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Explore Cathedral Pines Campground in Eustis, Maine

Camping in the Pines.

General Information:

Cathedral Pines is located in Eustis, Maine and is about a 2 ½ hour drive north of Portland.  We have been wanting to check out Cathedral Pines, a town-owned campground, ever since we learned about their large campsites tucked into historic 300 acres of red pines that are along route 27 and the shorelines of Flagstaff Lake.

Canoe & Kayak rentals are available at the campground.

Cathedral Pines is a 115-site campground with water and electric hookups at 98 sites. They also have 3 group sites located across the street from the main campground area.  All sites have a good amount of shade from the tall, red pines that tower over the sites.

Sites are a sandy/gravel combination (not my favorite). Some of the mature tree growth may present challenges getting your camper into the site.  Also, water and electric hook ups can be in interesting places on the campsites (more on that later).

Camp Site #20.

Quiet hours start at 10pm with an unknown end time. I know that seems silly but we really couldn’t find an end time anywhere; not online, posted anywhere, or even on the list of policies they gave us upon check in. But…it’s safe to say quiet hours end around 7am based on the consensus of the crowd that was there when we were.

Cathedral Pines also offers some great amenities for kids! A Rec Hall, playground, plus one for the younger kid crew, and canoe & kayak rentals, give families some great entertainment options right at the campground.

Big kid playground area.

Speaking of the Rec Hall, it offers a TON of options for kiddos!  Think: craft activities every morning, a wall of shelves filled with board games, books that can be borrowed, and a couple of arcade games (bring quarters!).  

You will also have access to approximately 2 miles of walking trails across the road.  Walking these trails in the early morning, under the towering red pines was a surreal moment and I highly recommend it!

Walking trails across the street.

The two-way campground roads are paved and narrow; making it easy for kiddos to bike and scoot but also present some unique challenges for when two trucks towing campers meet.

This area of Maine is filled with so much history; from the waters of Flagstaff Lake to Benedict Arnold’s failed march to Quebec, and the narrow gauge railroad’s pivotal role in logging, if you are looking for a campground to call home for a couple days while you explore all that this area has to offer, I would suggest checking out Cathedral Pines Campground!

CAUTION: There are pines that lean a bit into some of the roadways as evidenced by badges in their bark of trailers that have come too close to their limbs.  Work together with your partner upon arrival and departure to watch for limb clearance.  We even walked our preferred departure route to spot potential tight spots.

Cleanliness of Site/Site Details:

The sites are a sandy/gravel combination and were clean upon arrival.  With a 12pm check-out and 1pm check-in, I was really impressed that campground staff were to clean the sites so quickly!

While the campground offers a small amount of full hookup sites, I believe most of those are seasonal sites. 98 sites have water & electric hookups, with the remaining 17 sites being dry sites.

Speaking of sites, they are HUGE!!! This is something everyone has been telling us about Cathedral Pines and I would have to agree.  We had a very spacious site, #20. There was lots of space to set up camp, hang a clothesline, and still gave my daughter plenty of room to play.

Our site, #20, was so HUGE!

Some sites were so big, they even had two travel trailers on them!

I will say, I think what limits bigger travel trailers & 5th wheels (like 35ft +) from getting into spots that are closer to the lakefront, even though they could fit easily into the sites, would be the narrow roads and tree clearances.  Most of the bigger travel trailers we saw were in sites #90-97, where the road is wider and the trees don’t interfere too much with backing in your rig.

At Cathedral Pines, you have what I call the “traditional” distance between camp sites; you are definitely NOT on top of one another but also not too far away from each other either. 

Oddly, I do think their campground map is pretty accurate when it comes to how the sites are spaced within the campground. For example, sites #61, #61A, #61B and #64 are all pretty close to one another in “real life”.  And..our space (site #20) is a bit closer to site #22 from site #19, which you can also see on the map.

So if you are someone (like me) who stresses about being on top of their neighbors, the campground map is a good guide to picking sites. 

Some of the water & electric hookups are on the camp side of the sites.  We didn’t know about this until we arrived.  Our site, #20, had hookups in the traditional side of the campsite but it would have definitely thrown us for a loop to either consider pulling our camper into the site or running the hookup lines under the camper.

Hookups on this camp site on the camp-side.

Here are my recommendations for sites:

  • Site #14: close to the beach, with good privacy and a unique log bench feature.
  • Sites #19-25: close to the beach, lake views, easy backing, centrally located to the bathrooms, rec hall, etc.
  • Site #28: close to the beach, ultimate privacy, long and straight back-in to site.
  • Site #64: lakeside with beautiful views of the mountains, campside hook ups

Site Costs:

For 2026, we stayed at a site with hookups for $46.80/night.  Expect to pay about $6.00 more to be on the lakefront. Dry sites, without hookups, run for $43.68/night and expect to pay about $3.00 more for dry sites on the lakefront.

And yes, the cents part of each nightly rate is accurate! I’ve never seen that before but I think it adds to the character of Cathedral Pines!

Campground has some narrow two-way roads.

Ok, let’s talk about Cathedral Pines and how they do reservations because it is definitely UNIQUE!

For the 2026 camping season, Cathedral Pines changed up how they process reservations. Reservations begin on January 1st @ 12:00am via email (and email ONLY).  You email Cathedral Pines with your dates of your stay and your preferred site choices once the reservation window opens.  They recommend providing up to 2 preferred site choices.  If they can fill your request, you will get an email confirmation and if not, they will call you.

*If you email Cathedral Pines before January 1st @ 12:00am, your reservation request goes to the bottom of the list.   

Since this was our first time there, I just asked to be placed on any of the sites #18-24, which they were able to accommodate.  Another thing to note about this system is it took them 5 days to return my email.  I was a bit anxious about whether or not my email was lost and because they don’t answer their phone when their reservation window opens, I just had to wait and see if I would get a confirmation email or a phone call.

While I’m sure that Cathedral Pines had their reasons for implementing this new system, it’s definitely not my favorite.

Amenities:

  • Hiking Trails
  • Lake/Beach Access
  • Dog Beach
  • Playgrounds
  • Rec Hall (bring quarters for the arcade games!)
  • Separate Rec Hall for Adults
  • Kayak and Canoe Rentals ($$)
  • Ice and Wood ($$)
  • Bathrooms and FREE hot showers
  • Laundry ($3.00 for washer, $3.00 for dryer)
  • Dishwashing Station
  • Drinking Water
  • Dump Station (4 of them!!)
This was the best rec hall we have seen!

Bathroom Low Down:

There are three bathhouse locations at Cathedral Pines Campground. One bathhouse is centrally located near the Rec Hall, playground, and laundry. The other two are located around the perimeter of the campground. 

Each bathhouse has separate all-gender shower/toilet rooms which I love so much for families!

The perimeter bathhouses are newer and MUCH LARGER than the centrally-located ones and we preferred to use those ones during our stay.  These perimeter shower/toilet rooms have benches, places to hang towels and toiletries, and electrical outlets.  If using the centrally-located shower/toilet room, expect a smaller space with no benches and limited spots to hang towels and toiletries.

A toilet/shower room in the newer bathhouse near site #77.

There are also some port-a-potties near the dump station and some bathrooms near the office.

Bathroom Rating: B-

The toilet/shower rooms at Cathedral Pines definitely see a lot of use (i.e. campground full of kids).  I wish these bathrooms were cleaned a couple more times a day.

Also, here is one request to campers at ALL campgrounds: if you have hair that gets captured in the bottom of the shower, can you grab some paper towels and scoop that up once you are done in the shower?  I promise the next person to use the shower will thank you! 🙂

Overview of our Experience:

We stayed three nights at Cathedral Pines Campground to conclude our road trip week to the Highland and western Maine regions.   We previously stayed at Peaks-Kenny State Park Campground & Moose Creek RV Resort.

We stayed at site #20 which had water/electric hookups and gave us views of Flagstaff Lake.  I really liked all the sites on our road (sites #19-25).  Our large site provided us great options for setting up camp and gave our daughter lots of room to play.

The weather on arrival day was a bit wet but that didn’t deter us from checking out this campground.  We had wanted to come to Cathedral Pines after several people raved about the site sizes and beautiful trees.  

