Best Tent Camping near Madison, 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 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!

Room for a few vehicles. Small sandy stream bank, right next to the road. More flat camping tucked in back... possibly a tent site or two.

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

My wife and I stayed for 3 nights in late June. New campground and new owners. Bathrooms and showers were very clean and well maintained, a must on the list for my wife. We stayed at the far end of the campground on the river. Although there had been such little rain it was more of a stream, but non the less nice to stay on the water. I will say those tent sites are every close with very little trees separating the site. When we stayed there was no other tent campers. Ellis pond public beach is fantastic and only 10 minutes or so drive away.

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.

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!

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.

We love everything about this campground and were glad we booked for the whole month of September! The campground opened in May 2022 and is just what the Greenville area of Maine needed– a nice, large campground which is big-rig-friendly, nice amenities, and close to downtown. Everything about this park is very well-done from the layout to the landscaping to the fancy fire pits. 

The owners are super friendly and take great pride in how the campground looks. Moose Creek has just over 100 sites and they are expanding in 2023 to include more RV/tent sites, cabins, and a rental house. The place really deserves the title of “resort” with amenities like a large 25 x 90’ heated swimming pool, 3.5-acre stocked fishing pond with kayaks/paddleboats/canoes, large spacious sites, restaurant and bar with live music on the weekends, nice camp store with clothes, gifts, food and RV supplies, dog park, volleyball/basketball courts, and a playground. 

All campsites and roads are gravel with a mix of pull-thrus and back-ins. All sites have a nice picnic table, large gravel patio and well-placed water/sewer/electric hook-up. There is no cable but many sites have a clear view to the sky so you can pick up satellite or over-the-air channels. The only critism we have is that a handful of sites are sloped and we would not be able to get our 45’ motorhome level, luckily our site (#10) was perfectly level. Our favorite sites are 10 and 17–26 which are back-ins with privacy behind you and nice separation between sites. 

The pavilion and café are the hub of activities and a great place to grab a bite after a long day hiking. The food they offer is not what you would typically find in a campground and much more creative like a smoked trout plate, charcuterie, roasted mesquite Brussel sprouts, and slow roasted pork pile nachos. They also have a full bar and great beer list. In addition to bar seating and plenty of indoor tables there is lots of outdoor seating and propane firepits with comfortable chairs. There is live music on the weekends which draws a great crowd and all the bands played a nice mix of music that seemed to please everyone. 

Prices during the summer season are$55 (for a standard site) and$60 for premium– which is a great price in this region of the country and for a nice campsite with lots of amenities. Monthly discounts are available which drastically reduce the price. Campsites are designed for RV’s but you are permitted to put a tent on any site. All the facilities were super clean and the grounds were very well-maintained. The bathhouse (which was spotless) has six individual rooms with toilets and shower and two are ADA accessible. There is on-site laundry with three washers and three dryers costing $2.00/load. 

One of the great aspects of this park is that they put the pavilion and pool in the front of the campground so the noisy aspects are not smack in the middle of the campground and you don’t have to listen to “Marco Polo” all afternoon at your campsite. Since campsites are located in the back portion of the property, you don’t have any road noise. Another great thing is that the dumpsters and recycling is located at the exit gate so there is no stink and crashing sounds of garbage trucks at 8 am. While the surrounding area is popular for ATVing, they do not permit them in the park which cuts down on noise and dust (there is overflow parking for those units across the street). 

Greenville, Maine is one of our favorite towns. The hiking is great, there are tons of places to paddle and fish, and the fall foliage is spectacular. Downtown is a fun mix of outdoor stores, lakeside restaurants, a couple of museums, and a scenic tour boat that travels up and down Moosehead Lake. In early September, Greenville hosts the International Seaplane Fly-in where planes from all over descend on the lake participating in competitions.

Tiny turn off with spots for a few cars and a few tents. No amenities. Riverbank access

My fiancé and I tented here over the weekend and although it was chilly at night (33F!) we had a blast having water access right from our site and the ability to park within steps of our tent. Bigelow Preserve offers several free first come first serve sites, some of them require a small hike to get in but they all have a fire ring and outhouse which is an excellent amenity for dispersed camping. Overall it was a nice, sandy, fairly level site with access to some hiking trails and AMAZING water and mountain views.