Best Tent Camping near Thorndike, ME

Central Maine's rural landscape surrounding Thorndike offers several tent camping options within a 30-mile radius. Amy's Farmstays provides 13 tent campsites with basic amenities including drinking water, toilets, and permitted campfires. The Hawnets Nest, located north of Thorndike, features walk-in tent sites with picnic tables and shower facilities. Continuous Harmony Farm, situated to the south, maintains four primitive tent campsites adjacent to a pond where campers can enjoy the natural setting.

Most tent-only sites in the region feature dirt or grass surfaces with minimal grading. Campers should bring their own water filtration systems when visiting more primitive locations, as potable water isn't universally available. Fire rings are common at established sites, though seasonal fire restrictions may apply during dry periods. The Forest Poshtel and Tiny Cabins of Maine offer toilet facilities for tent campers, while backcountry tent camping areas typically require visitors to pack out all waste. Sites are generally accessible from late spring through early fall, with some properties closing during winter months.

In early summer, tent campers frequently enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Maine's rural farmlands and forests. According to reviews, Tiny Cabins of Maine provides "sturdy wooden platforms" for tent camping with "convenient amenities" including fire pits and picnic tables. At Maine Wild Blueberry Bliss, visitors noted the "quiet and peaceful" environment where "at night we only heard crickets and the wind." Walk-in tent sites throughout the region offer greater seclusion than drive-up locations, with several properties featuring water access for additional recreation opportunities. Tent-only camping areas typically accommodate smaller groups, with most sites designed for 1-4 person tents rather than large family setups.

Best Tent Sites Near Thorndike, Maine (20)

    1. Amy’s Farmstays

    Be the first to review!
    Jackson, ME
    6 miles

    $30 - $165 / night

    2. The Hawnets Nest

    1 Review
    Stetson, ME
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 945-1944

    $60 / night

    3. Continuous Harmony Farm

    2 Reviews
    Lincolnville Center, ME
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 763-3891

    $40 / night

    "We're so excited to have this property, hosted by Doug, on our platform. Park your van, or pop your tent, next to the pond."

    "The space is gorgeous, right next to a pond. Important to know though, there are several campsites. It's unclear how many campers could be there on any given night but it could be many."

    4. The Forest Poshtel

    Be the first to review!
    Monroe, ME
    15 miles
    +1 (207) 322-5444

    $85 - $150 / night

    5. Tiny Cabins of Maine

    2 Reviews
    Coopers Mills, ME
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 798-3132

    $50 - $120 / night

    "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."

    "This smaller campground offers great privacy on a large pond in the Maine forests. "

    6. Maine Wild Blueberry Bliss

    3 Reviews
    Brooksville, ME
    31 miles
    +1 (207) 469-8523

    $49 - $69 / night

    "There are 4 total campsites, and each  offers a slightly different view and sense of privacy.  The owner met us when we arrived.  Dogs are allowed.  "

    "This location offers level sites, views of rolling blueberry fields, a picnic table, and other goodies from your host. Lakeisha really takes pride in this property, and it shows."

    7. Tops’l Farm

    2 Reviews
    Waldoboro, ME
    35 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 640-6440

    "The common spaces are equally as luxurious. The bathhouse was just like a four-star hotel. They provide you with shampoo, conditioner and body wash. There is even a hair dryer!"

    "Located in Waldoboro, they create a wonderfully balanced experience between the outdoors and glamp.  While their model continues to evolve, camping is not available on all days/weekends.  "

    8. Shivers Island — Settlement Quarry Preserve

    2 Reviews
    Stonington, ME
    44 miles
    Website

    "You must heat the water up in another pot already, so why not just chuck in the coffee filter bag directly into the pot? Save a step."

    9. Saddleback Island

    2 Reviews
    Stonington, ME
    45 miles
    Website

    "The Maine Island Trail offers 200 islands in which to sea kayak camp and Saddleback Island is one of the many gorgeous options in the Deer Isle Archipelago. "

    10. Rough and Raw

    2 Reviews
    Lamoine, ME
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 667-3244

    $40 - $100 / night

    "We had no idea there was a clothing optional site near Acadia and stumbled across this with hipcamp. A safe and lovely primitive site. We will be back!"

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Tent Camping Reviews near Thorndike, ME

446 Reviews of 20 Thorndike Campgrounds


  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 11, 2018

    Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park

    Hard to get to, difficult to get a reservation, but so worth the time!

