Best Dispersed Camping near Gilead, ME

Recent Dispersed Reviews in Gilead

60 Reviews of 16 Gilead Campgrounds

• 

  Kt

  Scout

  

  Oct. 28, 2024

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Great spot. Watch put for officer rowe!!!

  Great spot w an exception of local officer Rowe. Comes to site unannounced or invited then fabricates the visit.

  Other than that it's wonderful. Some really amazing river sites. Moose pond at top left fork has reception as well as lower gate.

• 

  RebornBeast 9.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 9, 2024

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Amazing campsite

  Had everything we needed

• 

  Nickolas H.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 5, 2024

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Great dispersed sites

  Great sites. Some right.on water. First come first serve, can get busy.

• 

  Kevin C.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 19, 2024

  Cherry Mountain Road Dispersed

  Super quiet and lots of privacy

  Came into the area after 7 PM on a Tuesday and found several open sites. We stayed one night in campsite 9. This site is about 90 yards from the fire tower trailhead.

  Site #9 goes back about 70 to 80 feet back off the road. There appears to have been a longer site, but the Forest Service placed boulders blacking vehicles from going further. Just past the boulders is a large fire circle with room for 6 to 8 campers to sit around the fire.

  We were able to collect sunlight onto our solar panel from the site.

  The camp site are all disbursed enough that we did not hear any other camping sounds at all. It was so quiet I could hear the sound of crow wings flapping as they flew by.

  We enjoyed a spectacular view of the Blood Super Moon from the campsite. Overall the site was open to the sky nea3 the road yet protected from the wind.

  The only downside was the lack of any other amenities. As far as disbursed camping in the national forest, this place is not a decent unpaved road and our campsite was only about 3 miles from the highway.

• 

  Kevin C.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 12, 2024

  Elbow Pond Road Dispersed Site

  Small campsites/No amenities

  Drove in on a Wednesday afternoon and drove past 4 or 5 sites, which were all occupied.

  Then saw a car ahead that was backing up. Long story short, they were afraid to drive across a dry wash in their new Jeep. No place to get by. Had to back my trailer about a quarter mile, so they could get out.

  Camped in a very small spot, just barely enough room for our SUV and small teardrop to get off the road.

  There was only a 20 foot by 12 foot space to camp jn with no water, no dumpster, no toilet, no view of anything and lots of other campers that appear to be long term residents.

  OK for an overnight stay but not a desirable camping location overall.

• 

  Alexandre R.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2024

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  Awesome campsite

  Great campsite!

  Bear box, food area, water source, cabin, Privy, and platforms.

• B

  Bob G.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 16, 2024

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Good dispersed camping

  The road was not as bad as I anticipated. There was room for my Jeep Grand Cherokee towing a squaredrop camper to pass the very few oncoming vehicles we encountered. There is a good mix of tent and small/medium camper sites. Many of the sites are right on the side of the road. 

  We went to the end of Town Hall Road and camped at the last site before you leave the WMNF. It was a very spacious site, set back from the road, a little bumpy getting into it.

• S

  SomadNomad M.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 14, 2024

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  no entry

  no entry 🚫

• 

  Josie W.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Great location!

  We loved this spot. There were plenty of sites to choose from and most (not all) had access to the river as well as a fire ring. Sites were on a dirt road, but it was quiet for the most part. Sites were also a good distance from each other so it felt pretty private. We stayed two nights and at two different sites; enjoyed both. Would love to return here in the future.

• 

  Lisa

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Tripoli Road

  Love Tripoli

  Love everything about Tripoli. 1st come 1st serve. We have out favorite sites but have had to venture out and take other sites often times. No electricity, no showers. Portta potties every so often. Always close enough to walk to. Love the sites on the water. Have been going here for over 10 years. My kids now love it too

• S

  Sean F.

  Guide

  

  May. 7, 2024

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  Has all you need, but busy

  Despite being so remote, one of the busiest back country camps in the Whites.

  Has a nice shelter, spring, privy, platforms, some sites have somewhat of a view of far away mountain tops.

