Best RV Parks & Resorts near Frenchtown, ME

Lily Bay State Park is a great facility.  Most of their sites offer shade.  While the sites do not provide RV hookup ability, there is a dump station on site.  The tenting only sites are premier locations; large and generously spaced.  Almost all of the campsites are spaced well, with screening between them.  The facilities are well maintained.   This was real pleasure to visit in leaf peeping season!

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.

Nice large, level site with water and electric hookups. Large, clean shared bathrooms with good water pressure.

Loads of amenities - general store with basic supplies, tons of activities for kids, pool, atv trail access and walking trails.

Was here in the fall. Campground was quiet and there were no crowds for the bathroom. Very enjoyable.

The sites are good size, roomier than most rv parking lots as I call them.they have planted some evergreens so in s few yrs they’ll be some trees, but the way the spots are placed makes u not on top of your neighbor. The premiums are better. Beautiful new bathrooms with beautiful showers that are for male or female, which i loved, also had the handicapped and elderly in mind building the showers. I went it mid Oct so there were no crowds but they had a beautiful pool that was closed, newer laundry and never had to add more money to the dryers, lots of amenities for the kids and the pond was on property but I did not get to fish because the weather had taken a bad turn. I would stay here again in a heartbeat. We were trying to find moose and did not succeed but saw deer a few times, a red Fox, a grouse, turkey, a great blue heron and numerous ducks so wildlife is around. I thought the prices were reasonable

Campground Review

I headed to the Millinocket area because I wanted to explore the new Katahdin Woods & Waters (KWW)National Monument, Baxter SP, ponds and byways. Staying at Wilderness Edge proved to be an ideal location with full amenities. It’s convenient to each of these areas without requiring an extensive drive to any of them. My visit was very early in the season ( late May/early June) and the trails to peaks at Baxter state Park were still closed, so it was quiet. The sites are in two sections, with tenters up the hill in an area I did not have time to explore, and a lower section with hookups for RVs. The RV sites offer electrical and water. The location of the hookups is somewhat unusual and inconsistent. My site had the connections on the right side of my camper once I had backed it in, so I had to be careful about placement or have longer cords. It then made sense why Marcel explained that some campers like to park parallel to the camp road to create some privacy,

My site (6) was large and level, backing up to the woods and with trees between the sites providing some privacy. There were no sites directly opposite mine as the loop road turned and went up a hill. The very clean bathrooms are up the hill, providing free hot showers and also a dishwashing sink.

There’s a small camp store with a selection of necessities, just in case you need a map or forgot a backpack, etc. They’ll deliver firewood to your site. There was wi-fi available, strongest near the bathroom, but I had more than adequate cell phone coverage (Verizon) at my site, that I did not need to use the wifi. There’s a pool and a play area near the entrance.

This is not a campground packed with seasonal sites; they only have 2 seasonal campers. Instead, the campground fills with families, singles, couples, looking for a quiet camp setting with amenities. The amenities do come at a price, costing more than other campgrounds, but also providing more.

If you want to explore, the Discover Katahdin app is great for identifying hikes or paddles, etc. so be sure to install it to help with your planning. It’s also worth stopping by the Moose Prints Gallery in Millinocket. Anita provided some excellent suggestions for wildlife watching and paddling. If you’d like a guide, Marcel is happy to offer small tours.

In town there are a variety of shops, including groceries, dollar stores, and hardware.

Product Review: GCI Outdoors Compact Camp Table 20

As a ranger with The Dyrt I sometimes get to test and review camping equipment. On this trip, I was able to review the GCI Outdoors Compact Camp Table 20 (it also comes in a larger, 25” size). This is a great little table with telescoping legs (love the squeeze mechanism to get them to collapse), giving you two height options while occupying very small space in your vehicle while traveling. You may find yourself using it for more than just camping (I saw one in a picture of a recent tailgate party). It’s aluminum top allows you to place a hot pot on it. It can handle a substantial weight and doesn’t feel wiggly. It’s great for dinner by the campfire!

Lily Bay is located nine miles north of the town of Greenville and in one of the best regions to explore Maine’s wilderness. The park sits on the shoreline of Moosehead Lake and provides plenty of outdoor activities. There is a nice, fairly short (2-3 mile) hiking trail along the shoreline and through the woods and there are many other great mountain hiking trails in the area (like#4 Mountain and Whitecap Mountain). Two boat launches are adequate to launch trailered boats and great for kayaks and canoes. There are floating docks so you can leave your boat in the water during your stay. Other amenities include a swim beach and playground. Ice and firewood are available at the gatehouse which is convenient because there is not too much immediately surrounding the park. Grocery, gas, restaurants, etc. are located about 10 miles away in the town of Greenville. 

