Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Rumford, ME

We chose this campground because it was close to a festival we wanted to check out. Upon arrival we could not find the office. We had to stop a camper who was walking and ask her where the office was. The workers were less than helpful. To many seasonal campers. The sites were to close. The owners were dog breed prejudice. There was a whole paper full of rules if you brought a pet. We are big dog lovers of all breeds and took offense to them being so against certain breeds even being on there property. I will say that the bathrooms were very clean and seemed new.

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.

We chose to stay at this campground because it was close to downtown Bethel, had river access, and had a full hook-up site for our 45’ RV. Campsites vary from full hook-up pull through to grassy shaded private sites perfect for tent camping. The sites are pretty close together and ours was a buddy site which meant our patio faced our neighbor’s patio. Since the sites were so close, we were practically sitting next to them. Luckily, they were nice people and we enjoyed talking to them. 

Not all sites are level and we found it difficult to get into because of the tight roads and dangling tree limbs. Some of the best sites are unfortunately reserved for work campers. These are pull-ins with a view of a grassy field. The wifi at our site (#21) was horrible and we never used it. There is no cable and we were not able to pick up any over-the-air television channels. The campground is pretty wooded which was nice for the shade but meant we were not able to get satellite reception with our dome mounted receiver. We ended up using our portable receiver and after two days of moving the unit we were finally able to lock into the satellites. 

We selected a 50-amp full hookup pull through site which was $46/night. Our sewer was uphill at our site which is a big pet peeve of ours and super annoying when it comes to empty the tanks. The 50-amp worked well and it was well-placed in the site as was the water. The roads and campsites are gravel and the patios are a mix of gravel and grass. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. The campground is adjacent to a paved walking/biking path that leads to downtown Bethel. We used the path to walk over to the farmers market and found it very convenient to walk our dog. There is also a mowed path through a field that we also liked for walking our dog. 

The best aspect of this campground is the access to the Androscoggin River. The park rents kayaks, canoes, and tubes and has a shuttle service that will take you up river for so you can float back to the campground. We used the campgrounds shuttle livery service to take our kayak and paddleboard up river for a leisurely float down the river so we could enjoy the scenery, have a picnic, and fish. (Since we used our own boats, the coast was cheaper.) The campground offers this service to non-campers which meant there were a lot of people walking through the campground. The bathroom in the campground was old and tired and heavily used by people floating the river which and was pretty dirty. They also have a sluice on the property, where (for a fee) you can get a bucket of mined material and get to sort through it looking for minerals and gems. Whatever you find, you keep. 

The campground is located off Route 2 which is fairly convenient but the road noise was pretty loud as this is a heavily trafficed road. Downtown Bethel is just a few minutes away and has a brewery, grocery, restaurants, shops, and the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum. About five miles away is Sunday River which is a ski area. We took the chair lift up the mountain so we could hike around and take in the beautiful views.  On the way, we stopped at Sunday River Brewery and had a delicious meal and great beer.

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

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.

Nestled in western Maine just past Sugarloaf ski mountain lies Cathedral Pines. When you arrive you will appreciate the name. Running alongside beautiful Flagstaff lake this campsite offers something for everyone. Beautiful sunrises over the Bigelow mountains, hikes along the Appalachian Trail, bike trails, kayaking, canoeing, swimming , fishing and the ability to just huddle around the fire with a book! You can even take a short drive to the Canadian border or visit the numerous antique shops along the way in town.

There is a kids activity center where planned activities are always a hit. There is even an arcade for the kids if weather is bad. Spacious sites, some with power and water and some without. A winding maze of paved roads intertwine thru the woods. Perfect for the kids and adults alike to bike!

I am partial to waterfront sites because I love being the first up to start coffee and watch the sun rise and morning break. I've also stayed inside the campground more away from the water and have no complaints. All the facilities are meticulously cleaned and the staff are amazing!

Every year when the few families we camp with get together to pick our campgrounds and dates, it's always when are we going to Cat Pines, not will we go.