Best Tent Camping near Hinckley, ME

That camping could be so easy and fun! This is my first time actually camping in a tent for fun. (U.S. Army Veteran)The showers are nice and hot, it's quiet here at night, and it's such a chill atmosphere. Thank you guys for making my first camping trip a fun one! First got one night, turned into a week!

I’ll preface this by saying that we got in after dark and left by 10am so this review is limited. First, while being very nice the front desk worker was not very helpful in helping us understand the layout and our best choice for tent camping that night. She was just not very communicative. After some prodding questions that felt like I was pulling teeth, we chose site 1 which was by the beach and the only tent site in that area of the campground. It was mid Sept on a particularly windy and unseasonably cold night. The wind was coming right off the lake which made it particularly hard to set up. Blocking the wind with our car was our only choice. After we got settled in, a nice fire and a little bourbon made it all worthwhile. While not very private because we were right next to an RV (all the RVs were lined up on the waterfront with little space between), it was still quite a lakefront spot. The site included a picnic table, a fire ring and a charcoal grill. Buckets of well seasoned wood were available at the camp store right next to us. It had a nice porch to sit on for the morning sun but unfortunately, that looked the opposite way from the lake toward the dense central campground. The camp store had a nice indoor dining area with views toward the lake that I believe was also closed for the season. All in all, I would recommend this if you’re not very concerned with privacy and want a beautiful lake to camp by.

I recently stayed at the Tiny Cabins of Maine with my family for two nights, opting for their tent camping site. From the moment we arrived, the host's warm welcome made us feel right at home. Despite some distant road noise at night, the overall ambiance was serene and beautiful. The tent camping amenities, including the pop-up toilet and sturdy wooden platform, were thoughtfully provided. The fire pit and picnic table were perfect for evening gatherings, and the hammock added an extra touch of relaxation. We enjoyed the pub's games and even tried our hand at axe throwing. Kayaking in the pond was a highlight, thanks to the convenient dock. While the trails required attention to follow, the directional signs helped. Overall, I highly recommend Tiny Cabins of Maine for a memorable small family retreat, and we're already looking forward to returning in the future.

Northeast Whitewater is a mix of guide service, moose viewing tours, whitewater rafting, and camping. The camping options are yurts and primitive tent camping. There are no RV/Van camping facilities. All camping is walk-in as you can’t drive to your site but most campsites and yurts are not too far away. There are six yurts all with varying configurations, sleeping anywhere from 1-2 people (with king sized bed) up to up to six people (with bunk beds). All yurts have electricity and come equipped with heaters and fans; in addition, pillows, bedding and linens are supplied. Depending on the particular yurt you choose, some have small refrigerators, table and chairs, and nightstands. 

Tent sites are primitive with fire pits and picnic tables. The ground is level and cleared so there is no problem finding a place to put your tent. The sites are fairly close together so you will definitely hear and see your neighbor. There is no water or port-a-potties at camping sites. One bathhouse is located adjacent to the main building and there is a dish washing station located there as well. The bathhouse was clean when we visited (but we were not there during the busy summer season as there are many rafting trips and those customers share the same bathroom). The bathhouse is pretty far away from the camping area which is inconvenient when you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. All yurts and campsite have trash cans located at the site. Each site has a large fire pit and removable cooking grates are available. There are rustic log benches around the fire pits. 

Yurts and campsites are located behind the main building/office but you still get some road noise as Route 6 is a heavily traveled road. As far as amenities, there is a volleyball net and corn holes. A covered pavilion is located between the campsites and the main building and has a few picnic tables underneath. The main building has a gift shop stocked with moose gifts, apparel, snacks, drinks, and an assortment of “camp stuff.” This is also where you can book a moose tour, rafting trip, or inflatable kayaks if you are feeling adventurous. 

The campground is located between the towns of Monson and Greenville. The Monson General Store is a great little store with an assortment of grocery items and makes really good sandwiches and the nearby Lakeshore House Lodge and Pub has the most wonderful pot roast. Greenville has a larger grocery/trading post which has pretty much everything you need from shoes to lettuce. Hiking in the area is great! You can pick up the Appalachian Trail or head to Little Wilson Falls for a nice, wooded walk along a stream to a pretty waterfall. Borestone Mountain is nearby and provides amazing views.

Jake from the Dyrt here!  This smaller campground offers great privacy on a large pond in the Maine forests.  They recently added a tent site alongside the cabins for those looking to bring their tents into this awesome location!  Make sure to post some pictures on the Dyrt when you stay there!

Advertised tent camping….No Vans not allowed in non electrical sites or 20 amp sites. Parts look like a homeless encampment, others look like a junk yard. When we found the owner he was unknowledgeable and rude.

We've stayed at Duck Puddle several times over the years. The sites have always been tidy and staff friendly. Tent sites are close together but comfortable and the location is very convenient to Damriscotta and other downeast towns.

lots of great amenities and events for kids. tent sites are on top of each other, but easy walk to camp store and bath houses. beach access for swimming in the lake. can be noisy outside of quiet hours, but becomes surprisingly quiet later at night.

