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Best Tent Camping near Houlton, ME

41 Reviews

The forested wilderness surrounding Houlton, Maine offers tent campers several established options within driving distance. Lunksoos Campground in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument provides dedicated walk-in tent sites along the East Branch of the Penobscot River. Approximately 70 miles northwest of Houlton, Trout Brook Farm Campground in Baxter State Park offers tent-only camping in a serene setting with mountain views, operating seasonally from early June through mid-October.

Tent-only sites at Lunksoos Campground include seven walk-in locations, with two group sites featuring tent platforms and parking nearby. The remaining five sites form a small loop through wooded terrain, including one accessible site. Basic amenities include vault toilets, bear boxes, picnic tables, and fire rings. No potable water is available, so campers must bring their own or treat water from natural sources. Roads accessing these primitive tent camping areas may be rough and occasionally used by logging trucks. Trout Brook Farm provides similar basic facilities with the addition of canoe rentals for lake access.

According to reviews, tent campers at Lunksoos appreciate the quiet setting compared to nearby campgrounds that allow RVs. One visitor noted that "midweek in August, only one site was occupied," highlighting the solitude available at this backcountry tent camping location. For longer stays or weekend visits, reservations through Recreation.gov are recommended, though single-night stays operate on a first-come, first-served basis. At Trout Brook Farm, campers report beautiful surroundings with "open grasslands on the edge of a forest ringed by mountains." Wildlife encounters are common at both locations, with visitors reporting bear activity near Lunksoos and raccoons at Trout Brook Farm. Proper food storage is essential at these primitive tent campgrounds, with visitors advised to use provided bear boxes or hang food supplies.

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Best Tent Sites Near Houlton, Maine (2)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Houlton, ME

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Tent Camping Reviews near Houlton, ME

41 Reviews of 2 Houlton Campgrounds

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2021

    Lunksoos Campground — Katahdin Woods And Waters National Monument

    Brand new tent campground near the river

    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!

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 14, 2019

    Sandbank Stream — Katahdin Woods And Waters National Monument

    Wilderness camping in a new national monument

    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

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 31, 2021

    Arndt's Aroostook River Lodge & Campground

    huge grassy sites

    I stayed here for 4 nights and enjoyed the Crown of Maine balloon fest, geocaching, fishing, and exploring. This is primarily an RV park, although there is a section dedicated to tent camping. There are HUGE, level, terraced sites stretching up the hill. My site(74) was so large that there could have been 4 vehicles with teardrops and had space left over; others used their space for RVs or There’s a picnic table and fire ring. Verizon cell service was good; wifi is available near the camp office/store. 

    Clare was quickly responsive to emails and friendly.

    Hookups are either water/electric or water/electric/sewer. If you need to use the dump station, there’s a charge for that. It’s located just across from the office and can make for tight entry if someone is dumping while you’re arriving. Many of the sites are pull-through, which means the hook-up location is not an issue, but for the back-in sites on the hill, the hookups are on the ‘wrong’ side. You’ll either need to pull straight in(for many rigs, it looked like that was doable, or run the cords under the trailer. 

    A centralized bath house offers clean showers and flush toilets. Tent sites separated from the RV sites, some up a hill with a combination of small shaded sizes tucked into the woods and an open grassy area for ones farthest up the hill, but there are a few sites(4-8) are all wooded. Site 12 is a small bunkhouse. 

    Shade was at a premium. The small tree at the back of my site afforded minimal shade; I sat on the shady side of my teardrop for some relief from the 90+ temps. The pool was closed for renovation. Laundry is available; you need to stay in the laundry room while it's in progress. A game room is also available with ping pong and foosball.

    The Aroostook river was down the hill and across the street. Swimming, kayaking, canoeing, ATVing, fishing, biking, and hunting are all activities to keep you busy. Don’t have a canoe or kayak? They’re available for rental at the campground. They can also provide a shuttle. If you’re preference runs to golf, there’s an 18-hole course next door. A number of the sites near the top of the hill are seasonal; they are clean and neat. 

    The hilltop location provides a great view of the sky, but you will experience some light pollution from RVers who are fans of rope lights and other lighting and don’t necessarily turn them off at night. The moon hadn’t risen yet, but I didn’t need a flashlight to make my way to the bathroom at night.

    Cabins are available for year round rental, both at the campground and more remote locations.

  • Gary G.
    Oct. 1, 2016

    Shin Pond Village Campground

    Great basecamp for accessing the new Katahdin Woods and Water National Monument and Baxter State Park

    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.

  • Truthseeker C.
    Aug. 16, 2022

    Houlton/Canandian Border KOA

    Great getaway, cannot wait to go back.

    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.

  • J B.
    Sep. 8, 2020

    Birch Point Lodge Campground and Cottage Resort

    Pull-through sites are a joke!

    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.

  • Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 20, 2021

    Arndt's Aroostook River Lodge & Campground

    Very Nice, Pleasant Park

    There are not many camping options in this area of Maine, but that’s o.k. because this is a nice one and we had a pleasant week there. Campsites have very nice grassy patios and ours was super spacious because we were on the end and there was a nice tree that provided shade. One of the pluses of this campground are the walking trails that are adjacent to the park. There is also a mowed path down to the Aroostook River which is across the street from the campground but when we were there the water level was extremely low.

