Best Tent Camping near Caratunk, ME

Northern Pride is a 5-bedroom lodge and RV and tent campground. The property sits adjacent to the 8-mile-long Roach Pond (which is more like a lake because of its size and deep water but the state of Maine classifies body of water a pond if there is water flowing in and out of it versus a lake that is contained and has no input or outfall). 

The campground has a mix of tent and RV sites. The RV sites are 20-amp electric and water with the exception of one(transient) site that is 30-amp and water. Sites are level and are back-ins so your back window has a view of the pond. Tent sites sit right between the shore and RV sites with an unobstructed view of the pond. Tent sites are large, open grassy areas far enough from the RV sites so you don’t feel like you have an RV staring at you. RV sites are pretty close together and all but two are seasonal sites. The seasonal sites were pretty junky when we visited and many campers needed to do a little cleaning up at their sites. Most people just come for the weekend to enjoy the pond so it is pretty quiet during the week. Tent and RV sites cost$35 and$40(respectively) for two people. If you have more people, it costs$3/person/night which seems like it could get quite expensive for a family of five, especially since you only have minimal electric and water. There is no sewer and the pump out service was quite steep at$50/pump out (both grey and black) and is only available on Wednesdays- so plan accordingly. Hot showers are available so you can save tank space by not showering in your RV. All sites have picnic tables and fire rings. Many of the firepits looked like they were dumpsters as they were filled with cardboard, paper plates, and other trash. Firewood is available for$6/milk crate sized amount. The lodge serves meals if you don’t feel like cooking you can order a la carte or there is the Kokadjo Trading Post just a short walk away which has some groceries and good burgers. The owner is a registered Master Maine Guide and they offer fishing and hunting trips (for a fee). There also have kayak, canoe, and a 16-foot motorboat for rent. 

There is a public boat launch right next to the campground if you have your own boat. Since the property is right on the water it is convenient to launch a canoe or kayak and the views of the surrounding mountains make for a great paddling destination. The closest town with services is Greenville that is about 20 miles away. The road from Greenville is a newly paved road that is easy to navigate. If you come from elsewhere, it’s best to call for directions and not follow your GPS because many roads are for ATVs only.

Round barn campsites offers a dozen or so tent sites with two big group sites. It will pretty consistently have some campers, but I've never seen all the sites full before. It is right next to the stafford brook trail to hike to the top of Bigelow and you can easily hike from your campsite to the top of the mountain and back within a day. Multiple sites including both group sites are right on the water and there is a nice beach area big enough to accomodate however many people you bring. The best tent site is on the island just offshore accessible by sandbar which is usually just knee deep. The cove makes for safe swimming away from the wind and waves offshore. Great secluded spot where you won't feel crowded like at Baxter or Grafton notch areas.

Basically this is a small independent RV park split between season RV campers and regular RV campers. The only reason for a tent camper to go is to take advantage of the laundry room and the nicely scrubbed showers. It’s 5 minutes from Skowhegan and a short 2 minutes from Kennebec Banks rest area on route 2.

There are about 5 tent sites– two of which are on a small point stretching into the confluence of the great Kennebec River and the small Wesserunsett River. 

The only two tent sites I would recommend are #50 & #51 on the point with # 51 being most desirable. I absolutely would not recommend any of the other tent sites for various reasons. I used site #51 and pitched my tent about 20ft from the Kennebec. At 6:45am  I saw two bald eagles patrolling the Kennebec. 

The RV sites that are interesting are the ones directly along the Kennebec. They are sites 39-45; 47A; 47B; 47C; 48; and, they park parallel to the river. Otherwise, it’s a very tight center filled with RV’s and very large motor homes. Sites # 52– 58 may look like they are water sites… but the water feature on the map is only a brushy swamp. 

The 2 showers are very good, clean and include a bench. There are 2 flush toilets also sparkling clean; but, they are some distance from The Point. The 24hour self-operated laundry is housed in a small, dedicated bungalow. There are 2-3 docks and canoes to use. 

At night, one can clearly hear the noise from route 2 just at the edge of the campground. The river amplifies the sound of cars passing by.

Absolutely one of the jewels in the Maine State Park System, Lily Bay on enormous Moosehead Lake is generally open year round. Historically, this area was part of the Northern Canoe Trail and an important logging tract. It’s reasonably close to the Maine finish of the AT at Mt.Katahdin. 

It is worth remembering that weather can change suddenly on the lake and on the shore including substantial wind gusts and rain storms. Herds of deer are prevalent in the campground, and there are a few coyotes. 

