Pushaw Lake Campground welcomes pets at its lakefront sites just minutes from Orono. Campers with dogs stay comfortably in tent sites, RV spots, or pet-friendly cabins throughout the campground's May through October season. Bangor Holden KOA maintains a similarly welcoming pet policy with accommodations ranging from tent sites to cabins and yurts, all set on spacious grounds where pets can exercise. Paul Bunyan Campground, Cold River Campground, and Pumpkin Patch RV Resort round out the pet-friendly options in the area, with the latter featuring a dedicated dog exercise area with water and toys large enough for retrievers to chase balls. Most campgrounds require pets to be leashed when outside campers, with typical restrictions including a maximum of 2-3 pets per site and proper cleanup requirements. Parks Pond Campground provides pet-friendly tent and RV sites along with cabins, creating a welcoming environment where pets and their owners can enjoy the outdoors together.
Branch Lake Camping Area offers waterfront camping with pets and convenient kayak storage. Dogs enjoy cooling off in the clean lake waters alongside their owners, with loons and eagles frequently spotted nearby. The small campground store provides basic supplies for pets and people, while evening communal campfires create a pet-friendly social atmosphere. Pumpkin Patch RV Resort, though primarily catering to adults with RVs, maintains well-groomed grounds and spacious sites where pets can comfortably relax. Most campgrounds in the region connect to walking paths suitable for daily pet exercise. Veterinary services are available in Ellsworth and Bangor, with the latter offering full pet supply options at major retailers. Cold River Campground provides seasonal camping from May through October, maintaining clean facilities while accommodating pets in various camping setups including tent sites, RV spots, and cabins. Temperatures vary significantly throughout the camping season, requiring appropriate planning for pet comfort in both warm and cool conditions.
$50 / night
"Stayed Here for one night after picking up a new travel trailer nearby. The staff and campers were all very friendly and welcoming."
"Snowmobile trails behind the campground lead to a walking path that connects the high school and elementary school for a pleasant walk in the woods."
"Beautiful campground close to all the attractions"
"Close to the cross center and the waterfront concerts. Quite"
"Quick walk to bathrooms & showers, which are very clean. Held lots of activities over the weekend, busy crowd. Got a nice secluded tent space."
"My spot was right next to road. I honest didn't notice road threw out the night. Water rentals kayaks etc were very reasonable. Staff was very nice."
"THe all around environment was very welcoming. I will definitely stay again in the future."
"The wind was coming right off the lake which made it particularly hard to set up. Blocking the wind with our car was our only choice."
$30 - $60 / night
"The campsites are primitive (no electricity, water or sewer) and there are no showers on site - there is a pay shower close by outside the park."
"Close proximity to Bar Harbor and a lot of the main attractions of the national park. Showers are just outside of the entrance to the campground, coin operated."
"I couldn't pull in I had to back in yet having the dinette overlooking the lake was nice. Everyone was so nice and helpful. The lake has 26.5 miles perimeter and a maximum depth of 124'."
"Nice peaceful lake view and access. Location was a good 45 min drive from Acadia National Park, longer than we anticipated. Drive got old after a couple days."
"They are mainly open in the evenings but also appear to serve lunch and breakfast on the weekends. The camp store was well stocked also."
"My cousins, my husband and our dog rented a deluxe cabin in September, and it was perfect."
$69 / night
"As a single female - it is QUITE amazing to be able to calm this little piece of peace a joke away from home!"
"This little slice of peace was well worth the drive! My fiancé and I stayed for just one night and spent the entire time hanging out around the fire or lounging inside the A-Frame."
ScoutStayed Here for one night after picking up a new travel trailer nearby. The staff and campers were all very friendly and welcoming. Much of the population consists of seasonal campers with huge RVs and Motor Homes. It’s very adult oriented, super quiet, and super clean. There are nice little walking trails and a small fenced in dog park where dogs can play. Would definitely stay here again if in the area!
Legend**Campground Review: **
Hadley’s Point Campground is located on the north side of Mt Desert Island and just a short distance from Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Hadley’s Point is a large private campground that has tent, water& electric RV, and full hook up sites, as well as Cabins. The campground is broke up in to multiple loops (campground map can be found in my pictures) with some loops in open areas with little shade and sites close together, and other loops have more wooded sites that have some shade and privacy. All style sites include a picnic table and fire ring.
Reservations are site type, not site specific, so a little bit of a gamble. We were assigned site B27 on this visit. This site was partially shade depending on the time of day and very close to our neighbors. Other sites in the B loop did have more trees and more private, but they were full on this stay. Check-in was easy and the staff was very helpful in providing info and answering questions about the area. A host guides you to your site and assist you in positioning if needed.