    Camping on in the Duck Harbor Campground is nearly the stuff of legends. This remote island off the coast of Maine only has 5 campsites in this part of Acadia National Park, and reservations are required. The Park’s website describes this in classic Park Service understatement, “Duck Harbor Campground is very popular. Please plan your trip in advance.” What they mean is if you don’t go online within 10 minutes of opening day, April 1st, at 10 am EST, you will miss your chance to stay here for the whole year. You won’t be the first to get denied and certainly not the last. You might however, get lucky if you’re in the area for long enough and there is a sudden cancellation. 

    I believe I’m right in saying that the hype is worth it here, more than just because it’s difficult to get here and difficult to get a reservation. This is a beautiful place to camp and an amazing island to explore by bike, by kayak, and on foot.

    Each of the 5 sites offers a classic lean-to structure with a campfire ring and a picnic table. But it’s not the site which makes this place so special. Sticking out into the Gulf of Maine, this is one of the most remote islands with established camping and recreational trails on the coast. It feels like another world entirely than Mount Dessert Island, where the rest of Acadia National Park is located. By comparison, MDI feels like Central Park.

    There is fresh water a short walk away from the campground, and a bear proof food storage locker at each lean-to. Mosquitoes can be bad during the summer, so I would recommend bringing a bug net or small backpacking tent which you could set up in the lean-to for more protection and privacy. 

    Getting to the island is possible through the daily mailboat which goes directly to Duck Harbor from Stonington, but the best way to get there is to paddle up in a sea kayak as we did!

  • R
    Oct. 14, 2020

    Pushaw Lake Campground

    Quick Trip

    I’ll preface this by saying that we got in after dark and left by 10am so this review is limited. First, while being very nice the front desk worker was not very helpful in helping us understand the layout and our best choice for tent camping that night. She was just not very communicative. After some prodding questions that felt like I was pulling teeth, we chose site 1 which was by the beach and the only tent site in that area of the campground. It was mid Sept on a particularly windy and unseasonably cold night. The wind was coming right off the lake which made it particularly hard to set up. Blocking the wind with our car was our only choice. After we got settled in, a nice fire and a little bourbon made it all worthwhile. While not very private because we were right next to an RV (all the RVs were lined up on the waterfront with little space between), it was still quite a lakefront spot. The site included a picnic table, a fire ring and a charcoal grill. Buckets of well seasoned wood were available at the camp store right next to us. It had a nice porch to sit on for the morning sun but unfortunately, that looked the opposite way from the lake toward the dense central campground. The camp store had a nice indoor dining area with views toward the lake that I believe was also closed for the season. All in all, I would recommend this if you’re not very concerned with privacy and want a beautiful lake to camp by.

  • HThe Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 1, 2025

    Maine Wild Blueberry Bliss

    Bucolic bliss!

    We loved our stay at the blueberry fields!   This is private land that the owner rents to campers.  We stayed in campsite 2, where the land is open and flat, and there was plenty of room for our rv.  There are 4 total campsites, and each  offers a slightly different view and sense of privacy.  The owner met us when we arrived.  Dogs are allowed.  It is dry camping, with no hookups, and generators are not allowed.   The owner had a picnic table set up with flower boxes in it, and there was a nice fire ring. They will sell you wood if you need it.  There was one other camper at site 1, and we could also see the owners house, but both were far enough away that we had a great sense of privacy. There was a shared porta potty available for use for all of the campsites.  The land was quiet and peaceful - it is acres of blueberry fields, which create a special sense of being in nature. The site we were at had a nice tree, which framed the site. The owner was very responsive to questions we had, and responded quickly.   The area was very quiet - at night we only heard the crickets and the wind.

    You are close to Castine, Ellsworth, Blue Hill, Deer Isle and Stonington.  There are numerous hiking trails in the area that can be found on All Trails, as well as easy places to kayak from, the closest of which are the Brooksville Town Landing, or Bucks Harbor public boat launch.

  • Steve V.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 25, 2019

    Hadley's Point Campground

    Ranger Review: Morsel Spork at Hadley’s Point Campground

    **Campground Review: **

    Hadley’s Point Campground is located on the north side of Mt Desert Island and just a short distance from Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Hadley’s Point is a large private campground that has tent, water& electric RV, and full hook up sites, as well as Cabins. The campground is broke up in to multiple loops (campground map can be found in my pictures) with some loops in open areas with little shade and sites close together, and other loops have more wooded sites that have some shade and privacy. All style sites include a picnic table and fire ring. 

    Reservations are site type, not site specific, so a little bit of a gamble. We were assigned site B27 on this visit. This site was partially shade depending on the time of day and very close to our neighbors. Other sites in the B loop did have more trees and more private, but they were full on this stay. Check-in was easy and the staff was very helpful in providing info and answering questions about the area. A host guides you to your site and assist you in positioning if needed. 