Lily Bay, 9 miles north of Greenville, has two distinct camping clusters: Dunn Point and Rowell Cove. Each camping cluster has a trailerable boat launch area although these facilities may be more slightly more appealing on Dunn Point which also includes a playground and swim beach. Fishing is a very active sport on Moosehead. 

This review seeks only to observe the park from a tent camper’s point of view. There are hot showers in a central location called“comfort station” near the entrance. This multi-use comfort center is kept scrupulously clean. There is a helpful shower chair in each of about 6 shower bathrooms. Otherwise, there are vault outhouses throughout the park. One generally has to arrive at the plumbed comfort station by car. It is some distance from campsites. It may be nearly a mile from some of the campsites so campers will generally use the out-houses, not central bathrooms. 

Extensive usage of RV’s in the park means that if tent campers want to avoid being next to an RV they should select sites that are classified as“walk-in tent sites”. You don’t have to walk very far when using these sites but the category protects the tent user. In Dunn Point walk-in sites are 200T; 201T; 213T; 214T; 215T; 221T; 222T; 223T; 224T; 231T. In Rowell Cove sites that are protected for clusters of tents are 33T;34T; 35T; 36T; 37T; 38T; 39T; 40T; 41T; 44T; 45T; 46T. Site 41T has the longest walk-in path in the park. These tent sites are reasonably spaced and this reviewer can say that on Dunn point the most coveted beach tent site is the non-reservable site 221T. Most sites that front the water on Dunn Point are elevated high above the water, but sites 221T; 222T; and 223T have direct open water beach access. If you are a tent camper, regardless of which site you have reserved— it is definitely worth asking the park clerks if sites 221T; 222T, and 223T are open on Dunn Point. 

Park check-in closes about 4-4:30 and after that each camper does a self check-in on the specific site that has been reserved in advance. 

The park sells ice and wood. 

The forest in this 900 acre park is mixed spruce, cedar, hemlock, birch and maple. Each night loons call to each other.

My wife and I went up during Columbus Day weekend for some fall fishing and leaf peeping. We had a tent site that had tons of room. Camp store was great. Camp is just outside of Greenville so it’s super easy to go into town if you forgot anything. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was I could hear the road noise from rt.6. In my opinion if I’m headed up to moosehead I would want to camp in the middle of the woods. But overall we had a great time.

We have tent camped in several of the sites 4X in the past 3 years.  10/28/23 was last visit for the year.  We never see many trucks or people.  The sites are quiet, peaceful, very clean and outhouses are always in excellent condition.  We thank the folks who care so well for the sites.  We got there in a compact SUV 3 years ago, but go by truck now.  The road in off the Capital Road has deteriorated a fair amount in past year, due to rains, we believe.  Don't make the trip if you expect good roads, but if you like logging roads, this area is wonderful.

Stopped in to try and camp here, all the spots were taken.  There were even people camping in their rooftop tents.

Sites that I saw looked great, trails need some maintenance though, and some of the sites need clean up.

The Road is rough, but with care you can get there, just go slow.

There are pit toilets, but no running water or electricity.

All of the sites are walk-in sites.

Bussy place!

Small campground with 36 RV and tent sites located just a couple of miles from downtown Greenville. The owners are very nice and helpful and are always busy working in the campground. The campground has lots of large trees and narrow roads which make it very difficult for big rigs. In fact, there was only one of two sites in the front section that would fit our 45’ motorhome. The back section of the park was way too tight for us to navigate. 

Our site (#25) was a long pull thru that sloped down in the front and took a bit for us to get level and our front steps were pretty high off the ground. We had 50-amp electric which worked fine and a water hookup. Since we had a clear view to the sky, we were able to use our satellite television. Due to the campground’s location in a remote part of Maine, I’m sure our over-the-air antenna would not have worked. They did have wifi which worked great at out site. The tent sites are located off to themselves in a wooded area not too far from the bathrooms. The back section of the campground is heavily treed with nice amounts of shade. Most of the sites have good separation from the neighboring site and privacy. The fire pits have grates next to them so you can cook over the fire. There are garbage cans scattered about the campground which makes it easy to dump your trash. No sewer at any sites but there is a dump station and they offer a pump out service for$20. We contemplated using the dump station but the roads were so tight that it would have been difficult for us to pull into it and our RV would have scrapped lots of trees. There are apple trees everywhere in the campground. The owner said he does rake them but so apparently it was a banner year, so there were tons of apples which meant that you did get a smell from the rotting ones. The bathrooms were old and pretty nasty and we didn’t want to use the toilet, much less shower there. Despite having a pull thru site, we had to back out because we would have had to go thru the back part of the park and because of the low hanging trees without scraping our RV. Also, the turn into the campground from the main road (Route 6) is very tight and we ended up having to go into the other lane and take up the whole road in order to make the turn in. 

