Best Cabin Camping near Monhegan, ME

Super comfortable and cozy sleeping cabins in forest setting. Loved all the extras: wood-fire sauna, solar shower, cold plunge, picnic/eating space, outdoor seating spaces, games, fire pit, etc. We played the woodland disc golf course multiple times! Great way to experience the forest and end the day in cozy bed!! Ryan is an amazing host.

We stayed May--October 31 2018 ( spouse is a Travel Nurse) It is a great place to stay, quiet and they have events during holidays ( fireworks, food truck and live music) This is a family owned & operated campground, they are very helpful and accommodating to their long staying RV'ers. Full hookups and they also offer tent campers, and have 1 cabin. Shower house and laundry onsite. There is a pond and also a swimming pool and playground, also a little store in the office.

Your stay at Recompense Campground supports Wolfe’s Neck Farm - a working organic farm and non-profit organization. Wolfe’s Neck Farm is set on 626 acres with four miles of coastline and is the legacy of a local family farming operation. The family donated the land to the community based on their belief in useful preservation and protection of open spaces. The farm is now open to the public, free of charge every day and is committed to continuing and improving upon the long tradition of sustainable agriculture, recreation and education while preserving its open space.

The campground has oceanfront campsites as well as sites nestled in wooded areas. There are RV sites (some with hookups), tent sites, and even three oceanfront cabins. The farm also has a dump station as well as free showers. You can freely roam the farm (or hike in the adjacent Wolfe’s Neck State Park) or rent a kayak/canoe and explore Casco Bay. Definitely a unique experience and great educational opportunities for families with kids!

Such a great place for families. West Bay has a playground, a great shower house, water access, and kayak rentals.

The Maine Island Trail offers 200 islands in which to sea kayak camp and Saddleback Island is one of the many gorgeous options in the Deer Isle Archipelago. The free camping spots and beaches are maintained by the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA), which is a non-profit membership organization. This island is perfect for a few small tents or you can rent the island’s cabin through MITA.

The camping spot is simple and similar to most backcountry sites: a flat space to pitch your small tent, no toilet, no drinking water, no picnic table, and no reservations possible.  But, what this island lacks in “amenities” is made up for in beauty all around! With a deep, rocky shore, it’s the perfect place to make dinner and watch the sunrise or set, all with beautiful views of Mount Desert Island, the home of Acadia National Park.

The closest town is Stonington, which has all the things you will need for an island camping adventure. You can even rent kayaks and nearly all the gear you need at Old Quarry Ocean Adventures.

Things to consider when sea kayak camping in this area:  1) the fog can roll in at any minute so come prepared with a chart, compass, bearings between islands/markers and a marine radio, 2) you are required to use Wag Bags instead of digging a cat hole to dispose of human waste, 3) since all of the islands are first-come, first-served, have a back-up plan for camping on another island, 4) there are no docks, so the islands are not accessible to large boats, 5) you may get awakened by the sound of lobster boats motors, as they start their day pretty darn early; bring ear plugs if you are light sleeper, 6) the tide in this area is significant (9-14 vertical feet), and landing at high tide is nearly impossible on Saddleback (and many other islands), and 7) file a float plan before you go out (Old Quarry Ocean Adventures is the perfect spot to do this, as well as launch and park for a small fee).

Winslow Park is a hidden gem. Not because it's a wilderness camping experience, but because it's a throwback to a time when people would pack a cabin tent or hitch up a camper trailer and take their families to a friendly, safe setting with a variety of old school recreational amenities. Things like swimming and boating. A playground, basketball and volleyball courts. A nature trail and covered group picnic pavilion. A game room where children can play board games and foosball. Opportunities for kids to just run around, toss a ball, bicycle and explore in a safe, sheltered setting. And on Thursday summer evenings, the chance to spread out blankets on a broad grassy green, unpack a picnic supper and enjoy a music concert amidst commanding views of Maine's scenic Casco Bay.

Winslow Park offers a mix of wooded and grassy campsites that accommodate both tent and RV campers. Note however, there are none with water/electric hookups. Basic amenities include a beach, boat ramp, bathroom and shower facilities and a dish washing station. Firewood is available within the park. RV'ers will appreciate the onsite dump station. For those who prefer "glamping", the fully furnished, four bedroom Harb Cottage is available for rent by the week or the month.

If you stay at Winslow, a few things not to be missed: walk or bike past the camping area and follow the main park road into a dense stand of pine. It opens up at Stockbridge Point which features two rocky promontories you can walk out on. This is a stunning place to be at sunset, sunrise or (with the help of a good headlamp) on a starry night. If you bring bicycles, don't miss the opportunity to pedal the 7 or so miles back along Staples Point and South Freeport Roads to US Route 1. There, practically across the street, you can treat yourself to a well-earned frozen confection at Mainely Custard. Biking there means guilt-free indulgence!

