. 

There is a dump station onsite for RVs. There are picnic tables and fire pits at the camping sites and cabins. Wood is available for purchase at the good price of$10 for a wheelbarrow load. Sites are mostly grass and the road is smooth gravel devoid of any potholes. There are some trees for shade but not many and there is not much privacy between campsites. Obviously, the best sites are right on the water but the majority of those are without hookups. Check out their Facebook page because they offer camping discounts in the past if you mention the add. There are restrooms and showers with 14-hour access and a few port-a-potties scattered about. There is also a dishwashing station. Bathroom facilities were very clean as was the dishwashing station. Horseshoe pits are present but that is pretty much it for amenities, other than the great water view. No online reservation you must call or email them. 

The biggest complaint is the loud road noise from big logging trucks. The campground is located directly off Route 201 in West Forks which makes for easy access into the park (but you get the road noise). Across the street is Berry’s General Store with just about everything you need and is a fun old store to roam around. Just up the road is Hawks Nest Lodge which has a great restaurant with full bar. Their outside seating is great for soaking up the sun and watching the rafters on the river. Head over to Moxie Falls for a short hike into one of Maine’s famous falls.

This gampground has the access to snowmobile trail in the winter as well as the ATV trails. It has it's own parking lot for your atvs. Their is a inground outdoor heated pool, a great big playground, basketball court, volleyball net, arcade, ice cream, outdoor projector for Saturday night movie. As well as grass and rock lots for camping. Their is seasonal sites for both renting and campers. This is dog friendly and has doggie stations spread throughout the campground for all their bathroom breaks. Has a great bath house, coin operated laundry room, and a great little walking trail. Phone service, cable TV, and wifi are provided. Recently added for the 2018 season where three to four brand new log cabins built to add to the previous ones already their. Their is a boat launch a mile or less down the road. And the campground over all is a great place for both old and young to enjoy. I highly recommend this place. Although becoming a new seasonal is hard and you are put on a waiting list. The campground offers so many fun activities that are well worth the time their. Their is also a wagon ride offered on the weekend throughout the day.

 There are a few times in your travels when you find someplace you never want to leave. It’s the kind of place where you pull in and it just feels right and we found ourselves at the registration desk extending your stay…and again…and again. The Birches Resort and Campground in Rockwood, Maine was that slice of paradise we absolutely loved. 

The Birches is perched on Moosehead Lake about 30 minutes north of Greenville which is a pretty small town (we’re talking population 1,600) with a few restaurants, a fly fishing shop, a great grocery/outdoor/camping/clothing store and a scattering of interesting attractions like an old passenger ship offering lake excursions. There is a ferry over to Mt. Kineo which has spectacular hiking and definitely worth spending an afternoon. There is great fishing in the area in numerous rivers and lakes. 

The Birches has a magnificent historic lodge dating back to the 1930’s that is warm and comforting and smells of wood burning fires, fresh coffee, and salty bacon. There are only a handful of campsites (for RV’s and tents) and a bunch of cabins all with great views. Don’t be expecting to have all your creature comforts of television, wifi, and phone service because they are nonexistent or sketchy at your site. However, the lodge provides all those services where you can enjoy them by the fire or at the bar. There is also a full-service restaurant serving three meals a day with delicious comfort food like Thanksgiving turkey dinner, slow roasted prime rib, and French onion soup. RV sites can be a little tight for larger RVs but we were able to manage. The best campsite (#5) backs up to the lake so your patio and fire pit are right there on the water and provide spectacular sunrises. Our site was 30-amp which was fine for us as we were there in October and didn’t need air conditioning. Since no one else was coming into the site next to us, we were allowed to pull in such that we took up two spots and overlooked the marina. There was water but no sewer however the dump station was easy to access and never very busy since the campground is so small. The tent sites are located farther away from the lodge and facilities but are spacious and private with great water views. The sites are surrounded by trees so you get some shade if you want or can be in the open sunny areas. Each tent site has its own garbage can so you don’t have to trek over to the dumpster. There are also picnic tables, rock-lined fire rings, low electric hook-up, and a water spigot. The restroom/showers were older but clean and we did not mind showering there which meant we didn’t have to pack up the RV and dump our tanks during our stay. They do have a hot tub for those who like to soak in steaming water. 

We absolutely loved our stay at the Birches. Having the lodge for warm fires, cold beer, and hot meals was a definite plus. There are so many outdoor activities between hiking, fishing, paddling, and just enjoying the natural beauty. There are boat rentals and seaplane flights you can book for sightseeing and a launch for boats/paddle craft. We will definitely be back.

While we don’t usually stay in private campgrounds due to their high cost, the price was reasonable for the quality of this campground and amenities provided. We were in need of a shower and a place for the night and this campground was perfectly situated off the highway to Greenville. 

