Are you planning a tent camping trip to Sandy River? We've got you covered. The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Sandy River. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Sandy River, Maine's most popular destinations.
Tiny Cabins of Maine is on 100 acres of wooded land on a 25 acre pond. On the property are two tiny cabins (Roxie and Maybelle) and one tent site. Each cabin is fully insulated and has a tiny wood stove to make it comfortable all 4 seasons!
Each cabin has a comfortable fully sized bed, a mini woodstove, a composting toilet, kitchen essentials, an outside firepit, and plenty of wood. The tent site is a clearing in the woods with a popup tented porta-potty, and a firepit.
2 kayaks, a yak board, 2 paddleboards and a canoe are at the dock for guests to use. There is an outside Pizzeria with a woodfired pizza oven and table for two, an axe throwing target with 6 axes and directions to play as well as a clearing by the water called the Pub. There, guests can sit at a high top table, relax in a hammock, play corn hole or have a fire in the chimenea. There are currently about 1.5 miles of trails cleared, with more added each week!
The pond is surrounded by wooded area and it feels remote but road noise can still be heard.
$50 - $120 / night
$100 - $150 / night
The Firewarden's Trail (4.6 miles) intersects the Appalachian Trail at Bigelow Col (the lowest point between two peaks) and provides the shortest route to Avery Peak or West Peak from the south side of the Bigelow Range. Follow Stratton Brook Pond Road 0.4 mile east to Stratton Brook, the outlet of the pond, and another 0.4 mile east to the fork. Take the north fork (left) 0.3 miles to the old trailhead clearing. The trail bears northeast along an old tote road and ascends gradually 1.2 miles until the Horn's Pond Trail diverges left. Moose Falls Campsite is located about 1 mile further up the Firewarden's Trail. Shortly after this the trail ascends steeply for the last 0.7 mile until the Firewarden's Trail ends at the Bigelow Col (3815').
67 waterfront campsites including mainland, Students Island, Toothaker Island and Western Shore. Wilderness Campsites are located on the Mainland, Students Island, Toothaker, and along the Western Shore. All sites include water views, a picnic table, a fire pit and access to an outhouse.
MAINE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
Welcome to our cozy and charming mini A-frame cabins and Tent Sites! Nestled on our homestead initiative here in our small town located in the southern Maine Highlands, this unique accommodation is the perfect retreat for those seeking a peaceful experience a short distance from some of Maines premier Rivers, Mountains, and Coastal towns.
$60 / night
Located in western Maine just east of the village of Stratton about 40 miles north of Farmington, Bigelow Preserve includes over 36,000 acres of public land. The preserve encompasses the entire Bigelow Range, which includes seven summits. The highest of these at 4,150 feet is West Peak, one of only 10 Maine summits over 4,000 feet in elevation. Bounded on the north by 20,000-acre Flagstaff Lake, the preserve offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation. Flagstaff Lake is part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is an historic 740-mile watertrail through New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire, and Maine. https://www.maine.gov/dacf/parksearch/PropertyGuides/PDF_GUIDE/bigelow-preserve-flagstaff-lake.pdf
Legend
General: Small (15-site) campground near Grafton Notch State Park (but not IN the park). No hookups. Not all will agree with me, but I am glad no generators are allowed.
Site Quality: Sites are gravel, level, and have enough trees to afford privacy between sites.
Bath/Shower House: It is immaculately clean. Each gender has two stalls and one ADA-accessible shower. The shower has nice warm water and a great flow. There is also a very clean vault toilet.
Activities/Amenities: Horseshoes and cornhole in the lawn area in the center. Information on many local hikes. Rocky beach has tables where you can sit and relax. There are two dishwashing sinks, potable water, and a dump station.
What makes this campground shine is the owner, Mo. We’ve stayed in many campgrounds but hands down, Mo takes more pride in her campground than any other we’ve been in. Seasonal decorations, flower pots, and Mo is an on-site presence to answer questions, engage in conversation, and make sure the sites and all facilities are pristine. We stayed here five years ago and look forward to hopefully staying again in the future. About the only thing I can find fault with is the proximity to the road but even at that, road noise is minimal.
Legend
Everything was fine , except the owner, very weird !
