The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near West Gardiner. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are West Gardiner campgrounds just for you. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Maine camping adventure.
"We stayed in the “new sites” adjacent to the entrance road; it was a long nice site with gravel but was not private. Most sites are packed in; close to others with not a lot of privacy."
"For the most part it’s RVs and trailers. Sites are equipped with water and electric. If you have sewer. Lots of Lakeside sites."
$40 - $60 / night
"General: Small campground (five full hookup pull-throughs; four full hookup back-ins and two water and electric back-in sites) on the grounds of a brewery."
"The brewery is really cool, and the wood fired pizza is some of my favorite. The folks who run this place are really friendly and accommodating. Both my wife an I really enjoyed ourselves."
"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."
"The campground is pet friendly- I think almost everyone we saw had a dog."
"This is a great little private RV park with awesome views (from some sites) and great access to the ocean."
"Beaver Brook in Monmouth Maine is a must stay if you have kids from babies to teens. Our family has been going annually for the last five years."
"Big pool and brooks around. Tons of trails. A general store with a connected ice cream stand near the pool area. Gated fence."
$30 - $35 / night
"This multiple generation owned campground is rustic and spacious.
They also host some amazing events for the community from music to car shows to weddings."
"I stayed here in a tent back in 2015. Great campground for someone who enjoys a more social experience, and access to many activities!"
$30 - $35 / night
"The friend who was with me called around and found More to Life campground in Winthrop. Best part? we got a pull-through site for the night, so I didn't have to figure out how to back up in the dark!"
"I’m biased as we are seasonal campers. We love this place because it’s not a party campground and is very family friendly."
$40 - $82 / night
"This is a beautiful, family and pet friendly campground. Very well kept. The bathrooms and showers were always clean. Plenty of activities. There is a beautiful nature trail along the stream!"
"The campground is wonderful; clean, quiet but with plenty to do. If that doesnt make you come back then Zach, the owner, will."
LegendWe 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.
LegendOverall, this is a great little private RV park with awesome views (from some sites) and great access to the ocean. The park is conveniently located just a few miles from downtown Belfast (a sweet little Maine town) which offers plenty to do and see. Plus, you are just five miles from the cute town of Searsport which houses the wonderful Penobscot Marine Museum and two miles from Moose Point State Park with hiking trails, picnic areas, and more gorgeous views.
The park offers a variety of sites (44 total) depending on if you want oceanfront, ocean view, or a pull-thru. All sites have electric (50 or 30 amp), water, cable and wifi. The five pull-thru sites also include sewer. A mobile sewer pump-out service is available for guests staying one week or longer and there is a dump station. Roads and sites are gravel with grass patios and level. All sites have a fire ring and picnic table. Our Verizon 4G phone and Hotspot worked great but we mostly used the free wifi which worked very well.
Park amenities include private ocean access, horseshoes, playground, laundry, showers/bathrooms, free coffee in the morning, free weekend papers delivered to your site, free donuts on Sunday mornings, and a restaurant on-site. The park organizes a lot of group activities including pot lucks, lobster shore dinners, and free wine and beer during Friday Happy Hours. The laundry has two wash machines/dryers and was clean and tidy.
The Moorings is in a great location. It is just a few miles from downtown Belfast where you will find restaurants, a brewery, boutiques, a movie theater, art galleries, historic museums/sites, and plenty of water-related activities. Grocery stores and fuel stations are within a few miles of the RV Park. Just a mere 20 miles away is the popular coastal town of Camden.
What we liked about this park is the town of Belfast and how close the RV park is to downtown. Also, the parks small size and friendly people make this an enjoyable place to stay. We like the fact that they had social activities (like free happy hour and donuts) that bring people together. The ocean access in this park is great! A short set of stairs takes you down to the water which is great for exploring, launching kayaks, and letting the dog run/swim when the tide is out.
The biggest downside for us was the price and lack of sewer and 50 amp at some sites. Our site was $66/night for a FHU (50 amp) pull-thru on the hill in the front of the park without much in the way of a water view. Premier oceanfront sites (with no sewer and 30 amps) are $72/night during high season. That being said, there are not too many options for campgrounds in the Belfast area and we really did like staying here.
