Camping in Maine
Discover Maine's best campgrounds from oceanfront tent sites to backcountry wilderness camping.
Featured Campgrounds
CAMP Blackwoods Campground
Bar Harbor, acadia
Acadia's most popular campground with 281 wooded sites minutes from Otter Cliff and the Park Loop Road. Open May through October.
CAMP Seawall Campground
Southwest Harbor, acadia
Acadia's quieter alternative to Blackwoods with 202 sites including 99 walk-in tent-only spots. Located on the 'quiet side' of Mount Desert Island near Southwest Harbor.
CAMP Camden Hills State Park
Camden, midcoast
107 campsites at the edge of Penobscot Bay with summit hikes, ocean views, and a charming harbor village two miles down the road. Open late May through mid-October.
CAMP Lily Bay State Park
Greenville, moosehead
90 campsites on Moosehead Lake split between Rowell Cove and Dunn Point. Waterfront sites, sandy beach, and some of the best moose watching in Maine.
Types of Camping in Maine
Car Camping
Drive-in sites with parking and amenities nearby.
Tent Only
Walk-in sites for a quieter, more secluded experience.
Backcountry
Remote wilderness sites accessed by trail or paddle.
Lean-to / Shelter
Three-sided shelters along trails and in state parks.
Maine Camping Tips
- 1. Book early. Popular spots like Blackwoods fill up 4-6 months in advance for summer weekends.
- 2. Bug prep is essential. June and July bring serious black flies and mosquitoes. Pack DEET or permethrin-treated gear.
- 3. Check fire permits. Maine requires a fire permit for open burning. Many campgrounds provide fire rings.
- 4. Bear canisters in the backcountry. Black bears are active throughout Maine. Hang food or use a canister.
All Campgrounds
27 campgrounds across Maine
CAMP Aroostook State Park
Presque Isle, aroostook-katahdin
Maine's first state park with 30 quiet sites on Echo Lake. Hike Quaggy Jo, paddle pristine water, and ski 15 miles of groomed trails in the remote north.
CAMP Baxter State Park Camping
Millinocket, aroostook-katahdin
True wilderness camping at the foot of Mount Katahdin. Multiple campgrounds and backcountry lean-tos with no electricity, no cell service, and no compromise on the wild experience.
CAMP Blackwoods Campground
Bar Harbor, acadia
Acadia's most popular campground with 281 wooded sites minutes from Otter Cliff and the Park Loop Road. Open May through October.
CAMP Bradbury Mountain State Park
Freeport, southern-maine
Maine's most beginner-friendly campground: 35 affordable sites, easy summit hike, world-class mountain biking, and spring hawk watching. 30 min from Portland.
CAMP Camden Hills State Park
Camden, midcoast
107 campsites at the edge of Penobscot Bay with summit hikes, ocean views, and a charming harbor village two miles down the road. Open late May through mid-October.
CAMP Cobscook Bay State Park
Lubec, downeast
106 campsites surrounded by Cobscook Bay's dramatic 24-foot tides. Remote Downeast camping with bald eagles, wild blueberries, and end-of-the-world solitude.
CAMP Duck Harbor Campground, Isle au Haut
Stonington, acadia
Five lean-to shelters on a remote Acadia island reached by mail boat. One of the hardest camping reservations in the entire NPS.
CAMP Evans Notch Campgrounds
Bethel, western-mountains
Four rustic campgrounds in Maine's White Mountain National Forest with wilderness hiking, swimming holes, and fall foliage along scenic Route 113.
CAMP Grafton Notch Area Camping
Bethel, western-mountains
Camp near Grafton Notch's gorges, waterfalls, and Old Speck Mountain. A private campground and AT lean-tos put you steps from western Maine's best hiking.
CAMP Hermit Island
Bath, midcoast
A 255-acre peninsula in Phippsburg with 271 tent-only sites, 7 sandy beaches, and no RVs allowed. Reservations by phone or mail only.