    The bathroom on B-loop does not have showers so we had to hike to other loops to shower. The Bathrooms and showers were very clean. The showers are metered and cost $0.50 per 7 minutes, so don’t forget your quarters! 

    Firewood and limited supplies were available at the office. There is a full grocery store about 10 minutes away. 

    We found good cell phone service with Verizon throughout the property. The campground did not have wi-fi. 

    The campground also has a heated pool, playground, and laundry. 

    With Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park close by, there is so much to do and see in the area. One of the best benefits of the area is that there is a free shuttle with multiple routes around the island, so you can leave the car and parking hassles behind and just shuttle everywhere. The Shuttle has a stop right on the campground and is dog friendly (on leash and if your dog is friendly). 

    Speaking of dog friendly, I’ve never been to an area that is so dog friendly. The campground staff was very forthcoming with dog friendly info and I have to mention Bark Harbor in downtown Bar Harbor. Bark Harbor is a pet store that bakes their own treats, has toys and gifts, and tons of info on dog friendly areas on the island. They have pre-printed lists of dog friendly hotels, restaurants, on and off leash hiking trails, and dog parks. Super friendly crew that keyed us into an off leash hiking area that our dogs loved! 

    Pro Tip: A short ¼ mile walk from the campground is an off leash dog friendly beach that you can also launch your kayak or canoe from or have a sunset beach campfire. We really enjoys this beach after a long day of hiking all around the national park. 

    With all the outdoor activities of the national park, kayak and boat cruises in the ocean, lobster, lobster, lobster, you’ll need a full week to explore this island. Hadley’s Point made it a perfect place for us to take it all in.

    **---------------------------- **

    **Product Review: **

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the Morsel Spork. This spork from Morel is very handy to have in your gear list. We are teardrop campers, so our space is limited. Everything has to have a purpose and be compact. Items like the Morsel Spork, that serves multiple functions, fit right into our needs. We purchased both the mini and the XL. Both are the same (spork on one end, spoon/scraper on the other end), but the XL is a little longer. We found this very functional for regular eating from plates or bowls, or eating directly from food packets. I also found the scraper spoon side useful in cleaning out our french press carafe. Easy to clean, easy to use, comes in multiple colors, and happy to have it a part of our camping equipment.

  • P
    Apr. 24, 2024

    Tiny Cabins of Maine

    Wonderful Camping Spot

    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.

  • B
    Jul. 3, 2018

    Hadley's Point Campground

    Just outside of Acadia National Park

    our family of four (my Husband and I and our 2 boys) stayed in a camping cabin for 5 days at the end of June. The cabin contained a queen sized bed and a set of bunk beds. It also had a private bathroom with metered shower. 50 cents got you a hot, 7 minute shower, which was plenty of time! You need to supply your own linens and towels. Toilet paper, garbage bags and a broom/dustpan are supplied. There was a fire ring outside of the cabin and a picnic table. We purchased firewood at a stand close to the campground. We found the cabins to be spaced far enough apart that we had peace and quiet and privacy. If you had wanted to make friends with your neighbors, you could. We noticed lots of families with children staying in the cabins area. The campground itself had a heated swimming pool. Best of all, the campground was on the Island Explorer bus route, which is a series of busses that take you to different areas of Acadia National Park and into the surrounding towns. Once you arrive at the campground, you wouldn’t need to use your car again!

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 15, 2025

    Megunticook Campground

    Nicely wooded sites BUT...

    The sites here are nicely wooded and have a decent amount of separation between most of them BUT the campground is located too close to the road and, with the exception of sites 84-87 and cabins 8-10, you will hear road noise in your site. Options are 10 rustic cabins, tent sites, partial and FHU sites. 

    The bathhouse was very clean and there are both outdoor and indoor showers; both looked nice although we did not use them. 

    I thought $50 for a tent site was a little steep but it was all the potential extra fees that irked me:

    *$30 site lock to ensure you get the site you want when you reserve. I took a chance and was able to get the site I reserved without paying this fee

    *$4 weather guarantee (allows you to cancel due to inclement weather). I didn’t bother with this one

    *7.95 if you need to hook up to WiFi. We were able to use our own portable WiFi

    *$10 to use the dump station (we found another place that charged $5) 

    Aside from the fees and proximity to the road, this is a nice campground with a host of amenities: pool (which I was surprised was still open on October 1), horseshoes, laundry, dishwashing sink, a playground, and trash pick-up at your site. There is also a path to the shore with picnic tables, and chairs. Repairs to the sea wall are in progress so caution was recommended.