  No space for non-free standing tents. Quite a hike dropping down from the main trail to the campsite, 15-20 min straight up to hike out in the morning

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 28, 2023

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Awesome Boondocking

  Awesome boondocking in New Hampshire, what a treat in the east coast! Just beautiful scenery, with trees, rivers, creeks, hiking trails with a pond- we absolutely loved our time here. 

  Town Hall Rd is a long road with many designated dispersed sites, all far apart from each other and all varying in levelness and size. We got lucky and snagged a perfect spot 2 miles in from the entrance sign- completely level (didn’t even need our leveling blocks) and big enough for our 26ft class c. Each site is different, but there were plenty that could fit a medium sized RV like ours. I wouldn’t recommend a giant 5th wheel or class A to come here looking for a spot. The road is dirt, but it’s hard packed and smooth, with a few dips and holes here and there. A little narrow but it’s manageable. The downside of a great road is the speeding cars and trucks- very annoying but thankfully there wasn’t much traffic in early October. I’d say more than half the sites were open when we stayed there mid-week. 

   No amenities here, just a rock fire pit to designate that it’s a spot. Please pack out your trash. Zero cell service in this whole area, but some messages popped through while we were hiking. weBoost did not help. Heavily wooded area, so it’s not so great for solar panels and probably not starlink either (we don’t have starlink so I can’t report on that).

• D

  Drew

  Scout

  

  Oct. 28, 2023

  Haystack Road

  Quiet, small, flat spots

  There are 11 options, each completely separated from the others. We were in spot #1 which is nothing at all like the others. It is next to the Highway on a paved fire road. So you can hear traffic. And it is paved (which is good if it’s wet and muddy elsewhere). The other spots looked amazing.

• 

  Stacey L.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 16, 2023

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Love this campsite

  This was such an awesome site. Not a lot of traffic up and down the road, love being right on the creek.

• 

  Justin L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 30, 2023

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Great camping

  We found a really great spot in this area. With a nice fire ring next to the river. Reasonably level spot for our van. Also there is a fun hiking trail just up the road. Camp sites are well spread out. Parking spots are small from what I saw. I don't think anything bigger than a van would be able to fit.

• D

  Dom L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 29, 2023

  Elbow Pond Road Dispersed Site

  Car camping at elbow pond

  This is an awesome spot for camping. They have a couple different spots where you can park and walk up to your site or they have sites you can pull right up next to them. Some of the camping spots have fire pits but not all. Theres a nice pond with great views and good fishing. Some of the sites are close together but there are some that are a good distance apart. The road in is pretty rough and is not recommended for sedans or lower riding cars. Overall this is a great place to camp if you’re looking for free camping spots. Also it is first come first serve

• A

  Amanda

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 25, 2023

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Quick times for finding something close home...

  I am very speechless...in awe....

• 

  A M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 18, 2023

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Best Dispersment Sites I've experienced!!

  Great way they set up the sites! Wish more parks set up their dispersement sites like this!! Great privacy, lots of room, river for the dogs, gorgeous area!!

• 

  Leslie R.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 17, 2023

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Basic sites in a beautiful setting

  Depending on when you arrive, you may have to drive up the road a ways to find a spot, but it is well worth it. It is quiet, peaceful, and free.

• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 6, 2023

  Raven

  Super Impacted

  This site, while in a beautiful spot perched above Cupsuptic Lake, it is so impacted that in the rain it was a literal mud pit. While there was a picnic table to get up off the ground, finding a spot to pitch a tent where water wouldn't puddle would be impossible. We hiked in, but you can paddle into the site just know that the exit/entry to the water is a bit tricky and not as easy as some of the other sites available along the way. 

  There is a large fire pit, also a mess in the down pours. The picnic table is in far better shape here than the one in Eagle Cove (rotting) and Cedar Bay (non-existent). The site is quite small and wouldn't be able to accommodate more than two small tents. I wouldn't make a special trip to stay here.

• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 6, 2023

  Eagle Cove

  Not good in the rain

  We stayed here during a torrential downpour and it was tough to find a spot to pitch the tent that wasn't going to put us in a puddle. The site has very little clear flat area for an established campsite and it took a little bit of strategy to find a spot where we could actually sleep and stay relatively dry given the circumstances.

  This is a waterfront site but there isn't super easy access to the lake, but the view is pretty amazing! There is a rough fire pit that had a stack of wood next to it that was clearly part of an old picnic table. The picnic table that was in the site was, well...let's call it a "living picnic table." It was not in great shape and was actively rotting. We made it work because we had already traveled through the other available sites and they were in worse shape than this one. It did the trick for an evening but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to stay here.

• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 6, 2023

  Smudge Cove

  A Favorite Spot

  This campsite is along the Forest Legacy Trail and while the trail is managed by one entity, the remote campsites are managed by another. The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust maintains the trails in and out while Cupsuptic Campground manages the campsites.

  There is a tent platform at Smudge Cove but it is in desperate need of repair and it sounds like that's in the plans for next summer. There is a nice picnic table available as well as an established fire ring. The site is just off the water and there is a nice long dock that makes it super easy to boat into and unload. You can also backpack in and enjoy some pretty cool Maine forests along the way. There is also relatively easy access to the water by way of the rocks, beside the dock.

  These sites are secluded and offer a lovely amount of privacy and rest assured, the only sounds you will hear at night are the loons!

• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 6, 2023

  Scott C. Devlin Memorial

  Secluded and Quiet

  This is another beautiful site along the CT River Paddler's Trail. It is well maintained and tucked on a knoll in a pine forest. There is a picnic table, fire ring and composting toilet box seat. The takeout is easy to miss if you aren't looking as it sits right in the bend of the river. There is a set of wooden steps that go down into the water at a relatively steep angle. Be sure you tie your boat up while unloading as there is a fair amount of current sweeping around the bend. Use caution moving up and down the steps.

  There is a flat area at the top of the steps where you can tie up your boat for the evening. Follow the path along an electric fence (be careful if you have dogs with you) up into the campsite. There you will find a nice shady spot with plenty of flat space for tents. Beware the ticks! They weren't the worse I've seen, but they are definitely around.

  Aside from the tricky loading and unloading on the water, this site is pretty dang perfect!

• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 6, 2023

  Maine Railroad Trestle

  Nice site along the CT River Paddlers Trail

  While reservations are not required, there is a registration page on the CT River Paddler's Trail Website that they ask folx to complete just so spots don't get overcrowded. 

  There are several sites available here and a really nice rocky beach with easy access fo loading and unloading. It's also a nice spot to fish from. There is a site perched high on the hill where there is a picnic table and fire ring. There is also a spot lower down that is nice and flat and probably better spots for tents. We did have an ATV almost run over us at 1:00 a.m. that scared the dickens out of us. They were clearly unaware and intoxicated, it was a scary moment. But aside from that, it's a wonderful site. If you walk through the campsite, there is a massive cornfield, just beware that the ticks in the field are insane! They weren't bad in the campsite but in the grass, they were epic. There's nice shade available as well.

• 

  GoWhereYouAreDraw N.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 27, 2023

  Rangeley - Stratton Road Camp

  GPS coordinates: 45.004911,-70.578276

  There are three free campsites off Route 16 between Rangeley and Stratton, ME, located on the Dead River. Head northeast out of Rangeley toward Stratton. They are located just after you cross the bridge over the Dead River on the left side of the road. You only need a permit if you plan to have a fire.

• 

  Alex S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 14, 2023

  Town Hall Road Dispersed

  Absolutely perfect!

  We followed directions exactly as listed below. It does take about 10 minutes to reach the campsites but it’s so worth it. We passed up a couple on the left as you first drive in as they were too steep. We found our spot which had some river access and it was gorgeous. It had an above and below spot which hosted our two tents. It was clean, quiet and other campers were friendly as well. I absolutely would stay here again.

• r

  ryan

  Scout

  

  Aug. 13, 2023

  Bull Brook Road: Dispersed Campsite

  Closed

  Closed due to logging