The next morning, the weather had cleared up and we spent the morning between the campsite and rec hall doing the morning art activity and playing with some iconic board games.  

Spent a lot of time playing some iconic games in the Rec Hall.

In the afternoon, we rented a canoe from the campground and paddled around Flagstaff Lake, admiring the amazing views of the mountains and taking in the history of how this lake was formed.   

Highly recommend going out on the water of Flagstaff Lake.

One thing we noticed at the campground during the afternoon, and I think this is a growing trend at campgrounds everywhere, is that there are SO MANY kiddos on electric scooters.

And..I’m not a fan!

Not a fan for a couple of reasons: 1. They are cruising so fast, 2. A lot of scooters are quiet so many people don’t hear them approaching from behind, and 3. crashes are so much worse and I worry about concussions.

We also noticed that many were used at night which is even worse than biking at night because of reasons #1 and #2 mentioned above.

Ok..back to the campground details…

In the evening, my husband and I were sitting around the campfire when we saw the moon really showing off! We took turns going to the beach to take in the beautiful moon shining onto the lake.

This moon was incredible!

On our second full day, we headed out on an epic adventure day.  Our first stop was at Rangeley Lakes State Park to check off State Park #24 for my daughter, to pick up her prize (a water bottle) for getting to the halfway point of the Passport Program, and to take a peek at the campground there. But alas, there were no attendants on duty at the park so she wasn’t able to get her prize. 🙁

From there, we headed off to catch a ride on the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad in Philips, Maine.   

Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad

If you are visiting this area, I highly recommend checking out this piece of history!  Be sure to check their website for operating hours, and even double check before you go, as hours vary each week and the railroad is a completely volunteer-run organization.  The train makes two stops, at the first one, you can get off and enjoy your lunch in the picnic grove and splash in the Sandy River and then catch a later train back.  

*Note: poison Ivy is present on the edges of the picnic grove.

Lastly, we headed to Sugarloaf for a scenic chairlift ride. This was a great conclusion for our epic adventure day and a great way to wrap up our first road trip week with our camper!

The views of the mountains throughout this trip never disappointed!

Key Takeaways:

  • Nightly rate is definitely worth it, even if the reservation system is unique!
  • A great campground to call home for adventures in this area! Be sure to check out the history of Flagstaff Lake at the local historical society.
  • Rec Hall is one of the best we have seen!
  • Lots of kids on electric scooters, especially at night.

For more on our roadtrip to the Highlands and western regions of Maine as well as all of other adventures, check out my stories and reels on Instagram and Facebook.

Happy Adventuring!

~Natalie

Featured

Discover Moose Creek RV Resort: A Family-Friendly Camping Experience

One-way road at Moose Creek Credit: Lee Harrop

Updated: August 2026 

General Information:

Moose Creek RV Resort is located in Greenville, Maine and is about a 3 hour drive from Portland and is a newer campground (opened in 2022) and is loaded with amenities!

Moose Creek is a large campground (see campground map) with 191 sites divided in premium, standard and pull through as well as 7 dedicated camping sites. They have built this campground out in phases, with the most recent phase, phase III, being completed in 2025.  

The main difference you will noticed between a premium site and all the rest, in my opinion, is the tree cover. Premium sites have a bit more wooded coverage that the others.  

Note: tenting camping is only allowed at those dedicated sites.

Our 2026 campsite (#23)

While this resort is approved to be a 250 site campground, any plans for additional sites or perhaps even cabins are on hold for now, according to the owner. They have been slowly, and thoughtfully, expanding this campground and are content to not have any construction projects going on.

Quiet hours are 11pm-8am.  While I prefer more of a 10pm-7am quiet hour (it’s so hard to keep an early riser quiet for that long), we had no issues with noise.

Now, let’s talk about the campground lay out.  Moose Creek NAILED IT!  With their one way roads within the campground, angled sites making backing in a camper a breeze, and separate arrival and departure driveways made it SO EASY to come into and leave the campground with our Airstream.

If you are a walker like me, I love to get up early in the morning and get a couple of miles in, do some stretching, and read a book all before my family wakes up.  At Moose Creek, I never have to leave the campground roads to get several miles in.

Let’s chat about the pool. The heated pool is always a HIT with our daughter. For me, I love the loungers, umbrellas, on-site bathroom facilities, and early 2000s music that brings me back to my high school years. 

Moose Creek RV Resort very much gives us a resort-feel to camping and..we are never sad about that!

Cleanliness of Site/Site Details:

We have reserved premium sites both times we have come to Moose Creek RV Resort. We have stayed at sites #23 & #122 and LOVED both of them. All sites here are impeccable, clean and VERY level.   Sites have a crushed stone/shale pad which means….NO DIRT coming into your camper!

You will also find mulch landscaping around trees on your site, a standard-size picnic table, and these amazing fire boxes!

Every site has these amazing fire boxes!

Also, each campsite number and W/E/S hook-up area illuminate at night and this is especially helpful for evening arrivals..

Site Costs:

We stayed at a premium site for $85/night this year (2026) and that was the same price we paid in 2024, too! Standard and Pull-Through sites run about $10 cheaper per night. 

You do have the option to “lock in” your campsite for an additional $30 through their reservation system. We did use this option both times we have come to Moose Creek.

If you are booking a standard or pull through site, all the sites are relatively the same and if you are NOT staying in a group, I would recommend PASSING on the “lock in” fee.

Site Recommendations: #10, #22-25, and #122-123

RV resort views. Credit: Dyrt

Amenities:

  • Heated Pool & Pavilion.  The pool area includes loungers, umbrellas, and sex-separated bathrooms.  The pavilion space has a restaurant, bar, and outdoor patio furniture and gas fireplaces.  They regularly have live music on the weekends.  This little hang out area is DREAMY.
  • Playground, Sandbox & Gaga Ball Pit
  • Basketball, Volleyball & Pickleball Courts
  • Kayaks, canoes, & paddle boats available ($$)
  • Two dedicated dog parks
  • Wireless Internet (that actually works!)
  • On-site Trout Pond:  The stocked trout pond is open for catch-and-release with barbless hooks and no fishing permit required. 
  • Laundry ($2.00/washer & $2.00/dryer)
  • Two bathhouses and FREE hot showers.
  • Golf Cart Rentals: Rentals cost $70/day and you add this to your reservation when you make it.
  • ATV and trailer parking adjacent to the campground.
  • Camp Store
View of the playground, sand box, Gaga ball court, and volleyball areas from the pool.
Courtesy: D. Bridges

Bathroom Low Down:

The bathroom facilities at Moose Creek RV Resort are immaculate. They are clean and well taken care of. There are two (2) bathroom facilities located at the campground. Each bathroom facility consists of 6 all-gender shower/toilet rooms (2 ADA-compliant).  In the private spaces, there are hooks and benches to hang your clothes and plenty of counter space to lay out your toiletries. 

Clean bathrooms. Credit: Moose Creek RV Resort

Keep in mind that the bathroom facilities are a little bit of a walk depending on which site you book. This year we booked a little closer to the bathrooms because, when possible, we like to use the shower facilities at a campground. Showers are great here! Think: clean, great hot water, solid water pressure.

Good news for tenters! The newest bathroom facility was built near the new tenting sites. Again, they have always designed things so thoughtfully here!

Nice Shower Area Credit: Moose Creek RV Resort

Bathroom Rating: A-

The only reason I couldn’t give it an A+ was because it was a bit of a walk from certain sites.

Overview of our Experience:

In 2026, we added a 3-night stop at Moose Creek RV Resort as part of our Road Trip week to the Highland and western regions of Maine and got to join our friends who were camping there for the entire week.

Moose Creek has a great arrival system where you are usually able to quickly check-in as they have a team of staff waiting at a concierge-like lectern right when you pull into the campground. We arrived mid-week (Monday) and they didn’t have this set up so we just checked in at the office.

The angled and VERY LEVEL campsites always make for easy backing in and setting up. 

A premium site.

After the set up was finished, we headed straight to the pool to relax for the afternoon.

Lounging Poolside

On Tuesday, we headed out to visit the B-52 Memorial with our friends and then headed to Lily Bay State Park to check off Maine State Park #22 for my daughter who is working her way through their passport program.

