A Wooded Base Between Ogunquit and York Beach
Choose Dixon’s if you want to camp under actual trees within a two-mile drive of Ogunquit and three miles of York Beach, and you are happy trading resort spectacle for a quieter, shadier site. This is a tent-friendly campground first and an RV park second, and it is laid out that way: the sites are spread through three wooded and open areas, each with its own restroom and shower building, so you are never hiking across one enormous loop to reach a bathhouse.
Skip Dixon’s if you are towing a big fifth-wheel that has to have a sewer hookup right at the pad. The campground runs water and electric to its sites with a central dumping station rather than full hookups, so a large rig that dry-camps poorly is better matched to the full-hookup resorts up in Old Orchard Beach. The one constraint worth understanding before you book is the three-area layout itself: which area you land in shapes your whole stay, and the areas are not interchangeable.
Which of the Three Areas Fits You
Because each of the three camping areas has its own bathhouse, the practical question at Dixon’s is not “is there a good site,” it is “which area do I want to be standing in at seven in the morning.” Tent campers, RV drivers, and yurt renters all want slightly different things, and the office can steer you if you ask for the right one. Use this as a starting script for the reservation call.
| If you are... | Ask the office for... | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Tent camping | A shaded site in one of the wooded areas | Tree cover gives shade and wind protection, and every area keeps its own restroom and showers close by |
| In a small-to-mid RV | A level water-and-electric pad | Sites are water/electric with a central dump station, not full sewer hookups, so plan your tank use |
| Renting a yurt | One of the three yurts, booked early | There are only three, and they are the first thing to go on summer weekends |
| Camping with young kids | A site near the heated pool and an area bathhouse | Short walks to the pool and the bathroom matter more than anything else with little ones |
| After quiet | A site on the outer edge of an open area | Puts a buffer between you and the busiest foot traffic near the pool |
Tents, RVs, and the Three Yurts
Dixon’s takes tents in its wooded areas, water-and-electric RVs on the more open pads, and rents three yurts for people who want to camp on the coast without owning any of the gear. The yurts are the standout: each has a finished hardwood floor, a queen bed with bedding, a futon couch, a table with four chairs, a mini fridge, and both a heater and air conditioning, so a shoulder-season night in May or September stays comfortable. They sleep a small family and turn a camping trip into something closer to a cabin stay.
The tent sites are the reason to pick Dixon’s over the bigger southern-Maine resorts. You get real shade, some separation from your neighbors, and the short walk to your area’s bathhouse instead of a trek across a 400-site property. RV campers should go in expecting water and electric only; the dumping station handles the rest, which is a fine setup for a weekend but worth planning around for a longer stay.
Car camping & backpacking
If a yurt is what you want, book it the moment your dates open. With only three on the property, they sell out for July and August weekends long before the tent and RV sites do. If they are gone, a shaded wooded tent site is the next-best way to get the same quiet-under-the-trees feel.
The Pool and the Camp Itself
Beyond the sites, Dixon’s keeps a large heated in-ground pool, a camp store for the things you forgot, and the three bathhouses that anchor each area. It is a family-run, developed campground rather than a rugged one, and the heated pool is a genuine asset on the days the ocean two miles away is too cold to do more than wade. The mood is low-key and residential, the kind of place where the same families come back for the same week each summer.
The beaches near Dixon’s each have a different personality. Long Sands Beach in York is the big, open, park-anywhere stretch; Short Sands Beach is the smaller village beach by the arcades and the pier; and Ogunquit Beach two miles north is the wide, family-favorite flats. If the campground pool is busy and you want a swim, pick the beach by the crowd you are in the mood for, not just the one that is closest.
Day Trips from Cape Neddick
Dixon’s sits in the middle of one of the more walkable, do-something stretches of the southern coast. Nubble Light, the much-photographed lighthouse on its own little island, is minutes away in Cape Neddick. In Ogunquit to the north you can walk the Marginal Way, the cliffside path that runs from the beach to Perkins Cove. To the south, York gives you Short Sands, the Cliff Walk, and the harbor. And when you want to trade the coast for a summit, Mount Agamenticus is a short, family-friendly climb with a view back over the whole shoreline.
What a Site Costs (checked July 2026)
As of July 2026, Dixon’s does not publish a single flat nightly rate. Pricing runs by site type (tent, water-and-electric RV, or yurt) and by season, with yurts the most expensive of the three and holiday weekends carrying a three-night minimum. Short-term reservations take a deposit at booking. Because the campground sets the numbers at the time you reserve rather than posting them, treat any figure you see on a third-party listing as a rough guide and confirm the real rate directly when you call.
When to Go
Spring
Opens around mid-May. Cool ocean, quiet sites, and the heated pool for the days the beach is too cold.
Summer
Warm days, busy beaches nearby, and the yurts fully booked. Reserve well ahead for July and August.
Fall
Early-September stays stay warm with thinner crowds before the late-September close.
Winter
Closed for the off-season.
Getting There
Dixon’s is on Route 1 in Cape Neddick, part of the town of York, about two miles south of Ogunquit center and three miles north of York Beach. From Portland, take I-95 south to the York exits and follow Route 1 south, roughly 45 minutes. From Boston, it is the first cluster of Maine beach towns you reach, a little over an hour past the state line. The final approach is on paved road, fine for any tent car or RV.
FAQ
Does Dixon's have full hookups?
No. RV sites are water and electric, with a central dumping station on the property rather than sewer at each pad. Plan your tank use for longer stays, or choose a full-hookup resort in Old Orchard Beach if that is a requirement.
How many yurts are there, and what is inside?
Three. Each has a finished hardwood floor, a queen bed with bedding, a futon couch, a table and four chairs, a mini fridge, and heat plus air conditioning. They book up first, especially for summer weekends.
How far is the campground from the beaches?
About two miles south of Ogunquit and three miles north of York Beach, so Long Sands, Short Sands, and Ogunquit Beach are all short drives rather than walks.
Is it a good fit for tent camping?
Yes. The wooded areas are the reason to choose Dixon's over the bigger resorts: real shade, some privacy, and a short walk to your area's own bathhouse.
When is Dixon's open?
Roughly mid-May through late September. Exact opening and closing dates shift year to year, so confirm when you book.
For more of the surrounding area, see our guide to the town of York and neighboring Ogunquit.