Finally, Winslow Park makes an excellent and economical multi-day base of operations for exploring Maine's mid coast region. In addition to L.L. Bean and outlet shopping in downtown Freeport, there are day hiking opportunities of a more wilderness character at nearby Wolfe's Neck State Park and Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary. There's also Portland with its historic Old Port, bustling foodie scene and legendary craft brew culture just 20 miles down the highway to the south, and destination towns like Brunswick, Belfast and Boothbay Harbor within easy drive to the north.

Insider tip: if you're planning a visit in late May or early June, call ahead and inquire about the Browntail Moth situation. It's a noxious nuisance that seems to be peaking along Maine's south/central coast these past few years. For some people it can produce very annoying poison-ivy like symptoms. It's a complete non-issue after June, so either plan your visit for mid to late summer, or consider motels or camping inland if you're visiting Maine earlier in the season.

BF and I wanted a last minute fall weekend getaway in Maine, and ended up at the Augusta-Gardiner KOA. Generally tough to accomplish during leaf-peeping season, but we worked it out. We stayed at site T5, which was wooded but pretty open. Size was decent enough.

Overall, I’d say sites T8, T9, T10 are best if you’re tent camping. While all tent sites are tightly spaced next to one another, these 3 provide the most shade and privacy of the bunch.

Owners are super nice, but the campground could use a little love. Bathrooms and amenities are a little tired. There’s potential though, and some really cute details, like a little fairy house and homemade, bear-carved benches around a KOA-community fire pit, that make the campground endearing. Also, there’s a bunch to do during prime season, particularly for the kiddies- pool, mini-golf, bounce house, playground and space to runaround.

We camped a couple nights here at site 218, it was a slightly obscured water view but it was a beautiful view over a massive field looking out to the farm. The preseason rates were impossible to beat and it is a nice new facility. Running water spickets everywhere, nice flushing outhouses. We rented a kayaks at one point and had a great two hour kayak in a back cove and along the seashore. There were even horseshoe crabs mating on the kayak rental launch. Camp store was okay prices and had some quality options. All in all, great location and cant wait to return.

We’ve loved our stay so far. Freeport is an excellent base of operations for hiking, kayaking, etc. The camp site is quiet, but beware of skunks at night. Also, the website hasn’t been updated - kayak rentals and honey wagon service are both unavailable as listed. HW service is only 1 day per week, so if your tanks are small, be prepared. Getting into spots can be a little tight as well - take it slow, have a spotter and you should be just fine. The spots are gorgeous - ours in particular felt spacious and private. Worth the effort.

A word of caution: there is sand absolutely everywhere. I don’t associate Maine with sandy beaches, so it didn’t occur to me beforehand there would be so much of it (yeah, even at an oceanfront campground.) The pads are comprised mostly of large-grit sand and some gravel. This makes the edges of the pad soft, and can require some extra leveling blocks and effort. The sand will also get everywhere - on your shoes, on your pets’ paws. Bring a broom or two and find your inner peace over it.

Update: OMG, two weeks after our last visit there, the Today Show showed up and held a live show at Sagadahoc Bay! Here is an official clip. Watch the end of this other clip for the correct way to pronounce Sagadahoc LOL)

The owners Pat and Eric are super friendly and accommodating. We have been camping there for three years straight now and look forward to going back each summer.

The most unique feature of this campground happens at low tide when you can walk over a mile out towards the lighthouse on Sequin Island (https://www.seguinisland.org/)..) (You cannot actually reach the lighthouse, mind you.) Plenty of clamming and watching wild life like hermit crabs, crabs, seagulls or your dogs running in joy on the soft clay like surface. The clams there are the sweetest and most delicious I have ever tasted, not to mention freshest. Clamming license, tools for digging and even pots are available at the office. You can order lobster bake and have it delivered to your camp site for dinner. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent, too.

We love the water front sites where you can see the tides come in and out and listen to the waves. On a weekend close to Independence Day, they put on a fireworks show out in the bay at low tide. (Just go to their Facebook page to see pictures.) (Tip: We noticed that the campground cleared out a lot the days after July 4th. Very quiet and possible to go on a last minute camping trip.)

This year we camped there with our dog for the first time and it was delightful to see how much fun he had on the beach, knowing that he was welcome there. Pat even picked a quiet site (#160) for us because we were worried about him barking. And probably because there are many dogs camping there, we never see any raccoon problems at this campground.

Reed State Park (ocean swimming) and Five Islands (great views and seafood) are a short drive away. There is also a country store minutes away where you can get almost anything including hot food.