 

It was very moving to see the wreckage of the B-52.

On Wednesday, we headed out to Mt. Kineo State Park to grab State Park #23 and completed a hike to the summit of Mt. Kineo. Mt. Kineo is accessed via the Kineo Shuttle in Rockwood. Once on the island, you have the option to walk the perimeter or take 1 of 2 trails (Indian or Bridle) to the summit. We used the Bridle Path for both are ascent and descents, which is supposedly the easier of the two trails, yet…it was a surprisingly challenging hike.

Views from the top are worth it and the panoramic views from the fire tower are amazing, according to the my husband. My fear of hikes kept me solidly on the ground for this one.

View from Mt. Kineo overlooking the 9-hole golf course.

Wednesday night, we enjoyed a dinner at the Pavillon with our friends and then Thursday morning said goodbye to them as we departed to our third stop, Cathedral Pines, on this Road Trip Week.

Key Takeaways:

  • We LOVE the resort-feel to this campground! We feel the price is worth it for all the amenities you get!
  • Campsites were impeccable! Clean, level, and the premium sites offered, to us, the perfect amount of privacy from our neighbors.
  • The heated pool and pavilion were great spots to hang out at with a kiddo in tow.
  • The showers and laundry can be a bit of a trek depending on which campsite you choose.

Have you been to Moose Creek RV Resort? If so, add your experience to the comments!

The Wandering Chickadee is on Instagram and Facebook! Follow along for more campground reviews and budget-friendly content.

Happy Adventuring!

~Natalie

Featured

Your Guide to Peaks-Kenny State Park Campground

View from the beach.

Updated: August 2026

General Information:

Peaks-Kenny State Park is located in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine and is about a 2 hour drive north of Portland.

We have been wanting to check off some Maine state park camping for a while, so when we were coming up with our road trip week to Greenville and Eustis, Maine, it made total sense to add a stop to Peaks-Kenny State Park!

This campground gives you access to 10 miles of hiking trails and beautiful beach access to Sebec Lake all within walking distance of your campsite!

Beach access was right next to our campsite.

This 56-site campground offers a variety of site sizes with a small number of sites offering water/electric hook ups. Most of the sites will give you a perfect balance of sun and shade!

Sites are mostly gravel and have some unique features on the perimeter of the sites that will give your kiddos a chance to let their imagination run wild!  Think big rocks, trees, and even some picnic table sculptures that give you a natural playground right at your fingertips!

Artist-in-residence on “Boulder Rock” in our campsite.

Quiet hours are 10pm-7am and we had no issues with noise!

The campground is a series of one-way roads and you shouldn’t have any issues backing in a camper to any of the sites. 

So…if you are looking for a quiet place to escape to in the Maine Highlands region where hiking trails and a dip in the beautiful Sebec Lake are at your fingertips, I would suggest checking out Peaks-Kenny State Park Campground!

CAUTION: There is a large bump caused by a deteriorating culvert on the road leading to the campground after the ranger station.  The caution signs are small but be on the lookout for it.  We almost caused some serious damage to our camper but thankfully spotted it just in time. 

Cleanliness of Site/Site Details:

The gravel sites are very clean; i.e. our site was raked and the firepit cleaned out.  You can tell the campground hosts care and love this campground!

All sites are racked and the fire pits cleaned out for the next campers.

Sites are pretty spacious relative to their size. FYI: Each campsite is given a letter to indicate the length of camper it can accommodate.  We stayed on site 52X and felt it really worked well for our 28 foot Airstream.

There is also a good amount of distance between each site.  While you don’t have total privacy (do you ever in a campground?!), the mature tree growth offers some additional privacy between neighbors

Here are my recommendations for sites:

  • Sites #18: no hook up site with easy access to a beach path.
  • Sites #43-44: no hook up site with great natural playground features that any kiddo would love!
  • Site #52: no hook up site with a big boulder for kiddos to play on, close to a beach path.  
  • Sites #56: water/electric site close to the bath house.

Site Costs:

We stayed at a no hook up site for $20/night.  Water/electric sites will be $30/night.  Non-Maine residents can expect to pay an additional $10/night on top of these nightly rates.

We really loved our site!

There are some weekend minimum nightly requirements depending on the month you are camping as well as a maximum cumulative stay for all Maine State Parks. Therefore, I encourage you to check out the Reservation FAQ page prior to completing any booking.

Ok, let’s talk about reservations because they can be INTENSE for Maine State Park campgrounds!  

For this campground, and all other State Park campgrounds, reservations are made through Camp With ME.  Reservations open on the first Tuesday of February at 9am and…it’s competitive!  Like having a game plan, charging your laptop, refreshing your browser kind of competitive! 

Spots at Peaks-Kenny State Park will fill up fast, like in the first 5 minutes fast, so plan to do some research on preferred sites prior to the reservation window opening.

Amenities:

  • Hiking Trails
  • Beach Access
  • Group Picnic Shelter near beach ($$)
  • Playground (located near beach)
  • Kayak and Canoe Rentals ($$)
  • Ice and Wood available for sale
  • Bathrooms and FREE hot showers
  • Dishwashing Station
  • Drinking Water
Canoes & kayaks are available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bathroom Low Down:

There are three bathroom locations at Peaks-Kenny State Park Campground.  One is centrally located at the campground and the other two are around the perimeter of the campground. 

The perimeter bathroom locations appear to be, perhaps, the original bath houses for the campground.  You will find sex-separated bathrooms here and the showers no longer work (or were probably turned off).

The centrally-located bath house is newer and you will find 8 all-gender bathrooms with FREE hot showers.  Inside you will find benches, places to hang towels and toiletries, and electrical outlets.  

The bathrooms were always stocked with toilet paper and paper towels and the trash cans were never overflowing.  Showers are on a push timer and the water pressure and heat were FABULOUS!

The centrally located, and newer, bathhouse.

Bathroom Rating: B-

The bathhouses show their age but are well taken care of.

Overview of our Experience:

We stayed two nights at Peaks-Kenny State Park Campground to kick off our road trip week to the Highland and western Maine regions.  I grew up coming to Peaks-Kenny State Park as a kid but this was my first time staying in the campground.

The site I picked out for our stay was actually a runner-up site because I wasn’t quick enough to get a water/electric site for the days we wanted to book.  These state park camping reservations are no joke! I will definitely have a better game plan for 2027!

We stayed at site #52X which had a HUGE boulder that my daughter played on for hours.  This boulder doesn’t interfere with backing up a trailer and provided my daughter a natural playground where she could really let her imagination run wild!

Imagination at work on this big boulder on our site.

This was our first time at a no hook up site and we enjoyed the challenge of stretching our skills and creativity in camping in a way we don’t usually do. We even agreed that we preferred this dry camping experience over having access to water/electric for this portion of our trip!

The next morning, we headed out to Peace, Love, Waffles for breakfast. We had a yummy breakfast and enjoyed the eclectic vibe!

Note: They can make 98% of their waffles gluten free!!! 

Afterwards, we dropped my husband off at a local Dunkin’ as he needed to do some work as the wi-fi was very limited/non-existent at the campground.

The menu at Peace, Love, Waffles is INTENSE!

My daughter and I spent the morning around the campsite reading, painting nails, and doing some art projects. We do a bunch of adventures while camping, but I always like to plan for down time for hanging by the campsite.  There is something magical about the simplicity of it.

After my husband finished working, we had hoped there was a canoe available to rent but alas, they were all checked out for the day. 

Note: You can rent canoes and kayaks at Peaks-Kenny State Park for $5/hour at the Ranger Station.  It is a first-come, first-served system.

Love this shaded spot in the cove of the beach at Peaks-Kenny State Park.

No worries though! We still made our way down to the beach for the afternoon, finding a spot tucked into a shaded cove.  It had perfect sun-cover for me and excellent sand castle making sand for my daughter and husband.

After lingering at the lake into the early evening hours, we headed back to our camper for an easy dinner and time around the fire.

Tried a fun new recipe “Hamburger Tacos”.