All sites are primitive with no water or electricity with water spigots and vault toilets scattered throughout. The park is divided into two loops with a “comfort station” that is a bathhouse with toilets and free hot showers (located between the two loops). It is a bit far to walk to from campsites but there is parking in front of the building. A dishwashing sink is located at the comfort station which is handy. There is a dump station with potable water and non-potable water to flush your tanks before you leave but there is only one sewer outlet so it gets pretty busy when there are a lot of check-outs on Sunday morning so you may have a bit of a wait to dump. The campground is heavily treed and gets pretty dark so a flashlight or headlamp is a good thing to bring along. 

This campground is pretty quiet with spacious sites are spacious and lots of trees for privacy and shade. The campground has walk-in tent sites and other drive-in sites suitable for RVs and tents. Generators are allowed so if you are tenting you may want to book a walk-in site away from where RVs park. The best sites are those right on the water which provide superb views of Moosehead Lake. While most of the RV tent sites are long enough to fit big-rigs, beware that park staff does very little in the way to trim trees along the roads and at the sites and you will scratch your rig navigating around the loops. The road to, and inside, the park was recently paved and are smooth and easily traversed. 

Lily Bay is a nice quiet place to hang out, fish, paddle and enjoy the surrounding trails. Nearby is the B-52 Memorial Crash site being an interesting place to visit. Kokadjo is the closest town to the north and has a general store/deli so you can pick up something to eat on your way to exploring the beautiful Maine north woods. Rum Pond is a nice place to hike if you are interested in seeing moose. We saw tons of droppings along the trail and finally saw a beautiful bull moose in one of the ponds.  The second weekend in September is the International Seaplane Fly-in in Greenville which is a wonderful event attracting hundreds of seaplanes.

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.

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.

 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 enjoy our weeks on Moosehead Lake. Lily Bay Campground has spacious and wooded. The staff is very helpful and friendly. There is a beach and a playground. A clean shower and flush toilet facility. The sites have pit toilets that are plentiful and well maintained. Pets are welcomed. There is a boat launch and if you get a water site you can launch your canoe or kayak from there. The hosts clean the sites after check out so they are clean and ready for the next guests. There are no hookups, electric or water on site. Water is available at faucets every few sites. There is a dump station and there is potable water to fill you fresh water tank there. Plenty of hiking, fishing opportunities. You can take a short ride to Greenville for shopping, restaurants, laundry and a hospital. We are Mainers, but Lily Bay always feels like getting away.

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.

We are a full-time traveling family (2 kids - 8 & 13) and 2 English Bulldogs. We have a Class A motorhome and flat tow a Jeep. We stayed here in June for 11 nights in site B6 and loved it! Owners Matt & Jamie are wonderful and we left feeling like we had stayed at a friend's place. Our site was great because we could see the kids at the playground and the pool, but there were many great sites a bit more tucked away as well. The kids also loved the Saturday night movie they would play on the big screen as well as the movie rental options available for personal use while there. We did not use the ATV trails that are directly off the campground, but they were great! We did, however, rent an ATV from Northwoods Outfitters in Greenville (just 20 minutes away) and it was our favorite activity yet! 

The campground is within 20 minutes drive or so to Hannaford grocery and there is a great little market, Whitney's Market, even closer in Guilford. Greenville is also about 20 minutes away and is a wonderful little town to visit with great restaurants and boating/ATVing options. 

Highly recommend visiting Central Maine and definitely stay at Balsam Woods!

Wife and I had an amazing time at this super quite and beautiful lake. They have nice cabins for rent, or great tent sites. They offer boat/canoe/kayak rentals along with having a store that has the essentials. Each site has a potable water hook up. Baxter State park hiking trails are a quick hike away.

We have loved Katahdin Iron Works for a long time, it really is how camping should be. No hookups/power/water. Bring everything in and bring everything back out with you. There are outhouses near the pleasant river sites. Last time we were up there the rule was no units over 44' total with truck and camper. These sites really are best for tents or very small campers.

There are a few sites in the East Branch Pleasant River camping area within the Ki Jo Mary multi-use forest. After passing Little Jo Mary and before you reach Gauntlet falls, there’s a fork in the road and a few of these sites down each branch. EB1 is parallel to the road, large enough to handle a truck camper or small trailer easily as well as multiple tents. EB2 is tucked away off the road providing a little more privacy and shade. Sites have a vault toilet available. EBP4 has a small shelter. They are between the Little Jo Mary Pond campsites and Gauntlet Falls, with a river running behind them. Site are relatively level Fire pit and picnic table provided. Bring your own water or plan to treat it.

This is accessible from the Jo Mary checkpoint. Fees are higher for out of state campers. Firewood available at the checkpoind. Midweek in August only one of these sites was occupied. Plan to arrive before 9pm to avoid having to pay a higher fee for access. Look out for the logging trucks! They move fast and have the right of way. The main roads seemed to be maintained pretty well. A grader was out and about when I was there.

Gauntlet falls has a nice swimming hole and there are several ponds nearby for car-top boats and fishing.