Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Stacyville, ME

If you enjoy camping cabins on a lake with a wonderful view of Mt. Katahdin, then this campground is for you. This is 1 of the 3 campgrounds in Baxter that stays open for a bit past the normal season (thru the 3rd week of October).

It even has a small library with the best porch view you’ve ever seen. The cabins are simple and there are just pit toilets, but everything is kept very clean. Rangers are assigned to each campground, so there is always someone to chat with if you have questions or emergencies while in the park. 

You can rent a canoe and gear to paddle on Daicey Pond, or bring your mountain bikes for an awesome ride along well-kept gravel roads. Great hiking options to waterfalls, along the Appalachian Trail, and up to Mt. Katahdin. 

Fall is one of the best times to be here…no bugs, less people, and full of autumn color! Be ready for wind and cold days though.

Your last stop for food and gas is in Millinocket, so be sure to stock up before you make your way to the park. Millinocket is about 18 miles from the main entrance to Baxter State Park. 

Note: Dogs are not allowed in the park, but Katahdin Kritters is a pet boarding facility located in East Millinocket.

Though not open during the off season, this Baxter State Park campground offers tent sites and lean-tos, each with a picnic table and fire ring. There are no sites for RV's here.

There is no running/drinking water, but the stream nearby is perfect for filtering. The pit toilets are cleaned daily. There is no electricity, so bring your solar panel. Rangers are assigned to each campground, so there is always someone to chat with if you have questions or emergencies while in the park. 

You can start the 8-12 hour round trip to the summit of Mt. Katahdin from this campground, as it sits right at the base of the mountain.  Or, choose from variety of other trail options if a 4000 ft elevation gain hike isn’t your thing.

Fall is one of the best times to be here…no bugs, less people, and full of autumn color! Be ready for wind and cold days though. You are sure to see many Appalachian Trail through hikers as they use this campground as their final base camp before summiting!

Your last stop for food and gas is in Millinocket, so be sure to stock up before you make your way to the park. Millinocket is about 18 miles from the main entrance to Baxter State Park.

Note: Dogs are not allowed in the park, but Katahdin Kritters is a pet boarding facility located in East Millinocket.

If you enjoy camping with a wonderful view of Mt. Katahdin, then this campground is for you. This is 1 of the 3 campgrounds in Baxter that stays open for a bit past the normal season. It offers a few spots for small RV’s, tent sites, lean-tos, and a few camping cabins, each with a picnic table and fire ring. Our site even had a sheltered area over the picnic table.

There is no running/drinking water, but the stream nearby is perfect for filtering. The pit toilets are cleaned daily. There is no electricity, so bring your solar panel. Plan on packing out your trash. Rangers are assigned to each campground, so there is always someone to chat with if you have questions or emergencies while in the park.

You can start the 8 to 12-hour round trip to the summit of Mt. Katahdin from this campground, as it sits right at the base of the mountain. Or, you can choose from a variety of other trail options if a 4000 ft elevation gain isn’t your thing. You are sure to see many Appalachian Trail thru-hikers as they use this campground as their final base camp before summiting.

Fall is one of the best times to be here…no bugs, less people, and full of autumn color! Be ready for wind and cold days though.

Your last stop for food and gas is in Millinocket, so be sure to stock up before you make your way to the park. Millinocket is about 18 miles from the main entrance to Baxter State Park.

Note: Dogs are not allowed in the park, but Katahdin Kritters is a pet boarding facility located in East Millinocket.

Baxter State Park is “forever wild” meaning primitive with no potable water, pit toilets, no wifi or cell service. Spectacularly beautiful with many mountains to climb and trails to hike, including Katahdin—the conclusion to the AT. No RVs or pets permitted. There are moose and black bears.