In planning this trip, I messed up the check out time of Peaks-Kenny (thought it was 12pm…it was 11am) and the check-in time of our next campground (thought it was 1pm…it was 2pm) but was able to snag a rare extra night that was available for our campsite.  This allowed us to have an extra late check out so…..

We had the BEST departure morning!  Instead of the traditional pack-and-go routine we have after breakfast, we headed down to the beach for about an hour or so for some last swimming and sand play before we had an early lunch and made our way up to Moose Creek RV Resort.

Peaks-Kenny State Park Campground was such a great place to check off our first Maine State Park camping experience!  We spent so much time outdoors relaxing at our campsite and playing down at the beach on the shores of Sebec Lake.  All in all, it was a fabulous kick off to our road trip week!

The views from the beach are just splendid!

Come follow along as we head to Moose Creek RV Resort for stop #2!

For more on our roadtrip to the Highlands and western regions of Maine as well as all of other adventures, check out my stories and reels on Instagram and Facebook.

Happy Adventuring!

~Natalie

Featured

Top Acadia National Park Trails for Ages 8+

Beautiful views atop Bald Peak.

This post may include affiliate links.  If you click on one of them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

This year, I am going to be sharing my two favorite Acadia National Park trails for the ages 8 and older crew!!  

If looking for trail recommendations for younger kiddos, check out my Best Family-Friendly Trails Revealed & Explore More Kid-Friendly Trails blogs where I share our family favorite trails throughout Acadia National Park.

As always, before we head into the trail recommendations, here are some essential items that are ALWAYS in our backpacks in Acadia National Park:

My daughter also carries her own Camelbek Hydration Backpack and has her own pair of hiking poles and an emergency whistle.  

I highly recommend this WATERPROOF Acadia National Park map!

As always, plan to start hiking these trails by 9am or after 2pm to ensure you can grab a parking spot.  Want to avoid the parking lot scramble all together?  Good news!  The Island Explorer bus makes stops at both of the trailhead locations.

Another reminder:  Always be on the lookout for trail markers! On our hike of Parkman Mountain and Bald Peak, storm damage got us a bit turned around and we spent a couple of minutes trying to locate a trail marker to figure out our direction.

AND…on our hike of the Beech Cliff trail, we did spot a family who had wandered off the trail while thinking they were actually on the trail.  We asked if they were looking for the Beech Cliff trail and they said yes so we were able to redirect them back onto the trail.  

For your safety, and the safety of others in your party, always, always, always, keep registering those trail markers as you move through your hikes! If you haven’t seen one in a while, don’t be afraid to stop your hike and look for one!

List of Recommended Trails for the ages 8 and older crew

Parkman Mountain to Bald Peak:

This 2.5 mile hike was a perfect challenge for my daughter.  If you have been following along with us, you know that we love to hike and my daughter has been wanting to try some harder trails.  And thanks to a recommendation from Jill of the Outdoor Movement Project, this was a perfect trail to give her that!  I wish I could have recorded her excitement when we reached the top of Bald Peak.  She was so proud of herself!  

Ok, let’s dive into trail-specifics…

Head to the Parkman Mountain parking lot in Northeast Harbor to find the trailhead.  This can often be confused with the Brown Mountain Carriage House parking lot as the parking lots are close together.  You will want the more inland lot labeled “Parkman Mountain”.  

You will find a bathroom here too. 

Head off on your hike by taking a right onto the carriage trail from the parking lot. When you come to sign post #13, take a left.  Make another left at sign post #12. You will now be looking for the Parkman Mountain Trail and it will be shortly up ahead on your left.  After you hike .1 mile, you will cross over another carriage road and begin your 1.1 mile hike to Parkman Mountain.  

As we were climbing, my husband and I both commented that we really liked the complimentary-ness of the trail; steeper climbs were rewarded with flat sections throughout our ascent.  This type of climb made it appropriately challenging for our daughter.

A perfect balance of steep climbs & relative flatness on this Parkman Mtn. Trail

And the views…absolutely breathtaking!  The east-facing views made for wonderful photos of Frenchman’s Bay and all the islands!

Gorgeous views on this bluebird sky day!

Once you reach Parkman Mountain, double back the .1 mile and head over to Bald Peak.  While both peaks offer fabulous views, we preferred our lunch break on Bald Peak. 

The final ascent to Bald Peak.

For your descent, make your way down Bald Peak Trail for .5 miles where you will end on a carriage trail.  Follow the carriage trail to sign post #12 and continue to straight to sign post #13.  Make a final left turn there and you will find yourself back at the Parkman Mountain parking lot.

No bad views on the top of Bald Peak!

Beech Cliff Trail:

The trailhead for this 1.4 mile THRILLER can be found at the Echo Lake parking lot.  With some serious steep climbs, including 4 ladder sections, that will test your fears if you are not a fan of heights (like me), a reward of great views will be waiting for you at the top!

Beech Cliff Trailhead at the end of the Echo Lake parking lot.

The trailhead for the Beech Cliff Trail is located at the far end of the parking lot. Bathrooms and a water bottle filling station are located down at the Echo Lake beach area.

The trail to the summit is a short (.4 miles) but STEEP trail with lots of warnings regarding falling rocks and ladder portions.  Our daughter, again, was a CHAMPION hiker.  She tackled the ladder portions of these trails with cautious curiosity, bravery that comes from being young, and even helped guide me by calling out spots where I should put my hands and feet.

A ladder portion of the trail.

Once at the tops, the views are pretty spectacular. I love the perspective of seeing Echo Lake from the top of Beech cliff and Beech cliff while swimming at Echo Lake.  I don’t think I will ever grow tired of that! 

Admiring our climb and looking forward to a refreshing dip in Echo Lake!

While it is NOT advised to take Beech Cliff trail down, we did see a couple doing that (which was NUTS!).  The preferred route, and the one we took for our descent, is the Canada Cliffs Trails. It is a nice slow descent that meanders down the Canada Cliffs.

Once done hiking, I highly recommend packing a swimsuit and towel so you and group can take a refreshing dip in Echo Lake. And don’t forget to look up and admire the Beech Cliff climb you just did!

Looking for more on Acadia National Park? Be sure to check out all my other blogs in my Acadia Series and where we stay:

Gear & Must-Haves for Adventuring in Acadia National Park

Kid-Friendly Hiking in Acadia

Rainy Day Activities on Mount Desert Island

Acadia National Park Itineraries

Dining Recommendations

Carriage Road Information

Top Beach Recommendations on Mount Desert Island

Smuggler’s Den Campground

AND…for more on our ALL of our adventures around New England, check out my posts on Instagram and Facebook.

Thank you for reading this blog on The Wandering Chickadee!

~Natalie

Featured

Smuggler’s Den Campground: A Family-Friendly Retreat

Our site, #75, at Smuggler’s Den from a couple years ago.

*Updated July 2026*

General Information:

Smuggler’s Den Campground is located in Southwest Harbor, Maine and is about a 4 hour drive from Portland.  It opened in 1969 and has been owned by the same family for four generations!  

I have to give them a HUGE shout out!  They are the kindest family and have the best staff working for them. 

It appears many of their staff live at the campground and we enjoyed getting to know them as we made our nightly trek to the Camp Store for an ice cream treat.

Smuggler’s Den is a medium campground that welcomes RVS, pop-ups, and tent camping and has a total of 93 camping sites with about half devoted to tenting.  In addition, they have 12 cabin rentals, 2 RV rentals, and 2 house rentals. 

There is a variety of RV sites including pull through sites, cement pads, back-in sites, and ones that also include tenting platforms.  

Neat feature alert: You are given your site location and directions to your site ahead of time (once you pay your balance) and can go directly to your site without stopping at the camp store. *This is not available for cabin, RV, and house rentals though.

If I had to recommend any RV sites they would be: sites 75 & 88. However, honestly, you would be happy with most of the sites on the property.

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My only heads up on a site is #117.  It is placed close to the camp store, bathrooms, and where 3 camp roads converge so it’s definitely busy and there is no vegetation border to give you any privacy.  However, if you are a social butterfly and love to people-watch, then this site is definitely for you!

Quiet hours are 10pm-8am.  If you are looking for a quiet campground, THIS IS IT!  Many times, my husband and I were sitting by the fire commenting on how quiet it was during the evening. 