From a dog owners perspective this park gets mixed reviews. The rules ask that dogs be on a 4’ or less lease, you may only have two pets (unless you get prior approval), they must do their business in one small area and are not allowed on most grassy areas throughout the park. We make a consorted effort not too let our dog pee or poop in others yards but we don’t always have control over where that happens. We did like the fact that you could take them down to the ocean to play in the water and on the beach when the tide was out. Within two miles of the RV park is Moose Point State Park with a few miles of hiking trails, picnic area and water access (a daily use fee is charged). Downtown Belfast does have a fenced off-leash 1.4 – acre dog park with water for dogs and benches for owners.
LegendWe chose this campground because it was close to Portland– a city where we love hanging out at great breweries, shopping, and eating at some of the country’s best restaurants. The close proximity to Portland is one of the pluses of this campground. But, it turned out we weren’t crazy about this campground and probably would not be back.
Campsites for transients and big-rig sites are in the front portion of the park; whereas, the seasonals are along the spring/pond in the back section. There are tons of site types to choose from depending on your amperage, sewer, and cable needs. Our site was a back-in full hook-up, 50-amp site that was o.k. It was level and long enough to fit our 45’ RV. The pad was gravel and the patio was grass with a firepit and picnic table. The utilities were in the far back of the site so make sure you have long enough hoses. Since we hung over the back of our site and our wet and electric bays are towards the back of our RV, we were able to reach the utilities without extensions.
As the name implies, there is a spring on the property which is fairly large and open to paddling (no motorized boats) and swimming. There are lots of rules about where you can swim (i.e., only within 75 feet of the shore, no swimming to island, no dogs, no diving offshore, etc.). You can fish in the pond (catch and release only). Visitor fees seemed quite high at $8/day use and $15/overnight but I’m sure it helps keep the number of people down.
Amenities include volleyball/basketball/pickle ball, a swim beach, playground, recreation hall, snack bar, horseshoes, a community bonfire area, and dog run. There is no charge to borrow sporting equipment which is nice (volleyballs, basketballs, etc). The store sells camping supplies, ice, groceries, ice cream, and t-shirts. There is a pretty active events calendar (of which we did not participate) with games (cards, bingo, etc.), themed weekends, and entertainment.
Overall, the campground has an old, run-down appearance and a dusty dirty feel to it. The seasonal sites are pretty junky with lots of stuff spread out around each camper. I was really glad we were in a transient site away from the seasonals because it was a little quieter as a lot of the seasonals were outside playing loud music and got a little rowdy. We love the Portland area and will return but not to this campground– there are plenty more in the area a little farther away from downtown.
LegendThis is a great little private RV park with awesome views (from some sites) and great access to the ocean. The park is conveniently located just a few miles from downtown Belfast which offers plenty to do and see and is one of our favorite coastal Maine towns. We love shopping at the Co-op, eating pizza at Meanwhile in Belfast, lobster at Young's Lobster Pound, and lunch at Chase's Daily. Plus, you are just five miles from the cute town of Searsport which houses the wonderful Penobscot Marine Museum and two miles from Moose Point State Park with hiking trails and gorgeous views.
The park is small but offers a variety of sites depending on if you want oceanfront, oceanview, or a pull-thru. There is no tenting allowed! All sites have electric (50 or 30 amp), water, cable and wifi. The park recently added sewer to all sites and a dump station is onsite. The roads and camp sites are gravel with grass patios. Sites are level. All sites have a fire ring and picnic table. Our Verizon 4G phone and Hotspot worked great but we mostly used their free wifi which worked very well.
Park amenities include private ocean access, horseshoes, playground, laundry, showers/bathrooms, free coffee in the morning, free weekend papers delivered to your site, free donuts on Sunday mornings, and a restaurant on-site. The park organizes a lot of group activities including pot lucks, lobster shore dinners, BBQ feast, and cold beverages offered during Friday Happy Hours. The office/store has a great book exchange and an assortment of RV/souvenir items for sale. The laundry has two wash machines/dryers and was clean and tidy.
