Best Cabin Camping near South Paris, ME

Westward Shores is an expansive resort located on Ossipee Lake. It caters primarily to seasonal campers and those with RVs, but can accommodate tenters as well. There are a couple of camping cabins starting at $70/night shoulder season and cottages that sleep 8-20 (at significantly higher prices).

The campground is so large that many people get around on golf carts. There are ongoing renovations and new areas, so it still looks a little rough around the edges in places. Lots are large and level with pea gravel and hookups; if you are in a tent, you’ll want to be sure to have adequate padding for sleeping. Additionally, you’ll want one of the more basic campsites located near a bathroom. Some of the loops do not yet have facilities (Aug 2019). The bathrooms are basic and clean.

The primary appeal is the location on beautiful Ossipee Lake with beaches, a marina, and kayak and SUP rentals. There is plenty to entertain the children, with playgrounds, bounce pillows, gaga pit, basketball, and tennis to name just a few. Kids were everywhere on their bicycles.

They didn’t offer up prices when we stopped at the office, so I was dreading the worst, but when I checked online, the RV sites range from $50-56 with hookups, picnic table, and fire ring and there are special rates/deals for extended stays. These rates are a significantly lower than a nearby resort campground that starts at $65/night... but then I discovered this is only true during the shoulder season. My fears have been realized... peak season will set you back $87-95/ night and the camping cabin is $117. These are slightly more expensive than a nearby resort that offers a few more/ different amenities, albeit not on Ossipee Lake.

Very friendly staff/family. Had a pool/hot tub, showers, coin laundry. Several different types of campsites from tent to large RV with full hookups.

Old Orchard Beach is a fun, family-oriented campground located in the fun little beach town of Old Orchard Beach. Old Orchard is known for their amusement park, arcade, pier, fun downtown, and expansive beach with seven miles of room to walk. Here you can stroll along the streets listening to the melodic sounds of an arcade, buy an airbrushed t-shirt and eat pier fries and fried dough. And the best thing is there is a trolley that takes you from the campground to the beach so you don’t have to deal with parking. 

When the summer season is in full swing, there is lots to do in the campground and at the nearby Atlantic Ocean beach. There are lots of amenities in the campground like a basketball court, Wiffle ball field, horseshoes, badminton, playgrounds, arcade, swimming pools and hot tub, group bonfire, and dog park. The campground is quite large and divided into a variety of sections, some areas are all seasonal campers and others are for transients. The campground offers RV sites, cabin rentals, park model sites, and simple tent sites. We liked the sections in the back (Bear Brook and Black Forest) which are set away from the entrance and the majority of activities. We visited in the off-season but can only image the park gets pretty busy especially in the front section where the swimming pool, arcade, camp store, and other activities are located. The campground is gated which limits who can come into the park. If you want to have guests, plan on shelling out a bit of cash as it is $8/day for kids and $10 for adults and$12 for overnight guests. 

Our gravel site was perfectly level with no potholes and the roads leading to our site were easy to navigate in our 45’ motorhome. The patio was gravel and there was some grass between campsites. Our picnic table was clean and not made of old rotten wood with sagging benches. There was not much shade at our site which was fine with us because it was October when we visited and wanted the sun. We were able to pick up wifi at our site because we were close to a tower. Our Verizon phone and hotspot worked great as did the parks cable television. The campground is just one mile from Old Orchard Beach and close to Route 1 which is the main corridor leading up and down the Maine coast. 

The nearby town of Biddeford has some great restaurants(Palace Dinner, Run of the Mill Public House and Brewery, and Dunston Tab and Table). While the campground is large enough for a good long walk, we prefer to walk the wooded trails at Ferry Beach State Park. If you are looking for something for kids to do there is Funtown Splashtown which is a large water and amusement park and you can get discount tickets at the campgrounds camp store

This park has so many amenities and things to do that it is a destination in itself and you and your kids will be busy the entire time. The camp store is fully stocked, there are fishing ponds, golf cart rentals, numerous pools and hot tubs, daily activities, weekly poolside entertainment, playgrounds, mini golf, café, game room, arcade, and more. The staff is super friendly and helpful and the park is very clean and well-maintained. 

We like to stay in the “south section” which tends to have less kids because it is farther away from the “action.” Plus, it is close to the Little River Complex which is an adult-only section with pool, hot tubs, café, bathhouse, and laundry(which has oversized machines). The complex is fairly new and very clean and modern.  This section is also the closest to the dog park (which is just ok - it has lots of trees so there is not much runny room and could be bigger but at least they can be off-leash.  If you come in early spring, you can take your dog to the Pine Point Beach and can be off-leash).  Our campsite was level with a grassy patio, picnic table, fire pit, 50A FHU and cable.  Roads in the park are gravel and can get dusty but the staff did use dust-abatement issues that worked pretty well.  Some sites have gravel patios so be careful what you choose if you want grass.  The kayak/paddle board, canoe launch is great because the river is impounded so you never have to worry about the tide going out while you are paddling.  While the park is big enough to go for a long walk, just down the road is a public biking/hiking trail and goes through the Scarborough Marsh.  