There were definitely more noises in the early AM hours as people came and went from the Cadillac Mountain sunrises, left early for hiking adventures, or got a jump start on heading home with their camper or to their next adventure… but even those noises were quiet in comparison to other campgrounds we have visited.

And..I wasn’t sad about the AM noise given we have an early riser in our midst!

If you are a walker like me, I could do about a .4 mile loop a couple of times within the campground or take the trail on the property that connects you to the Lurvey Spring Road (which is technically in Acadia National Park!) for some more miles…which is what I did on occasion!  Walking on Lurvey Spring Road can get you to either Long Pond or Echo Lake.  

As always, don’t forget to bring a map or take a screenshot of one since cell phone reception isn’t great there.

Finally, the pool. The heated pool was a HIT with our daughter who is part fish, I swear!    

The heated pool & my daughter’s favorite feature…the slide!

Also, they have a kiddie pool that is about a foot deep making it fun for even the littlest campers.  

Kiddie Pool that is about a foot deep

Cleanliness of Site/Site Details:

We have stayed at site #75 and have LOVED IT! Check out the campground map to see where we stayed.  The site was impeccable, clean, and VERY level.  Our camper sat on a gravel site and we had lots of access to grass and two big boulders that my daughter enjoyed attempting to climb up.  

We had some tree root situations to deal with where our camping rug was placed but we managed to make do.

While we were close to our neighbors, with the mature vegetation around our site, we had no problem enjoying our campsite even with our neighbors relatively nearby. 

The fire pit was clean and in a great location and you were allowed to hang a clothesline..which was crucial given our frequent pool adventures!

For the 2027 season, we will be moving to a new site and I look forward to sharing that site with you next year!

Close neighbors but everyone was SO QUIET

Site Costs:

We stayed at a gravel back-in site for $85/night during 2026.  Back-in cement pad sites and pull through sites are $95/night.  These rates are the same throughout the season.  WI-fI is INCLUDED with your site.  It took a little bit of figuring out how to connect our Amazon Firestick but worked really well for us.

They have a nice policy where you are allowed to re-book your site for the same timeframe for the following year when you check-out..which is what we always do!

I will say calling to book our reservation was a little easier for me than navigating their online registration system. AND…they always have the next year’s rates posted!

Amenities:

  • Heated Pool:  The pool area includes chairs, loungers, and picnic tables under a shaded enclosure. There is a large pool with a slide along with a kiddie pool.  Both are heated.
  • Playground
  • Wireless Internet…that actually works
  • FREE showers
  • Coin-Op Laundry (3 washers, 4 dryers). Note: best times to find a free washer are mid-day!
  • Dedicated Bathrooms and Free Showers within the Campground (more on that later)
  • Camp Store.  Filled with really good essentials, ice cream, cheap bundles of wood ($5/bundle..and you get a good number of pieces), etc.
  • LIVE lobsters and all the equipment to cook & eat lobsters at your site!
  • Trail from campground to the Lurvey Spring Road for access to Acadia National Park and Long Pond and Echo Lake
  • Island Explorer Bus Stop
The Island Explorer Bus stops at the Camp Store/Office with convenient pick up/drop off times!

Bathroom Low Down:

There are two bathroom facilities within the campground.  One facility is more centrally located on the campground and the other can be found down at the group tenting sites.

Centrally Located Bathrooms: While the bathroom facilities are dated and show their age BUT…the bathrooms and showers (FREE) were very clean, like SO clean! You will find 3 private changing area/shower stalls in each sex-separated bathroom.

Group Tenting Bathrooms: These are BEST and NEWEST bathrooms at the campground! Hands down the best showers in ANY campground we have been too! These bathrooms are larger (obviously to accommodate group tenting parties) and are our preferred bathroom to use.

Group tenting bathroom and shower area

Note: both bathrooms are closed for one hour each day for cleaning.

Bathroom Rating: A-

The only reason I couldn’t give it an A+ was because of the age of the facilities more centrally located on the campground.  A huge thing for me that I loved was that they closed the bathrooms each day for cleaning.

Overview of our Experience:

Arrival is always a breeze. We head directly to our campsite because they use an online check in system that provides you with written directions of where and how to access your campsite and all you do is click a check in button via your phone once you arrive.

All the sites have some level of shade thanks to mature tree growth.  We usually stay at site #75 (for 2027, we will try a new one!)

Everything about the campground is SO CLEAN.  Bathrooms never had trash overflowing; dumpsters never overflowing with trash; no pet waste to be seen; mowed areas…this campground is well taken care of.

Our favorite amenity was the heated pool.  With a slide and kiddie pool, there was something for everyone.  Additionally, while my daughter preferred to spend her free time at the pool, the playground has extensive things to do. The big adjacent field allowed us to get in some catching/throwing and hitting of softballs, too!

HUGE playground with wood chips

The Island Explorer bus makes a direct stop at the campground, making for easy access to Bar Harbor.

Overall, this campground is amazing. We continually visit this campground each summer!

Have you stayed at Smuggler’s Den or explored Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park? If so, share your experience in the comments below.

Thank you for reading this blog on The Wandering Chickadee! Check out more about our week on Mount Desert Island and in Acadia National Park by following along on Instagram and Facebook.

~Natalie

Featured

Discover Pemaquid Beach: Maine’s Family-Friendly Coastal Gem

Does a sandy beach in Maine with gentle waves, close parking, clean bathrooms, and food options close by exist?  IT DOES.  Pemaquid Beach in New Harbor (Bristol), Maine has all of this and much more!

Pemaquid Beach is one of our FAVORITE beaches in midcoast Maine!  Thanks to the Bristol Parks and Recreation Department, which grooms the beach each morning, visitors are rewarded with soft, warm sand, perfect for sandcastle building and easy walks to look for seaglass, shells, and hermit crabs.

Read through the blog for an in depth summary of Pemaquid Beach and IMPORTANT BATHROOM details or head straight to the summary at the bottom for quick information.

This is THE perfect Maine summer beach!

General Information:

Pemaquid Beach is located in New Harbor (Bristol), Maine and is an approximately 1.5 hour drive north of Portland. Admission costs are as follows: Adult/$5, Children 5-11/$1, Children under 4/FREE.  Cash is preferred.  A 2.6% charge will be added to your admission fees if you use a debit/credit card.  

Keep the ticket you receive at the admission window!  This will let you come/go all day long!

Planning to spend the week near Pemaquid Beach?  A discounted beach pass is available for purchase at the Ellingwood Center (headquarters for Bristol’s Park and Rec Department) for $35.  A non-resident season pass can also be purchased for $100.

Pemaquid Beach is open daily June-September from 8am-6pm. FREE parking is available adjacent to the beach which makes for easy work for lugging that beach gear!  

You can also rent beach chairs, boogie boards, and umbrellas here. We have rented a beach umbrella on several occasions and love that it is one less thing we have to remember to pack!

Mimi’s on the Beach is right on the boardwalk to the beach and offers a good array of lunch and sweet treat options.

Be aware the seagulls can be slightly aggressive when food is left out.  We always store our lunchbox in the very bottom of our bag or wagon and never leave food out on our blanket or under the beach chairs.

A couple of “No’s” that you should be aware of:

  • NO lifeguard on duty- swim at your own risk.
  • NO watercraft of any kind (surfboards, kayaks, paddleboards, canoes, etc.)
  • NO fishing
  • NO dogs from May 1st – October 15th

Pemaquid Beach also participates in the Healthy Beaches weekly water testing programs! 

Calm water and perfect sand castle sand = a GREAT day!

Our Experience:

We love to spend a day at Pemaquid Beach anytime we are camping at Sherwood Forest Camp Site. The beach is within walking distance of the campground and we look forward to our beach days here every year.  

I can’t say enough positive things about a groomed beach!  I know it may be a bit controversial but I love that sand fleas and other bugs aren’t around much at this beach because the seaweed is relocated.

Note: They do NOT remove the seaweed when they groom, they just move it down a bit further on the beach.

Our favorite beach spot is to the left side of the beach.  Once you get down off of the boardwalk, take a left and head down a ways.  The further left you go, the closer you will be to a stream, rocks for exploring, calm water, and a perfect spot to catch a bunch of hermit crabs.  We also feel that the seagulls leave us alone for the most part being away from the “hub” of the beach.