CAMP Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument
Patten, aroostook-katahdin
Free primitive camping under a Bortle 2 dark sky at Maine's newest national monument. 18 sites, 4 lean-tos, zero cell service.
CAMP Lake St. George State Park
Liberty, midcoast
Crystal-clear 1,017-acre lake with 38 campsites, a unique grass-to-water beach, boat rentals, and landlocked salmon fishing in central Maine.
CAMP Lamoine State Park
Ellsworth, acadia
62 oceanfront sites on Frenchman Bay with views of Cadillac Mountain. The insider's base camp for Acadia without the crowds or reservation frenzy.
CAMP Lily Bay State Park
Greenville, moosehead
90 campsites on Moosehead Lake split between Rowell Cove and Dunn Point. Waterfront sites, sandy beach, and some of the best moose watching in Maine.
CAMP McClellan Park, Milbridge
Milbridge, downeast
Hidden $15/night municipal campground on a rocky ocean point in Downeast Maine. First-come-first-served, no reservations needed.
CAMP Mount Blue State Park
Weld, western-mountains
Maine's largest state park with 136 wooded sites on Webb Lake. Sandy beach, mountain trails, and paddling across 8,000 acres of western Maine wilderness.
CAMP Mount Desert Campground
Somesville, acadia
A long-running family campground on Somes Sound, the only fjord on the U.S. East Coast. Tent sites, small RV sites, and waterfront platforms minutes from Acadia and Bar Harbor.
CAMP Peaks-Kenny State Park
Dover-Foxcroft, moosehead
Award-winning lakeside park with 56 wooded sites on Sebec Lake. White sand beach, gentle trails, and great fishing just 49 minutes from Bangor.
CAMP Rangeley Lake State Park
Rangeley, western-mountains
Western Maine lakefront camping with 50 sites overlooking Saddleback Mountain. Sandy beach, boat launch, and a gateway to moose watching, Appalachian Trail hiking, and fall foliage.
CAMP Recompence Shore Campground
Freeport, southern-maine
Oceanfront tent and RV sites, cabins, and pre-pitched comfort camping on a working organic farm at Wolfe's Neck Center in Freeport. Pet-friendly with miles of trails along Casco Bay.
CAMP Sagadahoc Bay Campground
Bath, midcoast
Oceanfront campground on Georgetown Island with tent, RV, and cabin sites. Fifteen minutes from Reid State Park beaches. Open Memorial Day to Columbus Day.
CAMP Schoodic Woods Campground
Winter Harbor, acadia
Acadia's mainland campground on the Schoodic Peninsula with 94 sites, the park's only electric hookups, and direct bike path access to Schoodic Point's granite shoreline.
CAMP Seawall Campground
Southwest Harbor, acadia
Acadia's quieter alternative to Blackwoods with 202 sites including 99 walk-in tent-only spots. Located on the 'quiet side' of Mount Desert Island near Southwest Harbor.
CAMP Sebago Lake State Park
Naples, southern-maine
One of Maine's most popular campgrounds with 250 sites on Sebago Lake. Two camping areas, sandy beaches with lifeguards, excellent water access, and only 45 minutes from Portland.
CAMP Town Line Camping on Damariscotta Lake
Damariscotta, midcoast
Family-run campground since 1960 on 160 acres of Damariscotta Lake shoreline. Bass, trout, and salmon fishing with a sandy beach and boat launch.
CAMP Warren Island State Park
Lincolnville, midcoast
A 70-acre boat-access-only island in Penobscot Bay with 12 tent sites, 3 Adirondack shelters, ocean views from every site, and some of the darkest skies on the Maine coast.
CAMP Wolfe's Neck Oceanfront Camping
Freeport, southern-maine
A 626-acre nonprofit campground in Freeport with 100+ oceanfront sites on Casco Bay, a working organic farm, cabins, and L.L.Bean minutes away.