Campgrounds and activities in Nh, and Me for the summer

[NjNewbie30]

Hello all. So my DW and I had to change our travel plans for 5 weeks this summer due to the rising gas prices. We were planning on taking our Rv(2015 Jayco Greyhawk 31FS) our to Cali for our second time. However due to the current fuel situation we have had to change our plans. Instead of putting 8,000+ miles on our rig we have decided to go up to Maine and New Hampshire from 6/22-7/20.(I figure we will do about 1,500 miles instead)We have a small pontoon boat that we could bring if it made sense. I am looking for suggestions of camping destinations as the DW likes full hook-ups when ever possible. As well as places to visit and things to do. Any and all suggestions are welcome. I have never been to this part of the country I am excited to experience as much as possible...

[Kim Gass]

That is a huge list of requirements.
Our lake has a commercial campground where you can dock boats but... you have to be quick at the public launch nearby. The launch is scarcely 30 feet long and 9 feet wide and the tow vehicle has to block highway traffic. Locals have it down quick; you may not.

And the campground does not have full hookups. Most non KOA's do not have full hookups.

Your rig with the boat is way bigger than campsites can handle here. Consider leaving the pontoon boat at home and find a rental boat when you want to fish or cruise. Will ye be near saltwater ( where I have never seen a pontoon boat) or will ye be on fresh ( almost all of my neighbors have pontoon boats).

Are you wanting to cruise around the State you choose or stay in one or two places?

Maine is over five hundred miles from end to end diagonally. Most tourists stay near Bar Harbor ( then boast they have Seen Maine. Which they most assuredly have not). That area is most likely already booked solid.

[NjNewbie30]

Originally Posted by Kim Gass

That is a huge list of requirements.
Our lake has a commercial campground where you can dock boats but... you have to be quick at the public launch nearby. The launch is scarcely 30 feet long and 9 feet wide and the tow vehicle has to block highway traffic. Locals have it down quick; you may not.

And the campground does not have full hookups. Most non KOA's do not have full hookups.

Your rig with the boat is way bigger than campsites can handle here. Consider leaving the pontoon boat at home and find a rental boat when you want to fish or cruise. Will ye be near saltwater ( where I have never seen a pontoon boat) or will ye be on fresh ( almost all of my neighbors have pontoon boats).

Are you wanting to cruise around the State you choose or stay in one or two places?

Maine is over five hundred miles from end to end diagonally. Most tourists stay near Bar Harbor ( then boast they have Seen Maine. Which they most assuredly have not). That area is most likely already booked solid.

The boat is not a must bring. I live in a small lk community in NJ. I would rather be able to be more mobile without the boat. As for traveling or staying stationary I would prefer to see as much as possible so moving around would be better for us. I would like to relax and hike basically. Do not need to see to many site. More interested in nature and scenery. I do want to get lobster. My thought is to start up near Acadia(spend about a week there and then slowly make our war dwn the coast. Thoughts?

[Kim Gass]

thoughts.. that is the height of tourist season and you are late. I checked Oceanside KOA on Mount Desert Island and they are full. I suspect have been for a while.

The NPS campsites are not yet reservable. Neither of the two on the island have any services. Schoodic Woods on Schoodic Peninsula has electric. It is a beautiful campground near biking hiking scenery and not much else.

We have lived in Maine for a quarter of a century and frankly do not go to the coast below Ellsworth in the summer at all. You can get lobster anywhere. Its in the supermarkets even now. We do like Sunset Point in Harrington but that is near only peace quiet, lobster and blueberry. Its east of Ellsworth. Lubec is farther east and another favorite of ours.

Some people like Shore Hills in Boothbay ( Harbor) though its actually in Boothbay.

We usually run north to Eustis or Seboomook.. Nothing but lakes fish and hiking there. May not be to your wifes liking In Sept we go to Pemaquid Point campground. Just outside New Harbor. NH has boat tours to see puffins and also day trips to Monhegan ( we usually go there for a week). No cars on Monhegan and lots of nice short hikes with incredible views.

