Best Tent Camping near Danforth, ME

This was a great two day tent camping trip. KOA’s are not always known for their tent sites but this one has a decent amount of them and the DMZ area between the RV’s and the tents is adequate so your not pitching your tent right next to an RV: our campsite was slightly off the beaten path which was exactly what we wanted. Good quite relaxing weekend . They have recently installed a new pool here so if it gets hot you have that great amenity. They also have the mining for gems activity that you see at some KOA’s and all my kids enjoyed that. The bathrooms were super clean. Kids enjoyed finding frogs in all their ponds. They have also added two “glamping tents” which look nice. The family enjoyed this so much we plan on making this an annual trip to this specific campground. This used to be “my brother place” campground and from what I gather significant upgrades have been made. Disclaimer : I know one of the owners but my review is honest.

We’ve stayed here in cabins a tent sites when hiking Mt Katahdin. Both were clean and tent sites were spacious. Bathrooms are tidy with all the hot water a smelly tired pack of hikers could ask for. Staff is always friendly and they almost always have spaces available.

The sites are nice enough, but not a ton of privacy. Ours wasn't very flat so tent camping wasn't very comfortable. Hammocks were fine. The lodge was super cool and the owners were friendly and helpful.

Located just a few miles outside of Baxter State Park, POC offers a few spots for small RV’s, tent sites, lean-tos, and a few camping cabins, each with a picnic table and fire ring.  And, the property has an amazing view!

There are hot showers, clean bathrooms, a dishwashing sink, and even a game room with pool tables and a small bar. You can rent canoes and gear to paddle on the lake, with a great view of Mt. Katahdin. Or, sign up for a guided canoe or rafting trip.

Fall is one of the best times to be here…no bugs, less people, and full of autumn color! Be ready for wind and cold days though.

Your last stop for groceries and gas is in Millinocket, so be sure to stock up before you make your way to the park. 

All for $11 per person/night! Haven’t seen these amenities for this low price anywhere else in Maine.

It was tricky to find any information on this campsite and then the loop road didn't open until just before I left the Millinocket area. It has been a very wet spring after a heavy winter, so there were lots of delays and it didn't' open until after Memorial Day, so I didn't get to stay here, but I did get to visit!

Because the Katahdin Woods and Waters (KWW) National Monument is so new, information and services are limited. Sometime this summer they are supposed to erect signs to the park; until them you're dependent on small signs and trusting you haven't missed a turn. 

On to the campsite...it's first come, first served, at the beginning of the gravel loop road in the southern section of KWW. There are picnic tables, vault toilet, fire ring, and a tent pad. To light a fire, you will need a fire permit. Per their website, "A free permit is easily acquired prior to a visit by calling the Northern Regional Office of the Maine Fire Service at 207 435-7963 or visiting them at 45 Radar Street in Ashland, Maine." It's bear country, so plan appropriately. There's a spot with easy access to the pond/stream for launching a kayak (I"m not sure how deep it is, esp mid-summer) or wildlife watching (moose, bear, birds).

The 17-mile loop road features overlooks that include views of Mt. Katahdin, trails to peaks and waterfalls, and multi-use trails for bicycles, horses. There's an information board here as well.

You'll want to pick up any necessary items and fuel in Millinocket before you head into the Monument. Don't count on cell service. Be prepared to change a flat tire.

To get information about KWW, you MAY be able to visit the visitor's center in Millinocket (it was only open 1-4pm on Thursday; it has longer hours during the summer), but I found the best source was a Friends of KWW booklet that I picked up at a Maine Visitor's Center that included a map centerfold. There's a map here, too: Katahdin Woods and Waters Map

Checked out these sites for an upcoming visit. Stayed down the road at Sandbank this time. If you are tenting this is preferable as Sandbank is open to RV's and is noisier.

Some changes to regulations since Jean's review in 2021.

No fire permit is needed if you use the fire ring provided

First-come-first-served only for a single night. Reservations from recreation.gov are recommended for longer stays or on weekends. $8 reservation fee, free camping up to 14 days, no refunds.

Her photo of the campground map is still accurate.

Katahdin Woods and Waters is a young National Monument without much infrastructure. Recent construction and cooperation with corporate & charitable sponsors has led to development of the Lunksoos campground in July 2021. I approached via the turnoff from Swift Brook Rd to Sebois Rd, before you reach the loop road, but Sherman Lumber Co Rd is another option. You may encounter logging trucks. The road is not in great shape, but passable.

