Best RV Parks & Resorts near Jay, ME

We chose to stay at this campground because it was close to downtown Bethel, had river access, and had a full hook-up site for our 45’ RV. Campsites vary from full hook-up pull through to grassy shaded private sites perfect for tent camping. The sites are pretty close together and ours was a buddy site which meant our patio faced our neighbor’s patio. Since the sites were so close, we were practically sitting next to them. Luckily, they were nice people and we enjoyed talking to them. 

Not all sites are level and we found it difficult to get into because of the tight roads and dangling tree limbs. Some of the best sites are unfortunately reserved for work campers. These are pull-ins with a view of a grassy field. The wifi at our site (#21) was horrible and we never used it. There is no cable and we were not able to pick up any over-the-air television channels. The campground is pretty wooded which was nice for the shade but meant we were not able to get satellite reception with our dome mounted receiver. We ended up using our portable receiver and after two days of moving the unit we were finally able to lock into the satellites. 

We selected a 50-amp full hookup pull through site which was $46/night. Our sewer was uphill at our site which is a big pet peeve of ours and super annoying when it comes to empty the tanks. The 50-amp worked well and it was well-placed in the site as was the water. The roads and campsites are gravel and the patios are a mix of gravel and grass. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. The campground is adjacent to a paved walking/biking path that leads to downtown Bethel. We used the path to walk over to the farmers market and found it very convenient to walk our dog. There is also a mowed path through a field that we also liked for walking our dog. 

The best aspect of this campground is the access to the Androscoggin River. The park rents kayaks, canoes, and tubes and has a shuttle service that will take you up river for so you can float back to the campground. We used the campgrounds shuttle livery service to take our kayak and paddleboard up river for a leisurely float down the river so we could enjoy the scenery, have a picnic, and fish. (Since we used our own boats, the coast was cheaper.) The campground offers this service to non-campers which meant there were a lot of people walking through the campground. The bathroom in the campground was old and tired and heavily used by people floating the river which and was pretty dirty. They also have a sluice on the property, where (for a fee) you can get a bucket of mined material and get to sort through it looking for minerals and gems. Whatever you find, you keep. 

The campground is located off Route 2 which is fairly convenient but the road noise was pretty loud as this is a heavily trafficed road. Downtown Bethel is just a few minutes away and has a brewery, grocery, restaurants, shops, and the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum. About five miles away is Sunday River which is a ski area. We took the chair lift up the mountain so we could hike around and take in the beautiful views.  On the way, we stopped at Sunday River Brewery and had a delicious meal and great beer.

I have a love– hate relationship with KOA campgrounds. They tend to be overpriced and not consistent. You will find one that has nice sites at a decent price. Then, there are the others which are complete opposite. This KOA is on my good side.  There are lots of site choices, cabins, yurts, and tent sites to choose from.  The location is good as it is about 10-15 minutes far from the town of Freeport(home to L.L. Bean and tons of outlet stores), the pretty coastal town of South Freeport, four craft breweries and a cidery, and Bradbury Mountain State Park. The owners and work campers are very friendly and the super welcoming. Normally I am not concerned how nice people are but they go out of their way to make sure you get all the discounts you can and put you in a site that you prefer. 

We have stayed here a few times and are always impressed how well-cared for the grounds are and how and clean the common areas, bathrooms, and pool are. The grass is always cut, weeds trimmed, fire pits cleaned and there is no trash lying on the ground. There are lots of seasonal sites but they are in the back portion of the park with the transients being in the front. The park has nice super long 50 amp FHU pull-thrus in the front of the park which will fit any length RV and tow vehicle. Some of these sites are “buddy” sites with a shared patio, but are so wide that even if you don’t know your neighbors, it would not be a bother because you are far enough apart. The only downside to these pull thrus is there is no shade. We tend to be there in cooler months so shade is not a problem. However, the rest of the campground has a very park-like feel with over 50 acres there is plenty of room to roam and even a short nature trail through a wooded area. Many sites backup against the woods or are in wooded areas so keep that in mind when making your reservation. We give this park two thumbs up for their dog park which is ten times the size of the average KOA dog park. My lab had plenty of room to run and chase a ball and there were never any other dogs there which was nice. Plus, it was clean and free of dog poop! Normally, there are plenty of activities like s’mores by the fire, crafts, pony rides (yes, they have their own ponies on site), ice cream social, hay rides but this year they were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We don’t use those amenities anyway so that wasn’t a problem but can see that would be fun activities for kids. We were in a buddy sites with our friends and liked the shared patio. Since we were in the open area, we were able to get both satellite with our roof-mounted dome and some over-the-air channels from Portland which is about 45 minutes away. All of our hook-ups were in an accessible place but we were also in a long pull thru and could position the RV in the site accordingly. 