  • Whitney W.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 9, 2025

    Mount Desert Campground

    One of the BEST campgrounds ever!

    My family of 4 tent camped at Mount Desert Campground in June ‘24. I woke up at 5am to reserve a site months in advance for the ‘24 camping season. Upon late arrival, we grabbed out site details from the office and made our way through the grounds. It’s made of of a few different camping sections with designated shower/restroom houses. They were all clean, nicely spaced throughout the grounds. And you could use any of them. The showers are coin operated for warm water. Bring quarters! You can definitely shower completely with one session of about 5 minutes (I believe). The entire facility is raised with spacing between the floor slats for air circulation and breeze, which I liked. That saying, don’t drop money or jewelry on the floor as it would be difficult to get.

    The sites all had a decent amount of privacy and trees between sites. It felt more comfortable and private than expected! D19 was a premium site with water & electricity. It was awesome. Each site has a picnic table & fire ring.

    Sites are not made for large RVs. They can fit smaller camper trailers and pop-ups, but that’s about it. It actually adds to the campground ambience as it keeps things quiet and more of an outdoor camping experience!

    The BEST part of this campground for our family was Somes Sound and the floating docks. We purchased a crab bucket with net from the coffee shop one morning for around $10-12. It was well worth it as my kids crab gigged for HOURS off the docks every day! We carefully swam to the small rock island next to the dock and collected sea snails. The water was cold but felt great when hot. Watch out for jelly fish!! We took our chances by swimming around them.

    We rented double kayaks from the front office for 2 hours and kayaked Somes Sound - it was beautiful water & amazing exploring! A bit more difficult with the ocean currents vs lake kayaking, so keep that in mind with kids. Wear life vests!

    If you want a waterfront campsite - good luck! They let the families book them year over year so it’s hard to get an opening to reserve those sites. But it doesn’t really matter as we didn’t spend time at our site a lot anyway between exploring the NP and being down at the docks.

  • HThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 26, 2025

    Lamoine State Park Campground

    Peace and Quiet in beautiful setting

    Lamoine State Park is a great option if you want to be close to Acadia but away from the crowds.

    There are both tent and rv sites, which are intermingled in the campground. There is a bath house with showers and flush toilets. The toilet area was clean and was maintained on a regular basis. There are multiple vault toilets around the campground.

    The sites are in rows, from the top of the campground down to the water. Sites at the top are grassier with more sun, and the sites near the water have more shade. Many sites are not flat and require significant leveling if in an rv. Some sites have more buffer than others, but in general I would not say that there is great privacy between sites.
    The sites on the water all have beautiful views. There is no power/sewer/water at any of the sites. There are water faucets around the campground, and a dump station near the entrance.

    The park has a day use area and a public boat launch. You could launch a kayak from the park. The day use are is lovely, as is the launch area. The staff at the park were friendly and helpful.

    You are about 30 minutes to Acadia, 20 to Ellsworth and 30 to Blue Hill. It is a convenient location that is outside of the crowds. The Lamoine Beach is a 5 minute drive away and is a nice place to walk.


Guide to Thorndike

Nestled in the heart of Maine, Thorndike offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for a serene escape into nature.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • Enjoy the convenience of drinking water and picnic tables at Continuous Harmony Farm, making it a comfortable spot for families.
  • The Hawnets Nest features showers and toilets, ensuring a more pleasant camping experience for those who value hygiene.
  • At Tiny Cabins of Maine, campers can take advantage of firewood and fire pits, perfect for cozy evenings under the stars.

Some prices for tent camping range from $20 to $50

  • Tent camping at Maine Wild Blueberry Bliss offers a unique experience with stunning views and access to fresh blueberries during the season.
  • Rough and Raw provides a clothing-optional camping experience, with prices that reflect its unique offerings.
  • For a more rustic experience, Duck Harbor Campground in Acadia National Park requires reservations and is known for its breathtaking scenery.

Tent campers should check out unique activities

  • Experience blueberry picking at Continuous Harmony Farm during the late summer, a delightful activity for families and friends.
  • Kayaking and hiking opportunities abound near Nathan Island, making it a great choice for adventure seekers.
  • At Soul Retrieve-Hill, enjoy communal areas that foster connections with fellow campers while being close to Senebec Lake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Thorndike, ME?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Thorndike, ME is Amy’s Farmstays with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Thorndike, ME?

TheDyrt.com has all 20 tent camping locations near Thorndike, ME, with real photos and reviews from campers.