Ranger
The each campsite is nice and private--I was lucky enough to get a site on the lake for my stay! The shower houses/restrooms are amazing--one big open room with a large shower, toilet, sink, bench, and towel rack. The only downside is you have to press the button for the shower to run, and it's only a few seconds each push, so you're constantly pressing a button as you're mid scrubbing. But hey--after a long day of hiking or swimming, that's no big deal!
Ranger
The campground was nice and quiet during our stay, but the pit toilets near our campsite were quite rough--super smelly and an endless amount of flies flying out of the toilet.
Ranger
The staff was very nice and helpful during our stay. There are a variety of sites to choose from and a bunch of things to do around the campground. The campground store also had a good supply of items, too. It sounds like the new owners are making improvements around the campground, so I'm excited to see how it comes along if I'm in the area again in the future!
ScoutTiny turn off with spots for a few cars and a few tents. No amenities. Riverbank access
Scout
Very friendly and helpful
Legend
This is worse than a rest area on the Jersey pike. The area consists of a bunch of pull-ins in an old gravel pit, and two semiprivate spots that are essentially pull offs from the pavement.
No service, no water, no electricity, 1 pit toilet.
On a paved road
20+ miles to the nearest town
Pack in Pack out.
There was one spot open, and I decided not to stay due to the sound of generators and the site being right on the paved road.
Legend
This location is Beautiful, but it comes at the cost of privacy. When I first discovered this spot, it wasn't an official campsite, people just came here to swim and there was a fire ring. That was over 20yrs ago.
There are 4 sites, 3 have no separation between them, 1 is at the entrance, all are on the access road with 0 privacy. This area is overused, and it shows, sites are warn in and if there was room relocating fire pits and allowing some nature to come back would be nice. I managed to tuck myself into a private alcove of trees on the #1 site, but still was in full view of headlights and people driving in to see if there was space. The site I had was big enough that I shared it with a couple that had a small child, and they had their own section.
There are no service, no water, no electricity, no to little cell coverage. There is one pit toilet.
The access road in is rough, not for normal street cars.
Did I mention lack of privacy?
See pics.
Legend
Stopped in to try and camp here, all the spots were taken. There were even people camping in their rooftop tents.
Sites that I saw looked great, trails need some maintenance though, and some of the sites need clean up.
The Road is rough, but with care you can get there, just go slow.
There are pit toilets, but no running water or electricity.
All of the sites are walk-in sites.
Bussy place!
TravelerRoom for a few vehicles. Small sandy stream bank, right next to the road. More flat camping tucked in back... possibly a tent site or two.
Scout
We stayed 4 nights and everything was perfect. Staff are very helpful and nice. The store had everything we needed. The surrounding area has some much to explore
ScoutHad a short weekend stay but we were impressed at how clean and well ran the campground was! Mo was welcoming and made sure we had everything we needed. The showers were hot and spacious. We were in Site 3 and it was perfectly distanced between the store and bathrooms. Will definitely be back soon!
Scout
I recently stayed at the Tiny Cabins of Maine with my family for two nights, opting for their tent camping site. From the moment we arrived, the host's warm welcome made us feel right at home. Despite some distant road noise at night, the overall ambiance was serene and beautiful. The tent camping amenities, including the pop-up toilet and sturdy wooden platform, were thoughtfully provided. The fire pit and picnic table were perfect for evening gatherings, and the hammock added an extra touch of relaxation. We enjoyed the pub's games and even tried our hand at axe throwing. Kayaking in the pond was a highlight, thanks to the convenient dock. While the trails required attention to follow, the directional signs helped. Overall, I highly recommend Tiny Cabins of Maine for a memorable small family retreat, and we're already looking forward to returning in the future.
ScoutRound barn campsites offers a dozen or so tent sites with two big group sites. It will pretty consistently have some campers, but I've never seen all the sites full before. It is right next to the stafford brook trail to hike to the top of Bigelow and you can easily hike from your campsite to the top of the mountain and back within a day. Multiple sites including both group sites are right on the water and there is a nice beach area big enough to accomodate however many people you bring. The best tent site is on the island just offshore accessible by sandbar which is usually just knee deep. The cove makes for safe swimming away from the wind and waves offshore. Great secluded spot where you won't feel crowded like at Baxter or Grafton notch areas.