Some of the cons for this park are the lack of cable, so-so wifi, and the dusty gravel roads and pot holes. There are a few restrooms buildings scattered around the park which may not be close depending on what site you are in.

We decided to visit this campground on their “clean-up” weekend. In return for volunteering we would get free food and a campsite for the weekend. That sounded like a pretty good deal for us and turned out to be a great experience and we loved the campground. The reasons we loved the campground so much was because it was on a gorgeous 630-acre working farm (Wolfe’s Neck Farm) nestled into Casco Bay. The grounds are beautiful and just five miles from downtown Freeport (home to the L.L. Bean Flagship Store, assorted outlets shops, restaurants, grocery, etc.) and a couple of miles from Wolfe’s Neck State Park.

Overall, this campground is located in an idyllic Maine setting and offers the feel you would expect to find in a state park – hiking trails, water for kayaking/fishing, and some sites with lots of space between them. You have expansive water views of the bay that provide a great backdrop for some of the campsites. But best of all, the campground is located on a working farm so you are free to tour the barns, pet a goat, visit the community garden or buy fresh chicken eggs.  

Roads and sites are gravel and the overwhelming majority are level. Of the 150+ sites, only 20 have water and electric (50 amp). All sites have picnic tables and fire pits. There is no cable or wifi.  Reservations can be made on-line or by phone. Our Verizon 4G phone and hotspot worked well and we got a half dozen antenna channels (including major stations).

The sites vary widely based on size, privacy, water views, and hook-ups. They discourage RV’s larger than 35’ from coming but I am not sure how strict they are on that because they let our 40’ rig in. There are a scattering of large sites (big enough to fit 40’) but the roads are narrow and the substrate can be soft depending on the amount of rainfall. 

While no sites have sewer there is a dump station. However, the dump station is ill-placed and would have been very hard for us to access. Two shower houses (and a laundry) are located on the property and numerous pit toilets are scattered about. Be aware that this campground is very spread out so in some instances sites are far from flush toilets and showers. Water spigots are located throughout the campground. For those without RV’s, there are great little cabins for rent that have gorgeous views, picnic tables, and fire pits.

There is lots to do without even leaving the campground such as taking a hike, visiting the farm animals, attending a lobster bake, there is a playground, you can rent kayaks/canoes/bikes, or fish in the bay.

What we really liked about this campground was being in the picturesque coastal farm setting. We often visited the barn to watch the baby goats and lambs and Spirit was intrigued with the cows. There is plenty of room to walk your dog and enjoy a stroll outdoors.

The proximity to L.L. Bean and downtown Freeport can’t be beat. We especially loved hiking at Wolfe’s Neck State Park and there were plenty of places for Spirit to swim. Casco Bay is amazing for kayaking – just mind the tides.

The not so good things about this park are the lack of sewer and that our patio was in a low, wet spot. Also, some of the water/electric campsites are on very soft substrate which may pose a problem for large RV’s. There are very few flush toilets for this size RV park and I’m sure they are quite crowded in the busy season.

We had a beautiful waterfront campsite (Site 113). The lake is gorgeous. Rocks make direct access to the water from the site difficult, but there is a beach for water access not too far away. The staff was extremely nice and helpful. The only cons: The sites are a little small and do not have any trees between them to shield you from those next to you. It appears that a majority of the tenants who were there during our visit were long term tenants so it has a bit of a different feel than some of the other campgrounds we’ve visited. Also, the road is tight so be prepared to drive close to trees. :) You’re within 30 minutes to White Mountain National Forest, which is gorgeous!

If you're looking for a nice secluded spot a little bit out of the way but not totally in the middle of nowhere, this is a great spot. The campground is 5.5 miles off of state route 113 down a gravel Forest Service road that is well maintained, however the road is gated and not maintained in winter.

The campground is a small USFS run facility with two small loops of sites. One loop has three sites and the other has 9. All sites are nicely shaded and have fire pits and picnic tables. The three sites in the lower loop are all pull through or back in sites. The remaining 9 are a bit elevated and have a small parking area about 20 yards (nice or take) from each site. Some require climbing a small set of stairs to access.

The lower loop's sites are right on the Wild River and are a bit larger than the others. The campground has two sets of vault toilets which are well maintained and odor free (at least in the fall). The campground only had two other sites occupied so it was like we had the place to ourselves.