The parks small size and friendly people make this an enjoyable place to stay. We like the fact that they had social activities (like free happy hour and donuts) that bring people together. The ocean access is great! A short set of stairs takes you down to the water which is great for exploring, launching kayaks, and letting the dog run/swim when the tide is out. The biggest downside for us was the price which was $94/night for a FHU (50 amp) pull-thru on the hill in the front of the park without much in the way of a water view. Premier oceanfront sites are $110/night during high season. Park rules say that you may only have two pets (unless you get prior approval), they must do their business in one small area and are not allowed on most grassy areas throughout the park. We make a consorted effort not to let our dog pee or poop in others yards but we don’t always have control over where she goes and found this park very restrictive.
LegendI have come to Camden many times and have always loved it being in the area. The town is charming and there is so much to do in the immediate area and the surrounding towns of Rockland, Rockport, Owls Head, Lincolnville, and Belfast . . . just to name a few. One of the best parts of coming to Camden is Camden Hills State Park.
Overall, this is a really great park. Camden Hills State Park is located three miles from downtown Camden but the 5,700 acres provide you with that serene feeling that comes with being in the peaceful woods. We arrived just a few days after the park opened for the season so the campground was especially quiet. Our large back-in site was set in an open sunny area but most of the sites are nicely tucked into the woods with plenty of space between them. One of the real pluses of this park were the miles and miles of hiking trails just outside our doorstep. Driving the tour road to the summit of Mt. Battie (elevation 800') is a must and the views are spectacular (especially for watching the sunrise). If you would like to burn a few calories try hiking the trail to the top for a truly rewarding experience.
Sites and patios are gravel and level with a picnic table and fire pit. Approximately, half the sites have water and 30/50 amp electric and the others are no hookups. The campgrounds website has a very helpful map showing which sites are reservable and what they offer. There is a dump station and water spigots are scattered throughout the campground. Free showers are located in the bathhouse/restrooms and were clean.
For television watchers, there is no cable and satellite can be difficult due to trees. There are nine sites (55 - 63) located in an open field that may be able to pick up satellite. Our antenna found one major network and a few PBS stations. The Verizon signal on our phone and wifi on our hotspot were strong. The park does have free wifi at most campsites and the signal was very strong. (Sites #68-81 do not have wifi).
Reservations can be made on-line but only about half of the sites are reservable leaving the other half for walk-ups. I would advise making reservations if you want to stay over a weekend or during the summer season as this park really fills up. You can stay up to 14 days which would definitely require a reservation in the summer. Although the park accommodates larger RV's, there are a limited number of sites for those over 35 feet and the gravel roads are easy to navigate in a big rig. There are really no amenities at this park other than the tour road to Mt. Battie, a swing set from the 1970's, a picnic shelter, and the trails.
Camden should be on everyone's list of places to see if you are traveling the Maine coast. Within 10 miles are great museums like the Farnsworth Art Museum, the Maine Lighthouse Museum, the Sail, Power, and Steam Museum, and others. There are attractive lighthouses and great restaurants. In neighboring Rockport is Shepherds Pie - one of our favorite restaurants and the Market Basket a great shop for pastries, sandwiches, wine, and coffee. Downtown Camden has a great wine and cheese shop called Lily, Lupine, and Fern and excellent clam chowder at Cappy's Chowder House. If you are looking for a great place to paddle or cool off in the crisp Maine water, check out Lake Megunticook just five miles away from the state park.
What we really liked was the convenient location to downtown Camden and other cute towns, there are hiking trails just outside your doorstep, and you are within five miles of a grocery, restaurants, attractions, etc. The sites are large and have nice privacy. And the price was right at $27/night.
LegendI 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.
LegendThere is not much to say about this campground. We wanted to love it because of its waterfront location in mid-coast Maine but just couldn’t do it. The campground is located in S. Thomaston which is a great location and beautiful area. The access to water and views are really pretty spectacular but the campground leaves a lot to be desired and I wish the owners would realize the potential of this place and make improvements.