A short walk from the East Branch of the Penobscot River boat launch, there are several free, walk-in sites. Two group sites allow nearby parking and provide tent platforms. The other 5 are on a small, walk-in loop through the woods; one is an accessible site. Vault toilets are provided. Sites come with bear boxes, picnic tables, and fire rings; fire permits are required (call Maine Forest Service 207-435-7693). Bring potable water or plan to treat it. Camping is free and there are no reservations. Midweek August I saw only 1 site occupied, but it's also a new campground. No cell service. Mosquitos and the occasional deer fly were annoying

You can enjoy fishing (license required), boating, hiking, stargazing, and wild-life watching(I saw fresh bear scat on the road on the way in; moose also frequent the area and maybe you’ll even spy a lynx!). There are Junior-Ranger programs, including a Night Explorer one. Drive the loop road to some short hiking trails and look for moose. The information station at Sandbank Stream campsite just before the loop road often has some brochures, including a bird list and interpretive guide to the loop road, though I would consider downloading them from the Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters website.

If you’ve forgotten anything, stop in Millinocket or Medway to pick them up before you get into the Monument; it’s a long drive out and back over these logging roads!

My first impressions of this park were not very good. When you drive in it looks a little run-down with old buildings, potholed roads, untrimmed vegetation, and very rustic. There are lots of seasonals driving around in golf carts drinking beer and lots of nightly gatherings. But throughout the week we were here we ended up really enjoying our stay at Pine Grove. The seasonals and staff were super friendly, the park turned out to be pretty quiet and we enjoyed sitting outside by our nightly campfire. 

The owners recently acquired the campground and are working very hard to make improvements and improve the looks of the campground. The campground is fairly small (43 sites) but has a nice woodsy feel. We snagged one of the last campsites that had 50 amp so we were told it might be a little tight but were given a choice of two sites. The park owner was nice enough to give us a choice and work with us to find one that we fit in. One was totally unlevel and the tree roots would have been a major problem for us. The site we chose was more level was but it took some time backing our large RV into the site because of the trees. There are some great waterfront sites if you have a smaller RV or tent. The roads throughout the park are dirt and gravel but were not very dusty. Water access in this park is great whether you want to paddle or just lounge around in the river on a raft. There is a nice cozy lounge which is where you can access wifi near the office. Our Verizon phone was useless for internet and our hotspot. We used our portable satellite antennae to pick up television but had to do some manipulating because of the trees. 

Our lure to this park was to explore the natural areas nearby, especially Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and Baxter State Park. There is so much natural beauty around this area that we definitely recommend a visit.

To reach Third Machias Lake, take the Little River Road (which runs north off the Stud Mill Road along the east side of the Machias River). Turn left after 4 miles onto a side road that leads to the boat launch. This is a logging road, beware of log trucks. Pull OVER when you see one and let them pass. They are going really fast with really big loads of logs.

We park at the boat launch. There has usually been 2-3 campers there when we park there. There are porta potties there. But…. we don't stay there. Kayaks in, camping gear into the boats. Off we go. It can be a rough paddle if it's windy. This lake is HUGE and can and has gotten 2-3 foot waves when the weather is not so great. It usually takes us about an our to get to the island we camp on. It has no name I know if but, many people call the next island past ours, Fairy Island.

I actually prefer Fairy Island. it's more open, smaller island, and better trees for hammocks. Plus the breeze there is awesome but bring a big tarp and road to give yourself a wind block.

The kayaking in this area is the BEST I have had in Maine. It's an absolute wonderland of variety. We took many river routes going out of the lake, into other lakes, through marsh/swamp, portaging beaver dams and such. One time had to go over a dirt road. Hardly ever ran across a person except this one time, a guy who has a cabin on the main shore not too far from our island (maybe 20 min paddle) was out fishing and invited us to his cabin where he and his wife gave us drinks and made awesome food at their campfire. They were so cool. I hope I have a house like that at some point.

Anyway; if you crave adventure this area is for you. Just jump in your boat, with your gear, and hunt down an island of your choosing. There are a bunch out there. Beware of rocks even in deep water! The glacier rocks are absolute huge. See my photos for yourself. Respect nature. Don't leave your garbage out here, no one wants to see that!