The bathroom on B-loop does not have showers so we had to hike to other loops to shower. The Bathrooms and showers were very clean. The showers are metered and cost $0.50 per 7 minutes, so don’t forget your quarters!
Firewood and limited supplies were available at the office. There is a full grocery store about 10 minutes away.
We found good cell phone service with Verizon throughout the property. The campground did not have wi-fi.
The campground also has a heated pool, playground, and laundry.
With Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park close by, there is so much to do and see in the area. One of the best benefits of the area is that there is a free shuttle with multiple routes around the island, so you can leave the car and parking hassles behind and just shuttle everywhere. The Shuttle has a stop right on the campground and is dog friendly (on leash and if your dog is friendly).
Speaking of dog friendly, I’ve never been to an area that is so dog friendly. The campground staff was very forthcoming with dog friendly info and I have to mention Bark Harbor in downtown Bar Harbor. Bark Harbor is a pet store that bakes their own treats, has toys and gifts, and tons of info on dog friendly areas on the island. They have pre-printed lists of dog friendly hotels, restaurants, on and off leash hiking trails, and dog parks. Super friendly crew that keyed us into an off leash hiking area that our dogs loved!
Pro Tip: A short ¼ mile walk from the campground is an off leash dog friendly beach that you can also launch your kayak or canoe from or have a sunset beach campfire. We really enjoys this beach after a long day of hiking all around the national park.
With all the outdoor activities of the national park, kayak and boat cruises in the ocean, lobster, lobster, lobster, you’ll need a full week to explore this island. Hadley’s Point made it a perfect place for us to take it all in.
**---------------------------- **
**Product Review: **
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the Morsel Spork. This spork from Morel is very handy to have in your gear list. We are teardrop campers, so our space is limited. Everything has to have a purpose and be compact. Items like the Morsel Spork, that serves multiple functions, fit right into our needs. We purchased both the mini and the XL. Both are the same (spork on one end, spoon/scraper on the other end), but the XL is a little longer. We found this very functional for regular eating from plates or bowls, or eating directly from food packets. I also found the scraper spoon side useful in cleaning out our french press carafe. Easy to clean, easy to use, comes in multiple colors, and happy to have it a part of our camping equipment.
GuideWe stayed at this campground unexpectedly as two places I was looking at would not accept reservations less than 24 hours in advance. They had availability, offered wooded tent spots, and were affordable as some campgrounds anymore are charging an arm and leg to camp. When we arrived, the girls in the office were super sweet. They had the essentials needed if you are in a pinch, a cute gift shop for the Bass Harbor Lighthhouse (bring your lighthouse passport with you to get stamped here), have coffee/muffins in the morning, washrooms were very clean, laundry, dog park, dog run, small rec center, and pool. Tent sites are nicely wooded and spaced out, so you are not on top of one another. Quiet hours are between 10 PM and 7 AM, and it was so nice to camp in peace and quiet with others wanting the same thing. There are homes close by, but they are fenced off and really are out of sight, so it's not really an issue. The Bass Harbor Lighthhouse is literally 500 feet away. We could hear the bouy ding from our campsite. There are two beautiful hiking trails .7 miles away from the campgrounds: Ship Harbor and Wonderland, that bring you to beautiful ocean views. One of the Acadia Park entrances is 5 minutes away. Southwest Harbor is a short ride away to grab an ice cream or a nice dinner. There is a brand new mini golf center further down the road that is amazing!! The Acadia Mountain trail is not far nor is the Cranberry Island Ferry. This was a prime location to see another side of Bar Harbor, see beautiful sites and avoid the crowds of downtown Bar Harbor. So happy I stumbled across this campground by accident. I would highly recommend and will definitely return!
LegendOverall, this is a great little private RV park with awesome views (from some sites) and great access to the ocean. The park is conveniently located just a few miles from downtown Belfast (a sweet little Maine town) which offers plenty to do and see. Plus, you are just five miles from the cute town of Searsport which houses the wonderful Penobscot Marine Museum and two miles from Moose Point State Park with hiking trails, picnic areas, and more gorgeous views.
The park offers a variety of sites (44 total) depending on if you want oceanfront, ocean view, or a pull-thru. All sites have electric (50 or 30 amp), water, cable and wifi. The five pull-thru sites also include sewer. A mobile sewer pump-out service is available for guests staying one week or longer and there is a dump station. Roads and sites are gravel with grass patios and level. All sites have a fire ring and picnic table. Our Verizon 4G phone and Hotspot worked great but we mostly used the free wifi which worked very well.