We did like the proximity of this campground to downtown Greenville. The area is beautiful with great hiking, boating, and fishing. Just a short drive away is the east outlet of the Kennebec River which is renowned for its fly fishing. Some touristy things to do are a boat ride on the Katahdin (an old steam ship), ferry ride over to Mt. Kineo for hiking with a great view, and a drive out to the B-52 crash site.

 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.

We took our camper and camped with another family who had just tents. Our camp sites were next to each other but also very private. No water or electricity except at the main bathrooms where there are showers, toilets and a dish wash station. Beautiful lake! We had to walk a few mins from our site to get to the lake. Overall very peaceful!

Mount Blue is an awesome Maine State Park about 2 hrs. north-west of Portland, 1hr from the White Mts. in NH and 1.5 hours from the Quebec border. 

Chock full of activities from lakefront lounging, swimming, dark sky stargazing, fishing, biking, hiking, paddling and boating all from your campsite or nearby within the park. 

Our group had the South Shelter group camping area, lakefront with small beachfront where you can have a decent sized bonfire and keep kayaks, SUPs, etc. 

View is amazing, looking out across lake to Mount Blue and Tumbledown. Took the quick but steep hike up to the fire tower at Mount Blue's summit, about 3.5 miles RT. 

Also really liked: 

new and clean showers (individual shower rooms with hot water, are free!)

trails that link all campsites to the lake

super friendly staff

log cabin shelter at lake with a huge stone fireplace - didn't use it but this would be great for a group dinner

group site was spacious and slopes up from lake with plenty of shaded tent areas - we had about 8 tents and didn't feel crowded in the least

group site also has a spacious shelter and fire pit area at the top of the slope, with 4 picnic tables - cool for the showers we experienced when several people could fit inside under the roof, play games and wait out the storms. 

Of note: 

The shower house is located a good ways off from the group sites, over in the tent and RV/trailer site area. Some of us walked ands others biked or drove over. 

At the group site there is a decent outhouse but no running water - so plan for that. 

Showers were diagonal from site 9 in the camping area. 

Def. check this beautiful state park out, and you can support Maine State Parks by purchasing an annual pass for around $105.

If your looking for a great little get away where you can get unplugged from society, then this is the place for you. Has a great place to go four wheeling. A place to enjoy the lake and all the fun activities that go along with it. As well as a bathroom facility for showering and all your tolitere needs. The kids can also enjoy the playground, and the various activities they provide. And you may even be visited by the campgrounds own family cat. This place is not only a great place to go tenting, but can also be a place where you can hook up your camper. This beautiful place sits in the woods off the maine road. It gives you the real feel of being out in the woods. It is a very secluded place.

This small, family run campground is a nice spot to get off the grid and explore western Maine. I stayed here because of its proximity to the Fire Warden trail up Mt. Abram; I like to get up and on the trail early, so this was an ideal location. It's not far to the peaks in the Bigelow Preserve, Sugarloaf, Spaulding, or the Crockers, either. It is a 4-hour drive from Boston, so it's not a quick getaway from there.

Each wooded site is relatively level and offers water and electric hookups, all for a price on par with state parks without utilities (even after tax is added to fees, you're still under $25/night). Bring cash or a check because they don't accept credit cards. Although they don't offer sewer, they do offer a dump station. I was in a tent. They do not offer wi-fi and your cell phone isn't much good either. Bathrooms are clean and hot showers are free. I was there late in the season, so the campground wasn't full. It was quiet.

Although I was there to hike, I checked out the Tufts Pond, a short walk across the street from the main campground, It is a nice place to swim, canoe/kayak, or fish in season. And at the beginning of my hike I saw a lot of ATVs out on the trails. There is also an open field area and a playground at the campground.

I bought wood when i checked in and there is a small store. Kingfield offers a grocery store as well. Kingfield also offers a few dining options if you're not up to cooking your meals.

If you want to get away and have a moment for yourself, this is the place to be. You can enjoy the unbelievable sunrises or sunsets across the pond (which is over 7 miles long), or you can relax in your camper or tent. The food is fantastic too!