Shin Pond is this sprawling mix of campground, cabins, restaurant, event space, gas station, convenient store, and off-road vehicle rentals. The campground has about 30 campsites and is separated into two sections bisected by Route 159 (which is busy with loud logging trucks and UTV’s). One side has 50-amp campsites and cabins and the other side is 30-amp. There is a separate area for tents that is really pretty and sits along a brook that divides north and south Shin Ponds. 

Sites are grass with very little gravel and, as we found out, they can be very soft. We pulled into our site (#21) and before we knew it our 45’ (47,000 lbs) RV was stuck. Unbeknownst to us, three inches of rain had recently fallen and our site which was downhill was saturated. The campground owner had to pull us out with his huge tractor which as we found out was not the first time a camper had to be pulled out of a soft site in that campground. Luckily, it was a pull-in site so he could attach a chain to the hitch on the back of our RV as there is no way to pull from the front without causing damage. 

All sites have water, picnic table, and fire pit. There is no sewer but there is a dump station and a “blue boy” for you to use and dump your own tanks. They do not have a pump-out service. The dump station is easy to access and has a hose for you to flush your tanks and a dedicated potable water spigot. The dump station is at the back of a busy parking lot that serves the restaurant, laundry, bath/shower house, and the fuel pump so it can be quite busy and congested. We didn’t eat at the restaurant but others said it was very good. There is also a well-stocked store which sells a variety of souvenirs, food, beer, ice cream, and camping necessities. 

No cell or internet reception with our Verizon phone. The campground does have wifi but the signal was not strong enough to get reception reliably at our site. You pretty much have to be at the office in order to get it but that’s ok because they have lots of picnic tables and places to sit. 

Shin Pond rents Polaris UTV and snowmobiles, canoes, and kayaks in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter. We went on a UTV ride one day and were treated to some beautiful views. Just a few miles down the road is a short hiking trail leading to Shin Pond Falls and another trail that runs along the Seboeis river which is a beautiful hike. The campground is close to the northern entrances to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument and Baxter State Park which is the major reason why we stayed there. We loved exploring these parks where you have access to beautiful hiking trails and lakes and ponds and is not as crowded as the southern areas. Note that dogs are not allowed in Baxter State Park and there are restrictions on vehicle sizes. The nearest town is Patten (about 15 minutes away) and has a hardware store, gift shop, full-service grocery, fuel, restaurants, and the Lumberman’s Museum.

We were interested in kayaking on ponds and streams in the KAWW or Baxter State Park. Since we have a trailer and our buddies have a RV, we new we could not get into South Branch Pond in BSP. We decided to try Shin Pond Village Campground, a privately owned place in Mt. Chase on the way to the northern entrance of BSP.

The campground is right off Route 159, which is now a scenic by way in the KAWW National Monument. Although our sites were close to the road, there was so little traffic it really didn't matter! Sites were flat and open, with decent privacy for a privately owned campground. There was a really good store and a great diner attached to the main office building. Campfire wood was abundant (and for sale by the campground) and each site had a picnic table, fire ring, and fire place to cook on.

The campground is between upper and lower Shin Ponds, with easy boat access to both. We were about 15 miles from the northern entrance of Baxter State Park (BSP), so we chose to travel to South Branch Pond to spend the day kayaking. A great choice as you can see from the pictures.

Great place to spend time on the lake

I had hoped this campground would be amazing. It was our first camping trip of 2020 (amid COVID19). Sadly, we found it to be horrendously inadequate.

We traveled with family to this campground. We had two "pull-through" sites. These sites are a joke! There are six sites per road. There is literally no where to pull off of the camp road to set up your RV site. The RVs must be set up in the road! The tow vehicle can park off to the side once unhooked but the RVs in the middle sites of the camp road are pinned in. This could potentially be dangerous if there ever was an emergency!

If that's not bad enough, the sites are SUPER unlevel. Notice the photo in my review. We had to use so many leveling blocks to assist our auto-leveling system!!

The "pull-through" sites are literally on a hill. The sites small and there is no privacy from your neighbors. 

When we arrived our sites were not clean at all. There was trash on the ground, as well as dog feces, and the grass was very tall. 

Lastly, the dump station for the campground is on the side of the public roadway, at the entrance of the park….which is on the top of a huge hill. 

The surrounding area is beautiful! We will certainly go back to the area but we will find a better campground the next time.

We will not return to this campground.

Beautiful riverfront campsite (Site 21). The staff was very friendly and helpful. There is not access to the river from this site, there is a 10 foot drop, so toddler and dog parents beware.