Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Portland, ME

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.

The campground is not far from Portland, ME. It is nice and clean and the restrooms are very clean. The camping sites are pretty close together, but that’s normal being this close to town.

Consider the Thousand Trails membership when booking this site. Our annual membership fees basically covered what it would cost to camp here for two weeks.

The campground has good proximity to Orchard Beach and Portland. However, the spots are pretty tight, and the WiFi is awful away from the registration office. We were in the wooded area, but those camping on the outskirts seemed able to utilize their Starlink.

The dog park and pool were small but nice. The bathroom facilities were pretty good, though they weren't cleaned as often as they should be.

Absolutely beautiful! Clean, quiet, had a shaded site near the dog park which was awesome for us with our pups

Close to Freeport and not far from Portland, this is a good affordable camping option for visitors to the area. The park has just enough hiking trails to spend a morning or afternoon exploring. You can access the trails from the sites, no need to drive around the park once you're there. This is an ideal fall camping area with lots of beautiful red maples and yellow birch and beech leaves coloring the hillsides.

Reservations online was super easy, and the hosts are great. They allowed me to drive around and look at the other campsites as I was needing a site with limited/no tree coverage. Plus I’m still learning how to handle my van, so was looking for a very flat spot. Bathrooms are nice and clean, the grounds are nice and clean, and the dog park is a great bonus.

This was a nicely shaded and quiet park, even with kids running around. There was a nice pool for the kiddos, as well as kayaks and water toys for the pond, which looks like a lake. Great sized dog parks - 2 connected to each other. People are super nice. Sites are pretty close together.

Staff super nice. Wifi not great and we have starlink - lots of obstruction so if you need uninterrupted access I’d check with the front desk to see if there are clearer areas for your satellite. Laundry was a bit of a trek from our site, but not a huge deal. Overall pleasant stay, though!

This campground is a great option for relatively inexpensive campsite in an area that can have camping costs reach$65-100/night. The park is located on Casco Bay in the town of Freeport(home to L.L. Bean’s flagship store{which is open 24/7} and many other outlets). The views are great and you have a beach, boat launch and nice park at your disposal. The only downside– there are no hook-ups. I would book this campground all summer long if there were hookups. One nice thing about having no hook-ups is that you can either pull in or back into the site to maximize your view and not have to worry about how to run your hoses. Sites are on grass and some are right on the water with amazing views of the bay. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. Many other sites don’t have a water view but offed shade and more privacy. The waterfront sites are always booked so you don’t get much privacy. Personally, I want the water view so you better book early. Reservations can be made online and by doing so you can view pictures of individual campsites. Dogs are allowed for a$1 fee but are not allowed on the beach which was a bummer since our lab was eyeing it the entire time. There are hiking trails in the park so our dog loved that. Kids love the huge playground and there is an amphitheater with weekly concerts. Since there are no water or sewer hookups, a dump station and bathrooms are available and water spigots scattered about the campground. We got plenty of over-the-air television channels out of Portland and our Verizon phone and hotspot worked great. There is a boat launch onsite which makes it super easy if you want to paddle in the bay but beware there is a 9-11’ tide so watch the charts and plan your trip so you don’t get stranded and have to port your watercraft across a sinking clam flat. 

Other reviews mention some not-so-nice encounters with staff but we did not have any.  People didn't seem overly friendly but that was fine with us as we weren't trying to make friends.

Some of the places we love to visit when in the area Bow Market, the Maine Beer Company (which has great pizza), and Harraseeket restaurant in South Freeport which has great fresh seafood and a water view. You are just a short drive from Portland so we spent a day down there visiting the Old Port, the art Museum and eating at Duck Fat(a favorite restaurant of ours). Another nearby camping option is Recompense at Wolfe’s Neck which also has great waterfront views and is on a really cool farm.

We just spent the weekend here and were very impressed with the water views and the size of the sites. The campground is pet friendly- I think almost everyone we saw had a dog. The facilities were clean although I did not use the showers as we have a travel trailer.There are many sites along the river that flows with the tide. Overall a great place to stay!

Winslow Park and Campground is a busy 100 campsite and park run by the town of Freeport, ME.

We stayed in site #1 and were pleasantly surprised to not have any neighbors that night, which meant our site seemed larger than it ordinarily would have. The sites are small- similar to what you would find in an RV park. They are large enough to fit long class A and large tow vehicles into, but not much room is left between you and your neighbors, and there are few if any trees separating the sites.

There are warm showers, but we did not find them to be very clean. Regardless, we did enjoy our stay at Winslow. There was a concert going on when we arrived, but the park was less busy when everyone left for the night. The sunrise over the bay view we had was absolutely incredible- we loved our waterfront view and it was definitely the best park about this site.

At $50, this was also one of the more expensive sites we’ve stayed at. The view was definitely worth the price, but I don’t know if I would stay again simply because the RV park feel isn’t really our favorite aesthetic.

Either way, we appreciated the proximity to Freeport and the amenities and view at the time!

Of note: we visited the House of Hounds on Sniffspot the next morning so our dog could run and play- that ended up being one of our favorite things we have done on this trip. Omar has a beautiful open field that he lets people bring their dogs to play in and it was absolutely divine- especially since our guy doesn’t love other dogs so we can’t rely on dog parks for exercise. He enjoyed having the whole field to himself!

I felt it was very awesome that they tag your pets incase they get loose somehow then they can be returned to you. They also gift them nice milk bones. The site was easy to access and was roomy enough for our bikes and dogs outside. The space between us and our neighbors is significant. The only thing that caught me off a bit is the use of golf carts. At times you can have 5 or 6 going past your site at once. I'm undecided it I care or hate it. Itll ilsll just unusual enough to me to mentiloln l.

A few Importnat items. Sebego Lake SP does Not allow pets. I suggeat looking for a care taker fir your dog  It specifically tells you this when you try to reserve a campsite . the Day use area does allow dogs . leashed . 

The lake was created by a glacier , but it certainly is Not Glacial . last years swimmimg temps were in the 60s and low 70s

You can check temps at PWD. 

The state park has very few campsites with Hook Ups . ie electric and water and you will pay more .

Please do Not feed the ducks 

Keep,your trash collected and place in dumpster or your vehicle at night .,if not , you will be cleaning up racoon spotted trash in the morning. 

It is a quiet Family campground. You won't find a kids program, arcade, or swiiming pool there . loud partiers are frowned upon .

I have been camping there for 54 years and have never missed a summer

Spent a late September weekend with kids and pets at Chewonki, and had a great time. Such a friendly atmosphere, the golf green was a blast! Campsites are large and if you don’t have a camper are outstanding. Camper sites in the field have the best views! We will definitely be back, highly recommend!

Family and pet friendly, stocked store including adult beverages, very fun for kids, stuff to do like laser tag, float in pond, occasional live music in the field, overall the campground is well maintained and staffed. This is a glampground, keep this in mind, if your looking for a peacful Shangri-La seek another campground, if your looking to let loose and enjoy an amenity filled experience around other people, give this campground a try. I’ll go back again.

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.