Most of the sites are designed for larger RVs with full hook-ups, but they have just a handful of simple tent/small camper sites without services, which is exactly what we needed.   Just a picnic table and fire ring and some privacy and we were happy campers.

The shower house was newly remodeled and very clean, as was the laundry facility with dishwashing/utility sink. The campground has access to over 1000 miles of trails, which are designed for ATV’s. They even have an ATV washing station. While it was not open in late September, the campground offers a nice pool, game room for the kids of all ages, a small camp store, and even has a snack bar and ice cream counter.  And, if you are seeking some amazing hiking, it's relatively close to Borestone Mountain and sections of the Appalachian Trail.

The young husband and wife team who own/run the place are very sweet folks who seem to really pay attention to the needs of their customers.  For instance, they recently spent a good deal of money on high speed wifi because that is what their customers said they wanted.  We didn't need it, so can't comment on its quality, but it's there if you do.

My husband and I camped at one of three tent sites that are located right on the lake. There is a new (or at least very clean) Porta-Potty for these three sites to share. There was also a VERY outdated/pieced together shower house near the office--something is better than nothing, I suppose. Back to the campsites: private, good amount of space, a picnic table, a firepit, and a trash can provided at each site. We did have some cleaning up to do when we arrived--bottle caps and even some Mich Ultra bottles littered the ground. But overall we had a pleasant stay--being on the lake was enough for us to overlook the litter we had to pick up when settling in.

This is a small privately owned campground located at the confluence of the Kennebec and the Wesserunsett Rivers just a few minutes from downtown Skowhegan. Campers are a mix of seasonals and transients with sites varying from pull-thru, back-in, tent and one rental cabin. 

We had a long pull-thru site that was located under pine trees which provided welcomed shade since the temperatures were in the high 80’s. The first site we were assigned was in the direct sun so we asked to move to a shady site and they were very accommodating. Some of the RV sites are located parallel to the river so your patio is open to the river and you have an unobstructed water view. However, these sites are fairly short and would not accommodate larger RVs. All other sites are pretty close to each other without much privacy between them. RV sites have cable with 70+ channels. There are a handful of tent sites at the far end of the campground set off on their own and right along the river. The only downside is that they are pretty far away from the bathrooms. The restrooms and laundry were spotless and cleaned daily. 

There is a small playground and a nice swimming pool which was clean and had lots of chairs around it for relaxing. There is a nice dock along the river where you can tie up boats and launch a kayak or canoe. One of the nice features is that they offer free use of their canoes/kayaks/peddle boats. You reserve a 2-hour time slot, and they provide you with the paddles and life jackets. There is a game room/arcade for kids to hang out in and there is a pavilion that is open to the public for gathering. One of the downsides is the loud road noise from Route 2. The other thing we didn’t like was that our patio was a mix and sand and dirt which made for a mess in the RV and not a great place for our dog to lay in. We paid$59/night for our full hook-up site which seems a little high for the area, but it was a full hookup site with cable and (pretty poor Wi-Fi). 

Overall, we liked this campground and it was a good three-night stay for us as we were traveling through Maine. Downtown is interesting with restored historic buildings housing antique shops, artisan galleries, and restaurants. There is a grist mill and restaurant located in an old jail that sells a wide variety of grains and other Maine-made products. We especially loved the Bankery which is a bakery located in an old bank. Just outside of town is Bigelow Brewery which we recommend visiting. There are a few nature preserves in the area that offer hiking if you are looking for a nice short walk in the woods.

General: One of three AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) lodges in Maine’s 100-mile wilderness. This one is located on Long Pond and has 12 cabins plus a bunkhouse. One of the cabins is ADA-accessible. There is a lodge with a living room, dining hall, games, and small store. 

Cabin Quality: Eleven of the cabins are very basic with varying amounts of sleeping arrangements. The ADA-accessible cabin has two bedrooms, electric outlets, and a bathroom with a shower. 

Bath/Shower house: If you are staying in the bunkhouse or a non-ADA-accessible cabin, the bathrooms and showers are in the main lodge. There is also a sauna.

Activities/Amenities: Three meals per day are included. A hearty breakfast and dinner plus a bag lunch. Dietary restrictions are honored. When there is a small group of guests, meals are served family style; for larger groups, they are served buffet style. Rowboats, kayaks, and paddle boards are available at no additional charge, but the wind was too strong for us to get on the water when we were there. In the winter months, snowshoes are available. You can also cross-country ski from but need to bring your own skis. The hikes are awesome! I hiked the Third Mountain Trail directly from the lodge. Signage was excellent. I also hiked the Gulf Hagas Trail, but this requires a drive to get to either of the two trailheads. Don't even try for cell service!

Note that this lodge and cabins are accessible by an approximately 20-mile dirt road from the west and 15 miles from the east. Your fee includes a hefty parking/road use fee. The staff was very present and provided excellent service during our two-night stay.