LegendMatagamon Wilderness
Great location Near Baxter State Park
The location of this campground is great! It is situated on the East Branch of the Penobscot River and just one and a half miles from the north entrance to Baxter State Park and very close to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. If you are looking for a great place to stay in the northern Maine wilderness with great access to amazing hiking, fishing, canoeing, and hunting, this is the place for you. Matagamon Wilderness is a mix of campsites and cabins with a general store, restaurant, gas station and guide service. The staff are very friendly and extremely helpful and gave us lots of tips on fishing and places to hike. The campground is small at just over 30+ Sites which are a mix of sizes from small ones suitable for vans or tent to those that can handle bigger RVs. Sites are spread throughout the property and very rustic in their feel. Campsites along the water are the best with great views and easy water access right out your door. Other are set back and have a great sense of privacy. Campsites have picnic tables and fire pits. The tent sites have lean-to’s to protect you from the weather. Toilets are vault toilets. If you are looking for “RV Resort” type amenities, you won’t find many as this is a basic campground. There are cabins on the property for those that don’t have an RV or tent. The cabins were recently renovated with equipped kitchens, showers, gas lights, gas heat, wood stoves, and screened porches. The shower facilities had great water pressure with lots of hot water and there is a dump station for RVers. Daily camping rates are affordable at $35/night. Inside the “store” is a restaurant with delicious food and reasonable prices. They have a variety of food items for sale and delicious home-baked bread and cookies. They are famous for their Mount Katahdin Burger– which is three 8-oz angus beef patties, American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and mayo, on a homemade bear bun and served with chips and a pickle. The store also has a great selection of beer, including many from Maine. Another eatery is at Shin Pond Campground which is just a short drive away.
A couple things to note. Cell service is very poor in this area. Our Verizon phone popped in and out of service but mostly it did not pick up a signal so no phone or mobile data. If you are going to Baxter State Park be aware that there are restrictions on vehicles(“no vehicle over nine feet high, seven feet wide, or 22 feet long for a single vehicle or 44 feet long for combined units”) and dogs are strictly prohibited.