Sites vary from those that accommodate RVs with water and electric to those for tents. There is no sewer but a dump station is available if you don’t mind packing up to dump. For the most part, sites are grassy with a picnic table and a fire ring. The bathhouse has hot showers and flush toilets that were just o.k.– a little on the old side and overused. We did spot a random port-a-potty which made us appreciate our self-contained RV. A small campsite store is located on-site and open just a few months in the summer. The cheapest places to buy firewood are the many roadside stands that sell them on the honor system for$3-4. Not all sites in the campground are level and the roads were in pretty bad shape so plan on going slow through the potholes. A lot of the sites are open to the sun but there are some shade trees along the edges. The lack of shade really isn’t a problem in this area because the evenings cool off and there is a nice cool ocean breeze. We were able to get strong Verizon cell service and internet but our over-the-air antenna did not work and we had to go to Dish satellite. There are very few amenities but that is o.k. because you have awesome water views and are in a great location for sightseeing, hiking, and paddling.
We really wanted to love this campground because of the location, but just couldn’t get there. It is really tight for big rigs and many of the sites are just o.k. being too close, unlevel, or with no view. The location is great, if that is what you are after. Not too far away is the best lobster pound in the world– McLoons which has the best food and most amazing views.
ScoutThe Moorings has beautiful ocean front sites( they book up fast). And almost all the other sites have partial ocean views as well. Please note they have upgraded the campground and now ALL sites are full hook up with 50 amp, water and sewer. We stayed here in a 40 foot Motorhome. Many sites (not all) can accomodate bigger rigs. This is a great location from which to explore Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor and towns of Belfast, Rockland and Camden.
LegendWe decided to visit this campground on their “clean-up” weekend. In return for volunteering we would get free food and a campsite for the weekend. That sounded like a pretty good deal for us and turned out to be a great experience and we loved the campground. The reasons we loved the campground so much was because it was on a gorgeous 630-acre working farm (Wolfe’s Neck Farm) nestled into Casco Bay. The grounds are beautiful and just five miles from downtown Freeport (home to the L.L. Bean Flagship Store, assorted outlets shops, restaurants, grocery, etc.) and a couple of miles from Wolfe’s Neck State Park.
Overall, this campground is located in an idyllic Maine setting and offers the feel you would expect to find in a state park – hiking trails, water for kayaking/fishing, and some sites with lots of space between them. You have expansive water views of the bay that provide a great backdrop for some of the campsites. But best of all, the campground is located on a working farm so you are free to tour the barns, pet a goat, visit the community garden or buy fresh chicken eggs.
Roads and sites are gravel and the overwhelming majority are level. Of the 150+ sites, only 20 have water and electric (50 amp). All sites have picnic tables and fire pits. There is no cable or wifi. Reservations can be made on-line or by phone. Our Verizon 4G phone and hotspot worked well and we got a half dozen antenna channels (including major stations).
The sites vary widely based on size, privacy, water views, and hook-ups. They discourage RV’s larger than 35’ from coming but I am not sure how strict they are on that because they let our 40’ rig in. There are a scattering of large sites (big enough to fit 40’) but the roads are narrow and the substrate can be soft depending on the amount of rainfall.
While no sites have sewer there is a dump station. However, the dump station is ill-placed and would have been very hard for us to access. Two shower houses (and a laundry) are located on the property and numerous pit toilets are scattered about. Be aware that this campground is very spread out so in some instances sites are far from flush toilets and showers. Water spigots are located throughout the campground. For those without RV’s, there are great little cabins for rent that have gorgeous views, picnic tables, and fire pits.
There is lots to do without even leaving the campground such as taking a hike, visiting the farm animals, attending a lobster bake, there is a playground, you can rent kayaks/canoes/bikes, or fish in the bay.
What we really liked about this campground was being in the picturesque coastal farm setting. We often visited the barn to watch the baby goats and lambs and Spirit was intrigued with the cows. There is plenty of room to walk your dog and enjoy a stroll outdoors.
The proximity to L.L. Bean and downtown Freeport can’t be beat. We especially loved hiking at Wolfe’s Neck State Park and there were plenty of places for Spirit to swim. Casco Bay is amazing for kayaking – just mind the tides.
The not so good things about this park are the lack of sewer and that our patio was in a low, wet spot. Also, some of the water/electric campsites are on very soft substrate which may pose a problem for large RV’s. There are very few flush toilets for this size RV park and I’m sure they are quite crowded in the busy season.
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