Really loved the scenery....canoe around the lake, visit 1Big Sustainable island. Lot of tent sites on the water, we had #24, with loud family of 6 children 10’ away. Friday night 3am train is loud. Sunrise on the water beautiful, which gives this site an extra star

We love the fresh water and BonFires. there is a playground and a common eating area. the kids feel like they are at summer camp while here. the sites are not very private but there are showers and toilets. the tent sites are private and have water/electric. there are RV sites which are private, but those fill up fast, most rv sites are on a gravel pad area with no privacy.

Truly nice folks who built this campground 39 years ago, still run it. Well maintained and full of nice folks. Mostly rv camping with some tent sites. A lot of seasonal rv occupants. Great for families with children but nice for all folks. Two bath areas and a laundry room. Free baths and inexpensive laundry prices. There must be many atv trails nearby as plenty of campers had theirs up and running. About 12 miles south of a point on the AT so plenty of hiking nearby as well. Lots of planned activities and live entertainment on Saturday night. A warm community environment.

The sites here are nicely wooded and have a decent amount of separation between most of them BUT the campground is located too close to the road and, with the exception of sites 84-87 and cabins 8-10, you will hear road noise in your site. Options are 10 rustic cabins, tent sites, partial and FHU sites. 

The bathhouse was very clean and there are both outdoor and indoor showers; both looked nice although we did not use them. 

I thought $50 for a tent site was a little steep but it was all the potential extra fees that irked me:

*$30 site lock to ensure you get the site you want when you reserve. I took a chance and was able to get the site I reserved without paying this fee

*$4 weather guarantee (allows you to cancel due to inclement weather). I didn’t bother with this one

*7.95 if you need to hook up to WiFi. We were able to use our own portable WiFi

*$10 to use the dump station (we found another place that charged $5) 

Aside from the fees and proximity to the road, this is a nice campground with a host of amenities: pool (which I was surprised was still open on October 1), horseshoes, laundry, dishwashing sink, a playground, and trash pick-up at your site. There is also a path to the shore with picnic tables, and chairs. Repairs to the sea wall are in progress so caution was recommended.

Beaver Brook in Monmouth Maine is a must stay if you have kids from babies to teens. Our family has been going annually for the last five years. We meet up with a couple Moms and their children who we don’t get to see too often and make it a “girls and kids” trip and have a blast making memories and gives us moms a well deserved break. This year we opted for a small group site with a centrally located fire pit and spent our days in the lake, pool, or just hanging out while our kids (ranging from 8-12) rode their bikes, made friends at the playground or participated in the activities that the camp had to offer. Sites are all big with plenty of room between the sites for the perfect amount of privacy. Hook ups for water/electric/sewer but also tons of tent sites too. Staff is friendly and helpful, kids loved the big red and blue slides at the pool, restaurant, ice cream and store all in the same area.

For parents; live entertainment with local bands on Saturday nights, an adult only swim nightly. (Playground is close enough to the pool to actually enjoy this while listening to my kids play), candy bar bingo (where you can play bingo WITH your kids and was quite fun) and just a nice atmosphere all around between all the other families there.

Will definitely be back next year!

This is a small privately owned campground located at the confluence of the Kennebec and the Wesserunsett Rivers just a few minutes from downtown Skowhegan. Campers are a mix of seasonals and transients with sites varying from pull-thru, back-in, tent and one rental cabin. 

We had a long pull-thru site that was located under pine trees which provided welcomed shade since the temperatures were in the high 80’s. The first site we were assigned was in the direct sun so we asked to move to a shady site and they were very accommodating. Some of the RV sites are located parallel to the river so your patio is open to the river and you have an unobstructed water view. However, these sites are fairly short and would not accommodate larger RVs. All other sites are pretty close to each other without much privacy between them. RV sites have cable with 70+ channels. There are a handful of tent sites at the far end of the campground set off on their own and right along the river. The only downside is that they are pretty far away from the bathrooms. The restrooms and laundry were spotless and cleaned daily. 

There is a small playground and a nice swimming pool which was clean and had lots of chairs around it for relaxing. There is a nice dock along the river where you can tie up boats and launch a kayak or canoe. One of the nice features is that they offer free use of their canoes/kayaks/peddle boats. You reserve a 2-hour time slot, and they provide you with the paddles and life jackets. There is a game room/arcade for kids to hang out in and there is a pavilion that is open to the public for gathering. One of the downsides is the loud road noise from Route 2. The other thing we didn’t like was that our patio was a mix and sand and dirt which made for a mess in the RV and not a great place for our dog to lay in. We paid$59/night for our full hook-up site which seems a little high for the area, but it was a full hookup site with cable and (pretty poor Wi-Fi). 

Overall, we liked this campground and it was a good three-night stay for us as we were traveling through Maine. Downtown is interesting with restored historic buildings housing antique shops, artisan galleries, and restaurants. There is a grist mill and restaurant located in an old jail that sells a wide variety of grains and other Maine-made products. We especially loved the Bankery which is a bakery located in an old bank. Just outside of town is Bigelow Brewery which we recommend visiting. There are a few nature preserves in the area that offer hiking if you are looking for a nice short walk in the woods.