Nesowadnehunk Campground is the most remote accessible campground in the Park. The Nesowadnehunk Stream is excellent for fly fishing. The trailhead for Doubletop Mountain is here as well. There are grassy fields and incredible night skies. The tent sites are of two types: grassy field or in the woods along the Stream. The lean-tos are generally 4 person AT type with a fire pit and picnic table at each site. There are 2 cabins, one ADA accessible and a bunkhouse. Reservations for all sites must be made through Baxter State Park. There is an entrance fee to the Park itself for non-Mainers.

I always struggle with the notion of rating a full amenities campground with a no-frills place like this, so when it comes down to it, I'm rating the experience. If you want to get off the grid (no wi-fi, cell service, or running water) to a quiet, dark campground with opportunities to bag some peaks, see some wildlife, and cool off in a river after a long day on the trail, and you don't mind traveling over miles of dirt roads to get there, then it is hard to beat Nesowadnehunk Field campground.

I stayed in a lean-to, drove up to it and pitched my tent inside…grateful for a little extra protection in the tent as I listened to animals scratching around the lean-to at night. There was a large bush in front of the lean to and woods behind. I could see and hear my neighbors, but wasn't disturbed by them. The site also had a picnic table. Trails led to the river behind the lean tos. There are also a number of tent sites that you park and walk back to, plus a small bunkhouse.

As the sun sets, it is the sky that catches your attention and doesn't want to let it go. Without light pollution, you'll see more than stars than you imagined you could see (tip: if you need a light, use the red setting on your headlamp so your eyes don't have to re-acclimate to the dark).

I used this as a base for bagging Coe, South, and North Brother, finishing the Maine 4000-footers here. It was so windy I decided to forego the bushwhack to Fort. It's nice to be able to get an early start because you're already in the park.

Things you need to know about low frills Baxter State Park:

1. Make reservations online, though if you want a group site or a bunkhouse, give them a call or send a letter. Reservations open 4 months ahead of time.
2. Plan to arrive before 8:30. It takes a while to get to the campgrounds from the gates, wildlife starts moving around at dusk, and you don't want to have to set up camp in the dark
3. Bring either water or a filtration/treatment system so you can use surface water.
4. Bring what you'll need…don't expect a convenient store to replace that missing item! It's a long way back to Millinocket. Pack out your trash.
5. The general camping season is May-Oct, though winter camping (Dec-Mar) and activities are also possible. Snow may arrive early (which is why they sometimes have thru-hikers jump ahead to Katahdin and hike backwards if they aren't likely to make it to Katahdin ahead of the snow)
6. No pets. No alcohol in public places (i.e. don't celebrate on a summit with a sip of your favorite beverage)
7. There are a lot of rules, conditions of the donation. Take time to read the rules on the website.

There are 4 campsites available here, none of them directly on the lake, but all within a short walking distance to a small boat launch for cartop boats. The lake is crystal clear and there were a dozen mergansers and a couple of loons swimming around.

Sites 1-3 are around an open field area, so they’ll provide the most sunlight if you’re looking for solar power for recharging during a longer stay. Sites 2& 3 have a small shelter over the picnic table. Site 4 is tucked to the side of the path to the lake and is wooded. There is a pit toilet in the woods near the entrance to the site. All sites have a picnic table and fire ring. Bring water or plan to filter/treat it.

Great place to fall asleep to the call of the loons, spend your day paddling and fishing.

No cell service, though you can get some spotty coverage sufficient for texting closer to Little Jo Mary Pond campsites.

Access is over logging roads and you’ll definitely encounter fast-moving trucks who have the right of way. They keep the main roads graded and the road to Long Pond was in good shape (unlike some that were down longer side roads), but it’s one of the longer drives from the checkpoint. (I had no problem reaching the sites in my Subaru, but I couldn't get to the Crawford Lake sites) These sites are in the KI-JO-Mary multi-use forest, so you’ll pass through the Jo Mary checkpoint and pay fees there. It includes both a day use and a separate camping fee that are paid per person, so it’s quickly an expensive endeavor for a family, but more affordable as a group of friends. Out-of-state rates are higher than instate. I was able to stop by and get a site same-day in mid-August, but sites were filled on the weekends.