One word of advice though: It is coastal Maine and there are mean mosquitoes. My all natural bug spray which is usually strong enough for NY bugs is not effective there. So I have to go back to the basic commercial brands like Off which works for hours per spray.

The bath houses are simple but cleaned several times a day. There is no mirror in Bathhouse #2. There is a full length mirror in the toilets side in Bathhouse #1.

We have not taken advantage of that but they also have fully equipped cabins for rent.

If you have kids and dogs, this is a wonderful campground to bring them to. We love, love, love Sagadahoc Bay Campground!

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.

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.

Pictures are deceiving! My two teenagers and I booked site 810 in the west bay for my birthday and we were incredibly disappointed. I’ll skip most of the complaints about the site and staff, and say this site works best of you have a small camper and/or don’t mind not having ANY privacy. 

We had two small tents and two hammocks. We could only hang one hammock because the only trees were too small and over the rocky ledge to the water below. The water view was beautiful, but there is no possible position for privacy from the site to the right or left or behind unless you’re inside your tent. There is a small gravel road directly behind, and an open field with full hook ups behind you. We had large groups of noisy families in the field behind and generators ran much of the time not to mention, if the people in the field want to view the water, they have to sit facing sites like 810, which felt like people were watching us all of the time. We highly recommend NOT staying in the west bay unless you have, or like, lots of young children running around back and forth to the playground. There are also not clear markers between sites, so they were often throwing balls and tumbling in our site. It can also get super windy, so plan ahead in case.

Aside from the site itself, we had some issues with the way the animals were treated in the barn, and with the food at the restaurant. Granted, we went in August during covid, so maybe those things are typically better cared for. We may go back — the surrounding bay is gorgeous — but we’ll def stay in east bay or one of the tent walk in sites if we do. Bring bikes of you can, it’s a nice farm to pedal around and the bike rentals were not available due to covid.

Gear Review

As Rangers for The Dyrt, we often receive gear to review. My husband is passionate about being out on the water in any way possible, and this wetsuit is helping him enjoy being there even when it’s cold, or in this case, in Maine’s frigid gulf waters. While on the coast of Maine this summer, he's been learning how to surf a stand-up paddle board on the wave created during the tide change at Blue Hill Falls. Let's just say, this wetsuit has kept him trying to master it! Enjoy the video below…

What he likes about this product:

• Very comfortable, and very warm, the 4 /3 mil neoprene is soft and thick enough for most days during the summer in the Gulf of Maine.
• Simple design and easy zip-in closure. The zipper is short and easy to access, you don’t need a friend or zipper pull tether to close yourself in.
• Flexible enough to move around and swim in without feeling constrained.
• Reinforced knee pads and chest area which take a beating when surfing.

What could be improved:

• All wetsuits are difficult to get into, and the Siroko is no different. It manages to maximize performance and comfort when wearing it while sacrificing the ease of getting it on your body.
• The cinch helps keep the zippered flap tight against the body, I wish there was an adjustment for the neck gasket, as sometimes a little cold water comes into the front of the suit while swimming.

Product Link: https://www.bodyglove.com/collections/mens-wetsuits/products/16111-blu-siroko-4-3mm-slant-zip-fullsuit

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnvqTGLchw8

Campground Review

What an unbelievably beautiful, comprehensive campground and activity center! The campground is small and quaint and sits right on Webb Cove near Stonington Harbor. Each site is equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, and some lawn chairs…a nice bonus! The bathrooms are clean and showers are nice and hot. There is also a quality dishwashing sink behind the bathrooms. There are also bunkhouses, suites, and bunk rooms for those who want to enjoy the activities without sleeping in a tent.

The grounds are spectacular and well kept, with gorgeous flowering bushes as well as spruce, pine, and hardwoods. Most sites are very private, with just a few that experience walk-by traffic. Three sites are dedicated to RV’s which need water and electrical hook-ups and there are a handful of waterfront sites. Picnicking areas are scattered throughout the campground and down by the waterfront next to the boat ramp. It’s also a great campground to start/end from if you are camping along the Maine Island Trail. Check out our article on Sea Kayak Camping.

In addition to an adorable campground, Captain Bill offers everything from kayak rentals and guided trips to ferry service to Isle au Haut (part of Acadia National Park) to puffin and eco-boat tours to sailing lessons. If it can be done on water or land, this place rents it, guides it, and/or teaches you how to do it.

This campground is located near the quaint village of Stonington which has most things you might need for your camping trip. It also has relatively comprehensive camp store and a small kitchen which will make you everything from lobster to an egg sandwich.

While you can walk-in without a reservation in the off season, this place books up in the summer (July 1 through Labor Day), so reserve early and be sure to get on a guided trip or charter boat tour if you plan to come during the silly season.

Classic Maine oceanfront camping. Decent sized sites and well maintained outhouses, thank you!