Best Dispersed Camping near Frenchtown, ME

Dispersed Gravel Pit This is a large mowed area on top of a gravel pit. There are two fire pits but plenty of room for more than two campers. We drove up in our car before bringing our motorhome because we were a little suspicious of the site and didn’t want to get stuck in an inappropriate place. The gravel pit is located in Little Moose Public Lands on North Road. After the intersection of Big Squaw Road, continue on North Road for another half mile and the pit is on your right. The road to the pit is gravel and bumpy but you don’t need a 4-wheel drive or high clearance vehicle. The short road up to the camping area is quite steep with somewhat loose rocks. There are no utilities, potable water, restroom, or garbage facilities so bring the water your need and carry out your trash. (There is a dump station at the nearby Moosehead Family Campground.) 

Basically, it is a wide-open area with two fire pits.  You are permitted to collect downed wood for fires or there are numerous places to purchase bundles in town. The camping area is level and roomy with some pretty views of the surrounding mountains. The best thing about camping here is the easy access to the great hiking in Little Moose Public Lands. Great views are found along the Little Moose Pond Trail for people looking for a decent hike but not too much elevation change (approximately 4.3 miles and 650 feet of elevation change). Or hike up Big Moose Mountain for expansive views of Moosehead Lake and the surrounding mountains (approximately 4.4 and 1,800 feet of elevation change). This campsite is just a few miles from downtown Greenville where you will find a well-stocked large grocery, restaurants, outdoor oufitters, fuel, and a couple of small museums.

There's no fee to camp on Seboeis public lands and you can stay up to 14 days. That said, because it’s free and extended(14-day) stays are permitted, it can be hard to snag a drive-in, lakefront site. I returned on 3 consecutive weekdays and the only drive-in sites were occupied by the same campers. 

There is some slope to the lakefront sites, but there seemed to be relatively level space to pitch a tent. In addition to a couple of drive-in lakefront sites, there is another one where you park on the road and walk down to, also along the waterfront. 

There are two sites in the‘pit,’ and one of those emptied out the first day I visited, but it wasn’t an appealing area. It is very large and flat, however, so if you have a group or a lot of gear, this may be the best option. If you’re in a tent, be sure to bring a groundcloth to protect the tent, a mattress to cushion your sleep. 

The other sites are accessible by boat with parking available near the boat launch, but there’s not extensive parking here, so plan to arrive early to ensure you get a spot on busy weekends. There’s a boat ramp with a small dock. Latrines provide toilet facilities. Cell phone coverage(Verizon) is spotty once you turn off the main road, but you may be able to find a place to send texts; you can definitely text from the main road and get intermittent data.

Activities include boating (can get choppy when it's windy), fishing, hunting, ATV riding.

The campground is open year round, but you’ll need a snowmobile or skis to get in during the winter. The road starts out paved, then switches into a graded gravel road.

This is a small impacted spot along the Dead River along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT). The site is not easily visible from the river and there is a steep bank you have to navigate to unload and pull your canoe or kayak up for the evening. That being said, it is a nice spot to spend an evening.

When we were there, there was a small bench and a few stumps that were nice for seating. The campsite is at the end of an old logging road that you can walk down quite a ways. In the summer months, you will find an abundance of blueberries! 

This is a primitive backcountry site so pack it in, pack it out. And maybe take a few extra pieces of trash with you! There is a large fire ring and a little gravel area we used to cook. There's plenty of flat space for a couple of 2-3 person tents. The stars are beautiful to boot! Definitely bring everything you need with you because there's nothing anywhere around.

This is a moose hot spot. You will find this site just past the bridge off Spencer Bay Road (old logging road) on the right (when coming from the main roads).

Bring boats if you want to see moose. We had kayaks. We stayed here, just to be up early enough to paddle out and wait for moose to show up. We have gone here kayaking from other nearby campsites too. Staying in the actual site was easier than getting ready somewhere else and hoping no one was in the site so we could put our boats in.

Site is first come first serve. You basically drive down a small driveway area, into an open gravel spot with a fire pit. You could bring a very small camper. We just put a tent and parked the car so it blocked the tent view if someone pulled in so their headlights would not be on us. Completely primitive. NO facilities. Nothing fancy. A spot to sleep and get up early for photography (or fishing if that's your thing). Take all your trash with you and bring hand sanitizer/bio-degradable TP/shovel.

Because this IS a hotspot for moose. Locals do come here at dusk and dawn, but hey mostly sit on the sides of the road by the bridge that goes over the bog/water. It's also a popular fishing area - from the road/bridge. Pretty sure certain tours bring people here or tell them to come here to look for moose, but you are WAY more likely to find one if you get in your kayak.

In the two nights we stayed here, we saw 5 moose. Likely the same 2-3 but hard to tell. We saw them at dusk and dawn. You only need to walk your boats about 10 feet to slide them in the water from the camping area. Once in the water, go to the left and it goes around a bend. We always took a short zig zagging trip through the area (it snakes along) slowly and quietly paddling. They show up a lot just past the first left you take (after going left out of the site). if you are really patient you can just sit there. We are a bit stir crazy though and preferred going back and forth slowly to occupy the senses.

Good luck and enjoy!

Another small site at one of the rapids on the Moose River. Depending on the water level and your skill, you can paddle the rapid or line your boat. We chose to line given we were traveling with our dogs. Depending on your plans, this site may be a good stopping point for the day. The site is small and impacted but has a nice picnic table, fire pit and outhouse. It isn’t the best site along the Moose Bow Loop but it fits the bill if you just need a place to sleep for the night and isn’t already occupied.

Note: you need a fire permit in order to have a fire. You can obtain a permit at the Fire Department in the town of Jackman.