You will definitely want to take the short drive (or the free shuttle service offered at the campground) to the nearby beach and visit the beachy boardwalk town of Old Orchard Beach and pick up some famous Pier Fries and visit the amusement park and arcade. The tiny town of Pine Point is a great place to watch the sunset and pick up dinner and a drink at Bayley’s Bait Shed Restaurant. Check out Bayley’s Lobster Pound for fresh seafood, wine, and other prepared food items. 

This campground may not be for everyone because it is huge with lots of people, cars, and kids running around. The other downside is there is not very much privacy between sites. Nightly rates in peak season are outrageous but you can find much cheaper rates if you stay in the shoulder season or go with 30 amp electric and no sewer. You definitely are paying for all the amenities and activities.

We stayed 3 nights at the beginning of summer and had a fantastic vacation. No one wanted to leave, we had so much fun! The campground is very expensive but they do have a lot of activities (although you do pay $1-10 for most of them) and nice pools.

The grounds were nicely maintained, pools were beautiful wih clear water and separate hot tubs for the adults, and bathrooms were cleaned often. Lots of activities all day long with a mini golf course and aerial adventure park. The adventure park was $25 but well worth it. The kids had a blast! And of course the beach was walking distance which was the biggest draw for us. If you have little ones, time your beach trips with low tide. The waves crash pretty hard at high tide.

We have a 25 ft trailer and stayed in the A70s with friends. The area had a lot more space than other areas, the sites were level and groomed with a rocky parking area. We really liked this area best and would definitely camp here again. We were walking distance to the beach and had a pool closeby. The kids loved biking on the paved roads and all of the activities/playgrounds. Our friends were in the V section and they would not stay in that area again. The campers were on top of each other with just enough space for their awnings which they had to retract to have a fire. For $110 a night you should have enough space to keep your awning out while you have a fire.

Our only problem was the staff didn’t really drive around checking on things. Some vehicles were driving way too fast. Vehicles and especially golf carts were contantly driving to and from the beach at all hours even after quiet hours. Quiet hours were not regulated and although we did appreciate being able to sit at the fire past 11, the drunk people walking and driving golf carts around was a bit much. A golf cart of drunk teens crashed onto our site and were driving loops around the campground well after midnight. One of the seasonals told us that drunk teens and 20-somethings were becoming a problem.

But overall we had an awesome time and would definitely stay here again- probably not every year because of the expensive price but definitely for 4 nights or more next time!

My dad grew up going here and so did I. My siblings and I all learned to ride our bikes here. My nieces and nephews are now doing the same. Its where I learned to love nature. I became addicted to kayaking here and am now a wildlife ecologist!!! Its the PERFECT family campground. Kayak, canoe, SUP rentals, a carousel, pool, lake, hike, and sooooo many activities. I've stayed in tents, half moons (kitchen and bathroom but sleep in tent), cabins, RV sites....I LOVE this place so much. Its my childhood

General: 27 sites with electricity and water, two cabins, 33 remote campsites, and four remote cabins in isolated locations around Umbagog Lake accessible only by boat. 

Site Quality: Some sites have a lake view while some are tucked in among the trees. Site 1A was the fourth up from the lakeshore but still gave us a decent view of the lake. A fire ring and picnic table were at the site. My one complaint is that the electric hookup was so far from where we had to park that we were unable to access it without a very long extension cord (which we did not have). Fortunately, we did not need electricity.

Bathhouse: Quite possibly the most immaculate campground bathroom I’ve ever encountered! They are cleaned at 8 am but when we arrived at 6:30 pm, they were still very clean. Soap and paper towels are appreciated. There was also a vault toilet closer to the wooded sites, although it would not be an unreasonable walk to the main bathhouse. 

Activities/Amenities: Boat launch and slips, fishing, and swimming. Canoe and kayak rentals are available. The building that has restrooms, laundry, and showers also has a large deck with chairs so you can enjoy the view. The sunsets can be spectacular! There is a small store at the office. 

Although just an overnight stay for us, it was very enjoyable. We conversed with a ranger in the morning, and he told us that even when the campground was full (in the summer months), it is a very quiet campground.

Large basic cabin that is real rustic.

Really liked this campground,large sites with full hookups. Beach and boat ramp with some cabins on the water. We stayed at site M-9 and M-10

This campground is located in a northern NH state park that is known as host to the Jericho ATV festival in August.  The park offers miles of ATV trails including an offroad 4x4 trail as well as a lake for swimming, canoeing/kayaking, and fishing. There's a large sandy beach with swings and a volleyball net.There are only 20 sites, including 5 cabins and 2 lean-tos.  The cost of a cabin with bunks and mattresses is a good bargain if you prefer a little more comfort. Sites 5 & 6 are slightly removed from the other sites, will require a slight walk from your car, and you're rewarded with a beautiful view. 

Facilities include flush toilets and coin-operated showers, though they're closer to the beach than to the campground loop; there are a couple of pit toilets in the campground itself. Pets are allowed, but not in the cabins. Most of the sites are large enough to accommodate your ATV/trailer, but there is also a large parking lot. The campground was closing down for the season when I was there, but I suspect that in the summer, esp. around the time of the ATV festival, it'll be a busy place.