Heads up: We have spotted jellyfish here on our trips. My daughter has learned to spot them well as they are typically juvenile Lion’s Mane ones. They are pretty sporadic and the welcome board where you pay for your entry will usually have updates about them.

Our favorite spot of the beach is left side of beach and a little away from the beach “hub”.

Bathroom Rating: B+

There are sex-separated bathrooms on site as well as an all-genders/handicapped bathroom.  Each of the sex-separated bathrooms also have changing rooms.  You will also find shower towers outside of the bathrooms to help wash the sand away.

Bathrooms and shower towers are only open from 8am-6pm daily. If planning to stay later at the beach than 6pm (you can do this!), be sure to use the bathroom before they close!

Boardwalk to the beach with picnic table options in the grass.

Additional Adventures:

Looking to add on some adventures while in the Pemaquid Beach area?  Here are a couple of options you add to your day:

  • Damariscotta’s Shell Midden Site: Looking to add in a little history of the area?  Check out the largest North American shell midden site in Damariscotta.
  • La Verna Preserve: Looking to add a hike to your day?  This is a great preserve with fantastic ocean views!  Note: Please follow parking rules to avoid a costly ticket.
  • Granite Hall Store: Penny candy, ice cream, toys, and a lovely curated shop of gifts, this is a wonderful stop on the way home!
  • Harbor Ice Cream: With plenty of Gifford’s ice cream and generous portions, this conveniently located ice cream shop is our post-beach go-to!
Nothing beats this sand!

Summary:

Pemaquid Beach is located in New Harbor, Maine and is an approximately 1.5 hour drive north of Portland. Admission costs are as follows: Adult/$5, Children 5-11/$1, Children under 4/FREE.  Cash is preferred.  A 2.6% charge will be added to your admission fees if you use a debit/credit card.  

Pemaquid Beach is open daily June-September from 8am-6pm. Bathrooms and changing rooms as well as shower towers to rinse away sand are available to use during these open hours.

FREE parking is available adjacent to the beach which makes for easy work for lugging that beach gear!  They also rent beach chairs, boogie boards, and umbrellas for an easier visit.

A couple good reminders:

  • Store food well out of sight as seagulls can be a bit aggressive at this beach.  
  • Look out for jellyfish as they can be present from time to time here.
  • No dogs on the beach from May 1- October 15th.

Happy Adventuring and thank you for reading this blog post on The Wandering Chickadee!

~Natalie

Searsport Shores: A Unique Art and Music Camping Experience

View from our campsite at Searsport Shores

General Information:

*Updated June 2025*

Searsport Shores Oceanfront Camping is located in Searsport, Maine and is about a 2 hour drive from Portland.  The campground is also home to The Makers Guild of Maine.  The Makers Guild of Maine is an organization that brings people together to make and enjoy handcrafted items, traditional music, and locally sourced food.

If camping, art, music, animals, and gardens are your thing, this is the campground for YOU!  In partnership with The Makers Guild of Maine and the Fiber College, Searsport Shores brings campers art and music events all summer long including an artist-in-residence program.

At the front office, you will find a large white board filled with the events, workshops, and activities for the week.  Most events are free for campers (and day visitors) or are offered at a low cost.  We absolutely LOVED the art and music activities and I’ll share our experiences with them a little later in the blog.

Listening to the jam session

There are a variety of RV sites including oceanfront sites (7 night minimum) with decks overlooking the ocean, back-in sites with views of the ocean, pull through sites, and wooded back-in sites.  All RV sites are water/electric with 2 dump stations on-site along with the option to reserve a honey wagon service.  Weekly RV stays come with a free honey wagon (you choose your preferred day).  

They use colors to denote the different types of campsites: platinum= oceanfront, gold=oceanfront tenting, silver=ocean view, and bronze= little to no ocean view. You do not get to choose your site when you reserve, just the site type

With a campground that is directly on the ocean, the first several rows of sites have very limited access to shade and are relatively close together. In 2024, we stayed at a silver site and did not have any issues with our neighbors.   In 2025, we decided to move back a couple of rows to a bronze site.

In general, I don’t think anyone would have “issues” with neighbors because this campground is soooooo chill; think less beer and cornhole and more campfire jam sessions with guitars.

Tenting sites include walk-in sites and park-and-camp sites.  They also keep a handful of sites available for cyclists where you can call that morning and have a site chosen by the staff (as long as you arrive by 6pm).

They offer a handful of cabins ranging in amenities and sleeping capacities as well as two RVs you can rent.

Upon check in, you are escorted to your site by a staff member of the campground who also helps you get your camper into your site. 

I will say that I saw several comments in the reviews of Searsport Shores where this service gets some not-so-great feedback.  And this is the ONLY thing I didn’t like about our experience.

Here’s my take: 

I think the escort to the site is great.  As the oceanfront and ocean view sites are close together, this staff member can ask other campers to move vehicles, etc. to help you get into your site.  

However, this person jumped into helping us back into our site and it wasn’t really needed.  It caused confusion, frustration, and some stress on me (my husband is a cool cucumber so this stuff doesn’t bother him) because we have a pretty good system for backing in our camper.  And frankly, these are the situations that give you the highest probability of doing some damage to your camper.

My husband and I joked that this was our worst parking of the camper to date. It felt like it took so long, and with so many adjustments, because that third person really threw us off of our game.

My feedback to the campground was to have this person ask us if we needed help getting back up versus just offering it.

On our second visit to the campground, I did kindly let the person escorting us to our site know that my husband and I were able back up our travel trailer as a team and he took the hint and just supervised the backing in.

Ok..back to the general information!

Quiet hours are 10pm-7am.  I love a good 7am end time for quiet hours for my early riser!  If you are looking for a quiet campground, this is another very quiet one!  Evenings were relatively quiet with exception of the sites strumming guitars and singing along to music; which was very welcomed by us! 

For those early morning walkers like me, I could stay right within the campground to get my miles.  I walked all the RV and camping roads along with their nature trails to get about 2 miles.  The nature trails do not have signage so I came upon them by chance.

Note: They would probably be very muddy after a rainy day.

Finally, the ocean.  You have direct access to the ocean and the campground is nestled into a quiet section of shoreline just north of Moose Point State Park and south of Searsport Harbor.  The tides here change quite dramatically and make for good tide pools and sea glass hunting at low tide.  A stream that flows through the campground empties here as well and my daughter enjoyed playing in the gentle rushing water.  

Low tide at Searsport Shores

You can bring your kayaks or rent them at the campground.  It appeared a lot of campers enjoyed taking morning and late afternoon paddles out on the ocean.  I learned from fellow campers that mid-day and early afternoon jaunts out were not advised as the winds traditionally pick up at that time.

We had plans to go out and kayak but the tides and weather did not align with us so…on the to-do list of next year!

Cleanliness of Site/Site Details:

In 2024, we reserved a back-in silver site which gives you views of the ocean (which we had) and were placed into site #25.  Check out the campground map to see where we stayed.  The site was very clean and relatively level. Our site was on the smaller end as far as sites go and our camper sat on a gravel site with a grassy picnic and firepit area. 

Site #25

In 2025, we stayed at bronze site, site #120. Our site was very level, so much so that we didn’t even need to use leveling blocks. This site was also on the end of a row so we were fortunate enough to not have any neighbors on our camp side. You definitely get more space and a bit more privacy from your neighbors. I also feel that everyone tries to grab the oceanfront/ocean view sites so these bronze sites are never fully booked (aka bonus privacy!)

Site #120. Spot my favorite picnic table covers! My daughter picked the pattern this year!

As I shared earlier, my recommendation is to reserve a bronze site, for a little more space from our neighbors.  Bronze sites have the same gravel/grass combination as the one we were on for this trip.

If I had to recommend any RV sites they would be: Bronze Sites 110-129.  They are set back on the campground (see map) and offer shade and a bit more spacing between neighbors.  They are centrally located to the playground, office, art studio and bathroom/laundry/showers as well as to where you access the beach.