I recommend getting out a campground app ditch the boat idea and reserve now.

if you start at Acadia or further East use the Turnpike to Bangor. No one wants to fight through Wiscasset traffic even once but twice is just evil. Its a summer thing caused by several lobster eateries at one end of the bridge.

When and if you get dates at a campground near Acadia do not forget to reserve your space for your drive up Cadillac Mountain. It no longer is open to you anytime you want because of visitor pressure.

[NjNewbie30]

Thanks so much for the information. I know we are late to the party, but the good thing is we are wide open. have no sched. other then we have about 4 weeks or so. DW is going to start calling. We will surely take your advice as we plan. Thanks again...

[Kim Gass]

If you can I highly recommend heading also to Moosehead Lake Region and Flagstaff Lake.

Lots to do more nature oriented. The scenery on the coast is fine in its own way but a bit overrun with people especially in Acadia. The scenery inland in the above areas is stunning.

No matter where you go there is a lot of hiking. We do love to go to Boothbay in the off season as the land trusts there have a lot of hiking trails. https://bbrlt.org/trails/

You probably want to visit Camden too and take a schooner sail. That area too is chock full of preserves. I love Beech Hill for an hour scenic walk and https://www.coastalmountains.org/get-outside

no matter where you go land trusts have conserved areas for you to explore

if Freeport is singing to your wife, try for Winslow Park. It has oceanfront sites but no hookups. Its a beautiful campground and just minutes from all that.....shopping.

[Marcm157]

Wow Kim the State should hire you as their Director of Tourism! Great write up and thank you, my DW and I are planning a Maine vacation in 2023!

[Kim Gass]

Originally Posted by Marcm157

Wow Kim the State should hire you as their Director of Tourism! Great write up and thank you, my DW and I are planning a Maine vacation in 2023!

Probably mostly pandemics fault
For awhile in 2020 campgrounds required you be a Maine resident. Folks from out of state couldnt come! So we did lots of "staycations"

[CraigBU]

My wife and I both enjoy Shore Hills campground but this year we would like to try something different after we leave Shorehills. I am intrigued by what I read about Seboomook but I am somewhat concerned about 30 miles of dirt road. We have a Pinnacle 5th wheel and I have no desire to damage it with traveling over washboard or potholes. Smooth dirt roads are no problem but washboard and potholes are cause for concern. Please tell me what to expect for road conditions traveling to Seboomook. I also read somewhere that the campground is on generator power. Does this mean there is limited hours for the 30amp service?

[Kim Gass]

Originally Posted by CraigBU

My wife and I both enjoy Shore Hills campground but this year we would like to try something different after we leave Shorehills. I am intrigued by what I read about Seboomook but I am somewhat concerned about 30 miles of dirt road. We have a Pinnacle 5th wheel and I have no desire to damage it with traveling over washboard or potholes. Smooth dirt roads are no problem but washboard and potholes are cause for concern. Please tell me what to expect for road conditions traveling to Seboomook. I also read somewhere that the campground is on generator power. Does this mean there is limited hours for the 30amp service?

Yes the campground has electricity but its powered by a diesel generator( you can't hear it from camp). There is no power grid within 50 miles. Genny hours are at mealtimes and to keep the ice cream in the store happy, briefly at two am. Internet is satellite.

Northen/Twenty Mile? Seboomook roads are not great for fifth wheels aside from little ones. If I had that much investment behind me I would not do it.
Road service is extremely expensive( lets talk thousands of dollars)

If you have been to Shore Hills you have had the lobster etc tour boat exposure.

If you come and stay in Greenville at Moose Creek RV resort you can still explore the logging roads with your TV while saving your RV. And take a ride on the Katahdin which has various tours of Moosehead Lake..Go book a moose viewing tour.. Greenville is the moose capital of Maine.