Park amenities include private ocean access, horseshoes, playground, laundry, showers/bathrooms, free coffee in the morning, free weekend papers delivered to your site, free donuts on Sunday mornings, and a restaurant on-site. The park organizes a lot of group activities including pot lucks, lobster shore dinners, and free wine and beer during Friday Happy Hours. The laundry has two wash machines/dryers and was clean and tidy.
The Moorings is in a great location. It is just a few miles from downtown Belfast where you will find restaurants, a brewery, boutiques, a movie theater, art galleries, historic museums/sites, and plenty of water-related activities. Grocery stores and fuel stations are within a few miles of the RV Park. Just a mere 20 miles away is the popular coastal town of Camden.
What we liked about this park is the town of Belfast and how close the RV park is to downtown. Also, the parks small size and friendly people make this an enjoyable place to stay. We like the fact that they had social activities (like free happy hour and donuts) that bring people together. The ocean access in this park is great! A short set of stairs takes you down to the water which is great for exploring, launching kayaks, and letting the dog run/swim when the tide is out.
The biggest downside for us was the price and lack of sewer and 50 amp at some sites. Our site was $66/night for a FHU (50 amp) pull-thru on the hill in the front of the park without much in the way of a water view. Premier oceanfront sites (with no sewer and 30 amps) are $72/night during high season. That being said, there are not too many options for campgrounds in the Belfast area and we really did like staying here.
From a dog owners perspective this park gets mixed reviews. The rules ask that dogs be on a 4’ or less lease, you may only have two pets (unless you get prior approval), they must do their business in one small area and are not allowed on most grassy areas throughout the park. We make a consorted effort not too let our dog pee or poop in others yards but we don’t always have control over where that happens. We did like the fact that you could take them down to the ocean to play in the water and on the beach when the tide was out. Within two miles of the RV park is Moose Point State Park with a few miles of hiking trails, picnic area and water access (a daily use fee is charged). Downtown Belfast does have a fenced off-leash 1.4 – acre dog park with water for dogs and benches for owners.
GuideMy family and I stayed at this KOA this past week. It was agreat experience! That staff was awesome and over the top accommodating. We had a pull through site with full hook up right across from the on site Lobster Trap Cafe. The site was spacious and comfortable. The whole campground was neat and clean. Staff members pick up trash throughout the day at all of the sites. The Lobster Trap had a good menu, and great customer service. They are mainly open in the evenings but also appear to serve lunch and breakfast on the weekends.
The camp store was well stocked also. There is also an island shuttle bus stop right at the entrance to the campground. There is a gas station and take out restaurant ( Island Take Out) right across from the entrance as well. There was a nice dog park as well. Cell service with AT&T was great. Cell service with T-Mobile was spotty. We did not try the campground wifi. The only down side to the trip was gnats and mosquitos, but that was all over the island and no fault of the KOA. This was one of the best KOA's we have visited and we will definitely stay there again when we visit Acadia.
GuideWe camped for years and years at Mount Desert Campground with our four children and my Sister-in-Law and her two sons. The kids are all grown now and are taking their own camping trips to this amazing place. It is a family run campground with immaculate grounds and bathroom facilities on Somes Sound in Mt. Desert, Maine which is right next to the fabulous town of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Forest. There are so many activities and amenities just minutes from this lovely campground but, if you choose to stay put...you will not be disappointed. There are lovely camp roads to walk, run, or bike. Fresh air to breathe, an epic long dock to catch and release crabs near, kayak or canoe rentals, and so much more. The Camp store has wonderful provisions including homemade bear claws in the am to enjoy with coffee or tea. It is above and beyond a family favorite place to camp in Maine.
GuideHadley's Point is a private campground just outside Acadia National Park. This campground prides itself on being family-friendly and welcoming to pets.
Children are allowed to bike throughout the campground until dusk. While we stayed, there was a campground-wide Fourth of July bike parade. The kids loved it.
Pets are welcome but cannot be abandoned in the motorhome when you leave. Plan to take your pet with you everywhere.
Hadley's Point offers laundry facilities, showers, a heated pool, cornhole, and shuffleboard. While the pool is heated, it is not hot -- or even very warm. But this is Maine we are talking about, and I'm sure that the water was warmer than it would otherwise have been.
The campground is primarily designed to accommodate RVs and motorhomes. The large fields and open lots for RVs provide ample parking and the campground offered electricity as well as other hookups.
Cute cabins offer cozy sleeping (but no running water) for visitors without tents or RVs.
We brought our tent and felt a little like second-class citizens at this RV-focused campground. The tent sites were tiny. Our large van, tent, and screened-in pavilion covered the entire site, leaving very little walking space. Our site also lacked trees for shade and hammocks.
Worse yet, the campground has an infestation of Black-Legged Deer Ticks -- the ticks responsible for Lyme disease. We found two on our son during our stay. I hope they treat for these ticks soon because it poses a huge risk to their campers.