Like I said before, you can’t pick your site. However, I did ask to be placed in the range of sites I mentioned above and…viola! We got into site #120. Now, do I think this will work every time? No. But I don’t think it hurts to ask either.

PS: We LOVE these picnic table covers! I would recommend getting the larger covers (the 96 inch ones) and using tablecloth clips if you end up with smaller table. That way, no matter what, you can cover your table!

Site Costs:

2025 rates are:

  • Platinum: $121/night
  • Silver: $85/night
  • Bronze: $70/night

Prices for tent camping can be found on their website.

3 night minimums are required on all sites with the exception of: a 7-night minimum on the ocean front sites and a 4-night minimum on their premium tent camp sites.

These rates change slightly for the off-season.  All sites have water/electric with a free dump station.  You can reserve a honey wagon service, if needed.  Weekly RV stays get a free honey wagon service on the day of your choosing.

Amenities:

  • Free and Discounted Art and Music Events
  • Kayak Rentals
  • Playground and Rec Room
  • Wireless Internet…that actually works
  • Coin-Op Laundry (4 washers, 6 dryers) available 24 hours/day
  • LP Gas Refills
  • Dedicated Bathrooms and Free Showers within the Campground (more on that later)
  • Camp Store.  Filled with essentials, artisan gifts, cold brew coffee, ice cream, wood (soft and hard woods)
  • Nature Trails
  • Valet RV Parking. Somebody will drive your truck/camper down to your site and park it for you. Not my jam..but perhaps it’s yours!
  • RV and Boat Storage

Bathroom Low Down:

The bathrooms and laundry are housed in one building with sex-separated bathrooms. 

Showers are attached in the same building as the bathrooms and laundry.  They are accessible outside under the covered porch.  There are 5 individual shower stalls all with their own exterior doors.  Once you turn on the lights to your shower stall, a small red light illuminates the outside of the building to indicate your stall is occupied. 

The showers were hot and, depending on how many people were using the showers, the water pressure was fine. 

There is a family shower and bathroom located back inside the building.  This is a great feature for those of us with small kiddos.

Additionally, it always looked like someone was cleaning the bathrooms and shower area so this bath house was CLEAN.

There are also 4 privies/composting bathrooms throughout the campground and..well..they are quite cute looking!

“Oh, the places you will go” is the sign here

Bathroom Rating: A-

The only reason I couldn’t give it an A+ was because of the age of the facilities.  A huge thing for me that I loved was that they always looked clean or someone was always cleaning them when I went in.

We love Searsport Shores too!

Overview of our Experience:

In 2024, we arrived at Searsport Shores for our second week-long camp trip.  We spent 4 nights at Searsport Shores and then headed down to Rockport for a 3 nights of camping at Sea Swell.

The biggest reason we chose Searsport Shores was because of the art and music on-site.  And wow, WE WERE IMPRESSED!!  

My daughter and I enjoyed 3 morning art classes with Ms. Paula where we made our own collage books, an upcycled mobile, and our own bookmarks.  Open studio times were posted for the afternoons and we could go back and finish any of our crafts or bring something in that we were working on from home. 

Bookmaking Class in 2024

In addition to art lessons, they had cooking classes happening too!  

Mostly the classes are geared toward people of all ages (with parents helping little ones) and I loved the inclusivity of that!

In the later afternoons, we were able to sit and enjoy two jam sessions.  The one offered on Wednesday nights is free to the public and a food truck is usually on site.  

Jam Session #2 of the week. Complete with chocolate ice cream!

Oh, and did I mention the sheep, goats, and chickens that have big, wide-open pens around the campground?!  We visited them in the evening as well!

To watch my daughter truly immerse herself in the experiences of this campground gets me emotional even as I write these words.  To find a place where she can be around artists, musicians, and inspiring people…there is definitely something magical about Searsport Shores.  

Magical spaces all around the campground

In 2025, we returned for a 3-night adventure. We arrived before the official kick off of summer so that artist-in-residence program (aka the art classes) hadn’t started yet. However, we found plenty to do on this trip! We visited Fort Knox and Fort Point to get two more stamps in our Maine State Park Passport, explored Belfast, and spent a morning at the Penobscot Marine Museum.

So you can definitely bet that once the reservations open up in January next year, we will be booking our return to this wonderful campground! And I will be sure to check out when the artist-in-residence program kicks off (and book our return visit for when this program is in session) because what makes this campground so unique is the art class experience!

For more on our trip to the midcoast area as well as all of other adventures, check out my posts on Instagram and Facebook.

Thank you for reading this blog on The Wandering Chickadee! If you love what you are reading, please consider subscribing. You will get the latest blog directly in your email as well as some subscriber exclusives!

~Natalie

Sherwood Forest Campsite: Budget-Friendly Camping Near Pemaquid Beach

A gravel road through a forested campground with a sign reading 'SLOW' attached to a tree, surrounded by greenery and sunlight filtering through the trees.
We LOVE this small/medium campground in New Harbor, Maine

Updated: June 2026

General Information:

Sherwood Forest Campsite is a family-owned campground located in New Harbor, Maine  It is about a 1.5 hour drive northeast from Portland.  It is nestled right into Pemaquid Point with access to Pemaquid Beach less than 800 feet from the campground and short drives to Fort William Henry at Colonial Pemaquid and Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

A child pulling a wagon filled with colorful beach gear walks along a gravel path in a campground, surrounded by tall trees and RVs.
Pemaquid Beach is a 10 minute walk from our campsite.

Sherwood Forest Campsite is a very small campground with about 70 sites on the grounds; 37 sites are seasonal, 22 sites are water/electric (30/50 AMP) hook ups, and about 12 tenting sites (some with electric hookups, some without).  Each site has the perfect balance of sun and shade and all sites have a gravel pad.

They also have 4 cabins available to rent.  They are duplex log cabins.  Just keep in mind that the campground map is somewhat confusing. It looks like there are four individual cabins but…they are not.  Cabins #1 and #2 share a wall as do cabins #3 and #4.  The campground DOES SHARE that they are duplex cabins; it’s just the campground map that isn’t up to date for them.

Upon arrival, you will check in at the front office.  The owners live at the campground and someone is always in the well stocked front office.  Reservations are made through their website using the FireFly Reservation platform. A huge bonus is that Sherwood Forest has uploaded great pictures of their campsites! I LOVE getting to look at the campsites ahead of time!

Sign indicating the OFFICE at Sherwood Forest Campsite with a speed limit sign reading 5 MPH, surrounded by trees and a gravel pathway.
You will always find a well-stocked camp store here!

Quiet hours are 10pm to 7:30am. We were recently here in June 2026 with LOTS of families tent camping and you would have never known how many kids were staying here based on how quiet it was in the morning!

Speaking of mornings, you have plenty of options for a morning walk or jog including heading down to Pemaquid Harbor and and peeping the beautiful older summer homes there, or take to the freshly groomed Pemaquid Beach.  Traffic is very quiet and I always manage to see deer in my travels!

A serene view of a dock with a wooden walkway leading to the water, featuring boats at anchor and a distant tree line under a soft morning sky. An American flag stands at the end of the dock, and a rustic wooden fence adorned with moss frames the foreground.
My morning walks can be so breathtaking here!

The campground is limited for children’s activities.  There is no pool and the very small playground could use some love and attention.  However, the campground roads provided excellent entertainment for my daughter’s growing independence and her desire to always want to head out and explore the campground on her scooter.

Activities in the Area:

Cleanliness of Site/Site Details:

With mature tree growth, most sites have a good portion of shade for the day.  The sites are very clean with a well-maintained gravel pad. Each site is pretty spacious and comes with a picnic table and fire pit.  A dump site is on the premises and honey wagon services are available as well.

One of our favorite sites: #17!

Here are my recommendations for sites:

  • Sites #16, 17, and 18.  These are our FAVORITE sites.  We have stayed in #17 (50 AMP) and #18 (30 AMP) during both of our visits.
  • Sites #56-59 are against the treeline and provide a little more privacy than the ones mentioned above. These sites could be a little buggy in June.