    Campsites sits on top of a hill and there is a tight winding road that you must navigate to get up there. We were able to navigate it with our 45’ RV and tow car but we had to go slow and take up the whole road. Some campsites are side by side facing the wrong way with shared patios (i.e.,“buddy sites”) but there was enough space between them so you didn’t feel like you were sitting on top of each other. These buddy sites are ideal if you are traveling with friends.  Our site was close to our neighbor but since their RV faced the opposite way our their patio was on the other side and didn't bother us.  Seasonal campers make up about 50% of the park but most just come on weekends so the weekdays were pretty quiet. It appeared that they kept the transient campers in together and seasonals together. Some of the sewer connections are not conveniently located so you may need extra sewer hose. Luckily, our pull thru site was long enough that we could maneuver around to get close to the sewer without needing an extension.

    The campground is close to town which is a bonus. There are hiking trails nearby that have some great views from atop. We liked Haystack Mountain which is just a short 10-15 minute walk to the top of the mountain with great views. The countryside is pretty to drive around and we found a huge field of blooming sunflowers that were stunning. There is a farmers market downtown that had lots of great produce and baked goods. This area is known for their potato industry so roadside stands selling 5 lbs. sacks were everywhere.

    Overall, we really liked this park and its location. The price was great at$240/week for 50 amp full hook-up. Can’t say enough about how nice the grass and our site were. So many times patios are dusty, sandy, or hard gravel but this one was lush and nice and we really enjoyed sitting outside. There is actually more to do in the area than we expected and may be back some day.

  • Kasey M.
    Oct. 1, 2020

    Houlton/Canandian Border KOA

    Quaint but adorable

    The hosts, who just recently bought this campground are very kind and accommodating. It will eventually be a KOA.

    We came in the fall, and the foliage was beautiful. There are many little areas to walk and explore in the campground.

    We have a TT and our campsite had wifi, a fire ring, and full hookups. We have kids so we opted for a site close enough to watch them play on the playground.

    The pull-through sites are long and have trees in between and around so still gives a feeling of privacy.

  • Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 29, 2021

    Shin Pond Village Campground

    Good experience after our RV had to be pulled out of the mud.

    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.

Guide to Houlton

Tent camping opportunities near Houlton, Maine extend beyond the immediate town limits, with several wilderness-focused sites available for adventurous campers willing to drive. Most campgrounds in this northeastern Maine region operate seasonally from late spring through early fall due to harsh winter conditions. The area sits at approximately 400 feet elevation and serves as a gateway to Maine's remote North Woods region.

What to do

Canoe access lakes: Trout Brook Farm Campground rents canoes for $1 per hour, providing affordable access to nearby waters. "The campground has canoes available to rent for $1 hr with access to a huge lake via half a mile of various streams," notes camper Rafi K.

Junior Ranger programs: Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument offers educational activities for younger visitors. According to Jean C., "There are Junior-Ranger programs, including a Night Explorer one" at Lunksoos Campground, making it an excellent educational opportunity for families.

Wildlife viewing opportunities: The North Woods region provides habitat for diverse wildlife. Jean C. reports, "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!" Campers should bring binoculars and maintain a safe distance from all wildlife.

What campers like

Quiet wilderness setting: Many campers appreciate the lack of crowds at the best tent camping near Houlton, Maine. Angie S. describes Trout Brook Farm Campground as a "nice quiet campground in north Baxter State Park," highlighting its peaceful atmosphere.

Scenic surroundings: The landscape around tent sites near Houlton provides natural beauty. Rafi K. was "blown away by the beauty" of Trout Brook Farm, noting that "the grounds are in wide open grasslands on the edge of a forest and ringed by mountains."

Midweek solitude: For those seeking solitude, weekday visits offer the best opportunity to enjoy camping near Houlton without crowds. Steve P. notes that regulations at Lunksoos have changed: "First-come-first-served only for a single night. Reservations from recreation.gov are recommended for longer stays or on weekends."

What you should know

Reservation requirements: Different campgrounds have varying reservation policies. At Lunksoos Campground, Steve P. advises that "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."

Limited amenities: Most tent camping sites near Houlton offer minimal services. Jean C. advises campers to "Bring potable water or plan to treat it" and notes that "Vault toilets are provided. Sites come with bear boxes, picnic tables, and fire rings."

Road conditions: Access roads to remote camping areas may present challenges. Jean C. warns that when approaching Lunksoos, "You may encounter logging trucks. The road is not in great shape, but passable."

Tips for camping with families

Supply planning: Stock up on essentials before reaching remote camping areas. "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!" advises Jean C. about visiting Lunksoos Campground.

Wildlife precautions: Teach children proper food storage practices. Rafi K. shares a cautionary tale: "My friend left a bag of chips on the table at night, when we woke up the chips where eaten and a raccoon left us a 'present' on the table."

Accessible options: Some campgrounds provide accessible sites for families with mobility needs. Jean C. notes that at Lunksoos, among the five sites on "a small, walk-in loop through the woods; one is an accessible site."

Tips from RVers

Site limitations: Tent camping dominates the options near Houlton with limited RV facilities. Steve P. compares camping options, noting that "If you are tenting this is preferable as Sandbank is open to RV's and is noisier."

Seasonal planning: RV travelers should note operating seasons when planning trips to tent camping areas around Houlton. Most campgrounds in the region close by mid-October due to weather conditions and reopen in late spring or early June.

Group accommodations: Some sites provide specialized group facilities. Jean C. notes that at Lunksoos, "Two group sites allow nearby parking and provide tent platforms" which could accommodate multiple families traveling together with different shelter options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Houlton, ME?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Houlton, ME is Lunksoos Campground — Katahdin Woods And Waters National Monument with a 4-star rating from 3 reviews.

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