Natanis Point Campground

Moosehead Lake’s Intimate Campground

Natanis Point Campground is the kind of place you find by word of mouth. Tucked on a small point extending into Moosehead Lake near Greenville, it has roughly 20 sites, direct lake access, and the kind of quiet that only comes from being small and off the beaten path. While Lily Bay State Park draws the crowds a few miles up the road, Natanis Point rewards campers who prefer a more private experience on Maine’s largest lake.

Moosehead Lake covers over 75,000 acres and stretches 40 miles through the heart of the Maine highlands. The lake is surrounded by unbroken forest, with Mount Kineo rising dramatically from the water on a peninsula near the center. Greenville, at the southern tip of the lake, is the gateway town, a small community that serves as the jumping-off point for fishing, paddling, hiking, and moose-watching expeditions into the surrounding wilderness.

Natanis Point puts you right on the lake with none of the crowds that can build up at the larger campgrounds. The sunsets from the shore are extraordinary, the loons call through the evening, and the chance of seeing a moose wading in the shallows at dawn is real enough that you should keep your binoculars within reach at all times.

The Campground

With approximately 20 sites, Natanis Point is intimate by design. Sites are a mix of lakefront and wooded, all with fire rings and picnic tables. The lakefront sites sit right on the shore of Moosehead Lake with unobstructed views across the water. Wooded sites are set back among spruce and fir trees, offering more shade and shelter from the wind that can blow across the lake.

The campground accommodates tents and smaller RVs, though the road in and the site sizes favor tent camping and pop-up trailers over large motorhomes. Facilities are basic compared to resort campgrounds: clean restrooms, potable water, and a boat launch. There are no showers on-site, no hookups, and no camp store. This is camping that leans toward the traditional side.

A boat launch provides direct access to Moosehead Lake for canoes, kayaks, and small motorboats. The shoreline near the campground is a mix of rocky points and sandy pockets where you can wade in on warm days.

Things to Do

Moosehead Lake defines the experience here. Paddling from the campground opens up miles of shoreline to explore. Head north along the eastern shore toward Lily Bay, or paddle west toward the dramatic cliffs of Mount Kineo. The lake is large enough to feel like an inland sea, so check the weather before heading out and stay close to shore if wind is forecast.

Fishing is exceptional. Moosehead Lake holds landlocked salmon, brook trout, lake trout, and smallmouth bass. The salmon and trout fishing is best in spring and early summer before the water warms and the fish go deep. Trolling with lead-core line or downriggers produces results in summer. The campground’s boat launch makes it easy to get a boat on the water at first light.

Moose-watching is practically mandatory in the Greenville area. Early morning and evening drives along the logging roads north of town are the classic approach. The bogs and ponds along the Golden Road and Lily Bay Road are prime habitat. June and early July, when moose come to the water to escape blackflies, offer the best sightings. From the campground, you may spot moose along the shoreline without even leaving your site.

Hiking options are plentiful. Mount Kineo, accessible by boat from Rockwood, has a dramatic cliff trail with views over the lake. Big Squaw Mountain (now Big Moose Mountain) south of Greenville offers a longer hike with panoramic summit views. Gulf Hagas, the “Grand Canyon of Maine,” is about an hour’s drive east on logging roads.

When to Go

Getting There

From Portland, take I-95 north to Newport (Exit 157), then Route 7 north through Dexter to Dover-Foxcroft, and Route 15 north to Greenville. The drive is about three and a half hours. From Bangor, take Route 15 north directly to Greenville, about 90 minutes. Natanis Point is on the east side of Moosehead Lake, a short drive from the center of Greenville. Look for signs or get specific directions when you book.

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