There is a lot of potential for this campground but they need to spray the grounds for ticks and create more comfortable sites. They could be awesome if they shifted their focus from trying to fit as many people as possible to creating a comfortable camping experience for all.
Pros:
- Heated pool
- Bathrooms cleaned regularly
- Laundry
- Good price
- Good location
- Playground
- Kid and pet friendly
- Island Explorer Bus stops at the campground
Cons:
- Cramped sites
- Ticks
- Crowded
TravelerPerfect pet friendly campground near Acadia but far enough away from it all. Friendly staff, peaceful nature setting on the water, and starry nights. Clean bathrooms and large campsites. Couldn’t have asked for more. Great also if you love kayaking or paddling!!
GuideGreat place to camp outside the crazy tourist packed Acadia but only a 25 minute drive to the park. Very nice sites, flush toilets and showers. I got a lake view site but also forested sites available. Pet friendly camping. Would definitely go back!
Pet-friendly campsites near Orono provide practical accommodations for travelers with dogs. The region's camping season typically runs May through October with temperatures ranging from 40°F nights in spring and fall to 80°F days in summer. Forested sites offer natural shade while lakefront locations provide cooling water access during hot days.
Kayaking on Branch Lake: At Branch Lake Camping area, campers can launch directly from waterfront sites. "We had loons come in close to our site. Saw an Eagle too. We sat our chairs in the water and cooled down everyday and floated on our noodles," notes one visitor who appreciated the 26.5-mile perimeter lake with a maximum depth of 124 feet.
Evening social gatherings: Many campgrounds organize communal activities. Branch Lake features "a group bonfire pit every evening many of the people gather there," creating opportunities to meet fellow campers.
Explore Bar Harbor: From Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA, campers can access nearby attractions. "The Island Explorer bus for Acadia National Park stops at the campground, so you have easy access without driving, if desired," shares a camper who found the location "an easy drive for downtown for Bar Harbor, North East Harbor and South West Harbor."
Spacious sites: Pumpkin Patch RV Resort offers comfortable setup space. "There is pretty good space between sites so you don't feel cramped or right on top of your neighbor. Most sites are level and there are long pull thrus so you don't have to unhitch if you are only staying one night," reports one camper.
Clean facilities: Paul Bunyan Campground maintains high standards that campers appreciate. "The showers are nice and hot, it's quiet here at night, and it's such a chill atmosphere," reports a first-time camper who extended their stay from one night to a full week.
Wildlife viewing: Bird watching opportunities abound at waterfront sites. Branch Lake campers regularly spot loons and eagles, while Pushaw Lake offers similar waterfront wildlife observation points without the need for specialized equipment.
Site selection: Cold River Campground offers various site options, but size can be a factor. "Pretty small site but nice layout," notes one camper, indicating the importance of checking site dimensions when booking.
Connectivity varies: Internet access fluctuates between campgrounds. While some offer reliable WiFi, one Cold River camper reported "WiFi was terrible," suggesting bringing personal hotspots for those requiring consistent connectivity.
Seasonal considerations: May brings cooler temperatures while July and August typically reach the 80s. Campgrounds like Pumpkin Patch operate from "May 1 - Oct 15," with similar seasonal limitations at most dog-friendly campgrounds near Orono.
Activity planning: Parks Pond Campground offers family-friendly amenities. "They have two wading areas, playground, sand box, laundry and arcade as well as a general store for extras you may have forgotten," shares a camper who appreciated these features during their stay.
Water safety: Lakes provide recreation but require supervision. One Parks Pond visitor noted the clean facilities while mentioning a camping misadventure: "I caught fire to said borrowed camper and everyone was so helpful and the fire department was quick to respond."
Budget-friendly options: Bring essential supplies to minimize on-site purchases. Campground stores like the one at Branch Lake provide basics, but prices may be higher than in town.
Site leveling: Bangor Holden KOA sites are generally well-maintained but vary in terrain. "Gravel site, not much shade," notes one RVer, indicating the importance of bringing leveling blocks and awnings for comfort.
Hookup locations: Check hookup placement when selecting sites. A Pumpkin Patch visitor noted, "All the hook-ups were well-placed and we did not need extensions to connect," which simplifies setup and departure.
Dump station access: For partial hookup sites, verify dump station availability and location. Some campgrounds offer pump-out service for extended stays, with Branch Lake providing this convenience "twice a week which is nice."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Orono, ME?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Orono, ME is Pumpkin Patch RV Resort with a 4.7-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Orono, ME?
TheDyrt.com has all 80 dog-friendly camping locations near Orono, ME, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