There is a water spigot available for fresh water and serves as the only running water at the campground. There is a camp host on site that is eager to help and answer questions if needed. Sites are $18/night and there is an "iron ranger" (pay station) at the entrance.

If you're looking for something a little off the main road, this is your spot!

This campground is pretty good location to downtown Freeport which attracts people for this mega shopping experience, especially the L.L. Bean Flagship Store. It is a small, no-frills campground with lots of seasonal campers. We stayed here for one night so we could do some shopping and found that the campground was o.k. for our needs but nothing special. 

The campground is located about two miles from I-295 which is very convenient and is only a five-minute to downtown Freeport. The entire campground has 50-amp full hookups sites that can fit any size RV. The hookups at our site worked well and were well-placed at our site. The campground is kind of rustic in that the roads are gravel/dust with a fair share of pot holes. Sites are gravel with some grass and pretty level. Trees are scattered about campground so some sites are fairly shaded but there are some clear patches if you are trying to get satellite television. There is a small swimming pool, dump station, recreation hall, and laundry which are really the only amenities. This is more of an adult campground with not too much for kids to do (i.e., no playground or basketball courts). Our Verizon phone and hotspot worked well(didn’t check to see if there was wifi since we weren’t at the campground very much during our stay). 

Some of our favorite places to eat in the area are the Maine Beer Company for pizza and beer and Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster for great seafood and a wonderful place to sit outside on the water. Bow Market is great is an awesome small boutique market with great selections of meats, cheeses, wine, and breads. Chocolate lovers should check out Wilbur’s known for their handmade chocolates(I love the chocolate covered espresso beans). Just a short drive from the campground is Portersfield Cider which makes delicious hard cider. If you are in the area and looking for a place to hike, Bradbury State Park is nice.

This is a small state park campground that is popular with mountain bikers. It had recently closed for the season when I stopped by to check it out. Sites are a good size, generally level and most are quite close to the road, so you’ll contend with road traffic. There are a few walk-in tent sites with lean-tos. If you’re looking for some additional privacy and not afraid of a walk, these are the nicest in the park. Within the campground loop there are pit toilets. Near the entrance is a small kitchen and full-service bathrooms. Campfire wood is available for sale on site and they had a wagon to help you transport it back to your site. Picnic tables and fire rings provided.

There are 2 Tentrr sites a short walk into the woods at one end of the loop, farthest from the entrance. These are fully equipped cabin tents, but one had been burned near the stovepipe. In a lot just below the main entrance are group campsites.

Several different trails in the park some leading to a bald summit with views toward the coast. Keep your eyes open for bikes and horses that share the trails. It’s very busy, but the small parking lot does create some limits. You will have to cross the street to reach most of the trails, so you’ll probably want to accompany your kids, though the crossing area is well marked. This site provides some basic trail information

You're only 10 miles from Freeport and its outlets or summer concerts and activities near LLBean and the coast is ready for exploration.

Winter camping is available, contact the park for details. There are enough trails to keep warm snowshoeing and x-c skiing, but no facilities available, so bring water and all you need for the weather.

We spent the second week of May at this lovely campground. It’s a campground in its second year. The owners and the nicest people. There are hookups: water and electric available on some sites. There is a dump station with water. The bathrooms and showers are new and beautiful. There are tent sites under the trees and a little beach along the river. They do have a cabin tent which is fully furnished in the field. This is an equestrian campground as well. Pets are welcomed. There is plenty of areas, caves and hiking trails to explore. There is a diner down the street that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Appalachian Trail runs through this area. We look forward to spending a week here in July. Come and partake of all this beauty in Andover, Maine. Check out their website. They have 30 & 50 amp power available. We were in a pull through site. We really appreciated having hookups!

2022 Oct, we stayed here a week with our 24' TT. Fall foliage was unbelievable throughout the area.

Campsite had a fire ring with grill top, 30amp elec, and potable water. Park facilities included newer showers, flush bathrooms, laundry, boat ramp, trailer parking, docks, beach, kayak and boat rentals, small general store at office.

There are some spots down near the lake and on the right side of the entry rd where larger RV's could fit, other sites would be limited to 24' rig max. Dump station is a single station with non potable water hose at station. Dump station is EZ to get into. There are valt toilets located close to all sites.

Errol NH is a 10 min drive with a great sporting good store, a general store, gas station with Diesel and propane and some restaurants. Walmart is about 20 min away.

We really enjoyed our week here, camp and facilities were clean and well kept.