Legend
I've stayed here a number of times and have enjoyed my stays. This is a good campground to use as a base location when doing other things. It is a small campground, but the tent sites are nicely dispersed in a small field. In the late summer the grass will be 4' tall, it's a fun location.
The RV sites are stacked about as tight as I've ever seen them though. Facilities are dated, but there are outhouses at the tent group sites.
If you stay here check out the suspension bridge and the island.
Guide
We have stayed here several times and love it here!
The sites are beautiful, well spaced and well taken care of. The only "downside" is if you have a longer camper there are tight corners you need to be aware of in the camp roads. If you're good at maneuvering you're good to go.
On our last trip we rented double kayaks and paddled over to Brickyard Hollow for pizza and beers.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! The Hawnets Nest is the perfect stop for adventure, accommodations include a cool A-Frame or bring-your-own Tent! Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!
Guide
Despite a very recent personal loss, the owners welcomed us with open arms and heartfelt greetings. The grounds and sites were well maintained. The bathrooms and showers were clean and well stocked.
When we arrived, we were given a map with available sites marked and free reign to pick the spot of our liking.
The pricing has increased from the dyrt's listed prices. We paid $40 for a tent site with elec. and water.
I would stay here again in a heartbeat!
GuideIt's not our type if place, as the sites are rather close together, but it's a nice campground. Extremely clean, well- maintained. It's obviously a labor of love by the owners, because it is in pristine condition. Seasonal sites/Community events throughout the summer. Very Vintage Vibe!!
Guide
It mentioned on this site that it's for RV parking, but that isn't accurate. There is a parking lot (which you cannot camp in) and you must walk in (tent only.) We didn't have a text so we moved on. Would go back at another time with a text to check it out.
GuideWent there looking for privacy with our dogs to camp overnight. There are about 4 total spots, but only 1 of the four is truly enjoyable/private. It was taken and we didn't want to be that close to the people that were there, so we moved on. So, it's a hit or miss, but I wouldn't travel there again.
Scout
I am new to pulling a small camper, and staff was great helping me secure a site that was easy for me to back into, and beautiful. Staff and other campers answered some basic questions graciously. The grounds are well kept and the facilities were clean and inviting. The shop was amazingly well stocked.
I will definitely return!
Legend
This site, while in a beautiful spot perched above Cupsuptic Lake, it is so impacted that in the rain it was a literal mud pit. While there was a picnic table to get up off the ground, finding a spot to pitch a tent where water wouldn't puddle would be impossible. We hiked in, but you can paddle into the site just know that the exit/entry to the water is a bit tricky and not as easy as some of the other sites available along the way.
There is a large fire pit, also a mess in the down pours. The picnic table is in far better shape here than the one in Eagle Cove (rotting) and Cedar Bay (non-existent). The site is quite small and wouldn't be able to accommodate more than two small tents. I wouldn't make a special trip to stay here.
Legend
We stayed here during a torrential downpour and it was tough to find a spot to pitch the tent that wasn't going to put us in a puddle. The site has very little clear flat area for an established campsite and it took a little bit of strategy to find a spot where we could actually sleep and stay relatively dry given the circumstances.
This is a waterfront site but there isn't super easy access to the lake, but the view is pretty amazing! There is a rough fire pit that had a stack of wood next to it that was clearly part of an old picnic table. The picnic table that was in the site was, well...let's call it a "living picnic table." It was not in great shape and was actively rotting. We made it work because we had already traveled through the other available sites and they were in worse shape than this one. It did the trick for an evening but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to stay here.
Guide
On the grounds of a roadside motel just 6 miles from Sugarloaf and east access to the AT, this newly added 13+ campsites are easy in and out, well appointed and have wonderful facilities. Toilets, hot showers, gazebo with fire pit, lounge with WiFi, full kitchen, TV, games and more. Great place to meet other campers and hikers and share a meal.
ScoutProbably closed1
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Sandy River, ME?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Sandy River, ME is Boothby's Orchard with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Sandy River, ME?
TheDyrt.com has all 23 tent camping locations near Sandy River, ME, with real photos and reviews from campers.
