Best Glamping near South Bristol, ME

More of a compound than a campground. It’s a tourist event park but great if you have kids… my particular site was for a tent and it was up against the fence where the maintenance garage was hidden. Right next to the road. So yes lots of family glamping fun. But not for those looking for a more visceral Maine camping experience.

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 was normal with nothing special, however, the park continues across the street and onto Maine rocky shoreline with access along the water which makes the entire thing more than worth it! the town is also quaint and everything Maine with ice cream on a pier and lobster boats galore! I’d go again!

Classic Maine oceanfront camping. Decent sized sites and well maintained outhouses, thank you!

Small family owned campground with a variety of people enjoying piney Maine scenery. Owners are super nice and helpful. Salt water pool, walking or biking trails, boats to use. Situated on a river/inlet.

Recompense Campground, is a not only a campground, but a working educational farm located on the most beautiful Maine Coast.  Situated on Wolf's Neck, all sites are either directly on the water or a short hop to the water.  This is perfect if you like to Kayak or canoe.  Bring your own or rent on site! The campground is well maintained with level sites and easy to access clean restrooms. The camp store is well stocked and the snack shop even features  Maine Lobster! Plenty of places to hike or ride your bike in a lovely bucolic setting. And when you run out of propane, the LLBean flagship store is just down the street in Freeport! This campground is a gem!

This is a nice campground really close (though still driving distance) to Popham Beach - which is one of the best beaches in Maine, in my opinion. As someone who prefers more secluded, rustic camping, the mix of cars and RVs was not my favorite. But, there were really nice shower and laundry facilities which was a nice bonus for being in a more family friendly environment.

This was the perfect location to explore the mid Maine coast. The camp sites are large and well spaced apart. Bathrooms were clean. We loved the view from the top of Mt. Battie. Definitely check out the trails along the ocean. Mt. Battie Take Out is a great stop after a long day of exploring.

Boothbay Harbor is a cute coastal Maine town and Shore Hills Campground is a great location for visiting the downtown and other Maine towns like Wiscasset and Easy Boothbay. Shore Hills has a wide variety of sites that can accommodate everything from the biggest size RV to tents. The great thing about this campground is that there is a such a large selection of sites that you pretty much can get what you want. 

Some of their 30-amp waterfront sites come with great views. They also have some sites tucked in the woods that are super wide with huge patios and lots of privacy between you and your neighbor and great for families or large gatherings. The 50-amp full hook-up sites towards the front of the park are closer together with not as much privacy and near the road so you get some of that noise. The last we time we stayed there we were in a long pull-thru in the front which was$59/night. Our site had a wooden deck with a picnic table on it. The deck was nice but I had to be careful where I parked so my steps cleared the porch. Each site has its own garbage can which I super convenient. Hook-ups at our site worked fine and were well-placed and easy to connect to. The wifi was a joke and we got frustrated and gave up. Not sure if it is any better in other areas of the park but it seems to be a common complaint that they tend not to fix. On the other hand, the cable had lots of channels and a great HD picture. The roads to our site were easy to navigate with our 45’ RV and tow car but the check-in area near the office is very small and tight and at times, it was very backed up and RV’s were out on the main road. During certain times of the year, the park offers a shuttle service to and from downtown which is nice because parking can be expensive(from$7-$20). There are free parking spots downtown but they are few and far between and limited to 2-4 hours. 

The park has a short trail across to an island which our dog loved to run around on and jump in the water. The tides are crazy in Maine so be careful if you use the boat launch that you don’t get stuck on a mud flat when the 9-11’ tide disappears. Nearby is the Ovens Mouth Preserve which has great hiking and nice water views and is just one of many nature preserves in the area which all are very nice, well-marked, well-maintained, and dog-friendly. 

You have to stop at Bet’s Fish Fry for the best fried fish and chips you have ever had. Bring a beer or two and enjoy eating your food on the picnic tables in the nearby park. Another good place to visit is the Boothbay Craft Brewery Company which has good beer and pizza. They also have a small RV park but the sites are pretty close together. Pinkhams Gourmet Market has a nice selection of prepared items, meats, seafood, and gourmet items but for fresh lobster we head down to the waterfront to Atlantic Edge Lobster.

One of my favorite places, the perfect coastal campground for checking out and roughing it. Tent & pop-up campers only, with limits on amplified noise and  number campers makes it a great place to relax. Little to no cellphone service so might as well turn the phones off and enjoy nature. There are site options along the dunes, in the woods and along the cliffs of Joe's Head and Osprey Point.

Some great hiking trails and isolated beaches on the North side of the island. There is a pavilion near Sailboat Beach up to the left just before the end of Island Road which is a cool spot for a group to hang for the day. The all dirt roads are fun and easy for mountain biking. There's a few spots for cliff jumping, one in the Bathtub and another at Osprey Point. No motors, but there is boat access if you have and enjoy kayaking or canoeing (be sure to say hi to the seals!)

Be sure to load up at the Shaws in Bath, ME before heading down 209 towards Phippsburg. The campground store by the main entrance has the basics for camping in case you forget anything and will steam fresh lobster or clams to order. The Kelp Shed across from the store is a great place to hang if the weather turns or just to grab a snack (you need to try the Maine Blueberry Ice Cream!)

This campground was absolutely great. Like most campgrounds on the shores of Maine in the summer, it can get a little pricier. The campground offers oceanfront camping, hike-in camping, and your typical large gathering type camping. It has a camp office/store, farm store, and a cafe that is a hot spot. The bathrooms and trash/recycling are all in one central location, with outhouses scattered throughout the grounds. Freeport is very close for any shopping or grocery needs.

Visited this site while up in Maine seeing the in-laws and had a wonderful time! This is a beautiful site right on the water and so close to Wolfe's Neck State Park which has wonderful hiking. Just remember it can get pretty cold around here to plan accordingly depending on what season you go. Its also so nice just how close to Portland and Freeport this site is so you can even get some shopping in at the LL Bean outlet.

It was fun to feed cows and walk goats. Cute farm. Ok playground, large field for pickup style games. Sites are small and not well divided. I had neighbors complain that we were on their side of the post, owners family/staff came to say that no we were fine. No sandy beach, but it's Maine after all. Tidal, and all that includes. Beautiful sky of stars. Quiet hours are enforced and respected. Few neighbors had fires past 2,3 am without issue. We are actually looking at going back this summer.

I have come to this campground every year for about 20 years and have seen it change hands and change but remain a very nice campground.  It has wooded sites and sites out in the open, some by the water and some by a little tiny man made pond.  Well manicured, about 4 miles or so into Boothbay Harbor Maine.  Great shopping, hiking, being a tourist, go to Damariscotta or get a lobster down one of the peninsulas.  See Puffins if you take the boat out to see them.  There are a zillion things to do and the campground houses you so you can do all those things.  Shore Hills is in a great location.

Absolutely fabulous camping experience. Stayed in "quiet cove" which is the tent-only location a bit of a ways from the main campground office, but much more natural and secluded. Was also created pretty recently so the bathrooms were clean and lovely, and all the pathways and landscaping felt really well maintained. Didn't try the food, but there is a nice food stand with woodfired pizza and a lobster dinner on certain nights. The trails and ocean views around Wolfe's Neck Park were fantastic - highly recommend for anyone looking to get out of the Freeport consumer scene.