Site Costs:

For 2026: A water/electric site will run about $52/night and a rustic site $42/night. The sites we like will run about $59/night.  You will be able to lock-in your site for an additional $10 per reservation. I think this nightly rates are truly AMAZING because…you have Pemaquid Beach within 800 feet of your campsite! Sites like this, in Southern Maine, would go for over $100/night (or more) easily!

As always, these are subject to change so reference Sherwood Forest Campsite’s website for the latest rates.

Amenities:

  • Pemaquid Beach Access (admission fees apply)
  • Playground (small and could use some love)
  • FREE Wi-Fi
  • Coin Operated Washer and Dryers ($3.00 for washer, $1.50 for dryer)
  • Campstore (really well stocked with camping essentials and more!)
  • Dump Station

Bathroom Low Down:

There are two bathroom locations at Sherwood Forest Campsite.  You will get centrally located sex-separated bathrooms in the middle of the campground.  These bathrooms will also be where you find the showers.  There are a couple of showers within the sex-separated bathrooms and more attached on the outside of the complex.  This bathroom complex also houses the laundry facilities and a dishwashing station.  

A view of a rustic camping cabin surrounded by tall trees at Sherwood Forest Campsite in Maine, with a gravel path leading up to the structure.
Centrally located bathrooms and showers

One note here:  The dump station is also close to this complex.  With that, I do give my daughter a reminder to avoid playing in this area because..well..a dump station is a dump station (aka gross). 

The other sex-separated bathroom situation will be directly behind the camp store.

Bathroom Rating: B-

The bathrooms and shower rooms are clean but show their age.  I like that the bathroom facilities are centrally located so that I do not need to factor in their location when looking at what campsite we want to stay in.  

The bathroom facilities behind the camp store do appear to be built more recently. 

View of washing machines in a rustic laundry facility with wooden walls at Sherwood Forest Campsite.
Coin-operated laundry is on the backside of the bathrooms and showers

Overview of our Experience:

We have been to Sherwood Forest Campsite 3 times now and love it here!  A 3-day weekend stay here is perfect for our family. We love allocating one day for exploring things around the midcoast Maine area and another one for a beach day at Pemaquid Beach. We really love the short walk to Pemaquid Beach from the campground.  You pay a daily fee to enter the community-run beach and your ticket is valid for the entire day.  So…that means you can come and go as you please.  Want to have lunch at your campsite and come back?  No problem.  Need to give a little one a nap and want to return in the late afternoon?  Not an issue.  

A person and a child walking along a sandy beach with gentle waves and scattered seaweed, under a cloudy sky.
Evening strolls on Pemaquid Beach

They also have chair, umbrella, and boogie board rentals available at the beach.  We always snag a beach umbrella and then head down to the beach to set up our spot.  

Notes about the beach:  Bring cash (you can use your card for admission but will pay an extra 2.6%)and the seagulls can be aggressive so be sure that your food is secured very well.

A child and an adult relaxing on a colorful blanket on the sandy beach, with the ocean and people enjoying the water in the background.
One of us has to stay under an umbrella, the rest of us get a nice tan.

Sherwood Forest Campsite is such a great campground to add to your camping season.  Whether you want to hike one of the local preserves, spend time at the beach, or check out all the historical sites around the Pemaquid peninsula, you are sure to find something for everyone. 

I also love that Sherwood Forest is VERY BUDGET-FRIENDLY and in talking with other fellow campers, it appears many families make multiple trips each summer to Sherwood Forest to enjoy the wallet-friendly rates and easy access to the beach.

For more on our trip to Sherwood Forest Campsite and the Pemaquid Peninsula as well as all of other adventures, check out my stories and reels on Instagram and Facebook.

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Happy Adventuring!

~Natalie

Explore the Nature Trails at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Visible signage is at all trail intersections.

You have probably heard of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and their beautiful plants and flowers, you have probably read about and seen some of their famous trolls, their children’s garden area and even their holiday light show, but have you heard of their nature trails?

With over 2 miles of trails weaved thoughtfully throughout the property, beautiful overlooks, education placards, and even a partnership with the Portland Museum of Art to include art on the trails, the trails at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens will not disappoint!

Read through the blog for an in depth summary of the trails at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and IMPORTANT BATHROOM details or head straight to the summary at the bottom for quick information.

Art-on-the-Trail program by the Portland Museum of Art.

General Information:

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is located in Boothbay, Maine and is approximately a 1 hour drive north of Portland.

Admission costs are as follows: Adult/$28, Children/$12, Under 3/Free.  However, there are numerous ways to save and I highly recommend checking out their website to see what may apply to you and your family including FREE PASSES from your local library!!

The Gardens are open daily from 9-5pm and there is ample parking. 

Bathrooms are located throughout the Gardens and there is a confirmed water bottle filling situation at the Visitor Center.

The trails we love to hike at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens are located near Cleaver Lawn where you can find approximately 2 miles of trails that meander towards Back River.

All of the trails are well marked with traditional painted trail marks as well as highly visible signage at all trail intersections. 

I do NOT recommend jogging strollers for these trails (and that’s saying something as I always liked to put my jogging stroller to test on all kinds of trails but when my daughter was little).  The trails can be narrow and tree root structures are numerous.

Beautiful trails but may be difficult for a jogging stroller.

Our Experience:

We had a wonderful time walking along these trails!   We started off from Cleaver Lawn and headed onto the Brook Trail.  Not too far along on our hike, we crossed a lovely stream and I was grateful my daughter had on her waterproof hiking sneakers. Nothing ruins a hike faster than wet feet!

From the Brook Trail, we connected onto the Cedar Ledge Trail and headed to the Overlook on Back River for a snack break.  We reconnected with the Brook Trail for a short bit and then finished our hike on the Huckleberry Cove trail.  In total, we hiked around 2 miles.  

For additional miles, you could easily stay on Huckleberry Cove trail to Shoreland Trail to see Troll Birk and visit the Fairy Village. Then continue on to the Maine Woods Trail to see Troll Soren before heading down Birch Allee and finding Troll Lilja and the Alfond Children’s Garden.   This would add another 1.5 miles onto your hike.  We didn’t have time for this adventure due to weather but I think this could make for some fun day-long hiking/exploring at the Gardens.

Deer Fences are around the perimeter of the Gardens. You have to leave the perimeter to access the trails.

Bathroom Rating: A-

There are numerous bathroom locations located at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.  If doing the trails, the closest bathrooms will be at the Visitor’s Center and the Garden Cafe.  An all gender bathroom can be found at the Visitor’s Center. Changing tables are confirmed to be in the women’s bathrooms.

View from the Overlook on Back River.

Additional Adventures:

Looking to add on to your adventure to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens? 

Here are a couple of options you add to your day that are between Portland and Boothbay.

  • Railway Village Museum: Located right in Boothbay, this railway and museum will not disappoint! Check their website for admission discounts!  Also check to see if your library offers FREE passes!
  • Damariscotta’s Shell Midden Site: Looking to add in a little history of the area?  Check out the largest North American shell midden site in Damariscotta.
  • Maine Maritime Museum: With a rotating children’s exhibit (currently it’s a tribute to Chris Van Dusen), and a large outdoor area with an option for boat tours, this is another good stop for all ages!  And again, check to see if your library has free passes!
  • Longfellow Playground: Located just off of Route 1 in Brunswick, this a fantastic wooden playground!
Such a beautiful, peaceful and quiet hike in the woods.

Summary:

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens offers some fantastic nature trails in Boothbay, Maine. With about 2 miles of trails that crisscross the hillside, it will lead you to Back River and give you fantastic views of this tidal channel.

Jogging strollers are not recommended but sturdy hiking sneakers for young ones are! 

The closest bathrooms to the trails are located at Visitor’s Center as well as the Gardens Cafe.

The biggest network of trails in Gardens are accessible at two different parts of the Gardens; one by Cleaver Lawn and then other off of Huckleberry Cove Trail.  It’s my recommendation to do these trails in a clockwise fashion.

Happy Adventuring and thank you for reading this blog post on The Wandering Chickadee!

~Natalie

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Durham Leisure Campground: Affordable RV Camping near Portland and Freeport

First trip of the 2026 season with our new-to-us camper: a 2024 Airstream Flying Cloud 27FBT

This post may include affiliate links.  If you click on one of them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you.

Updated: May 2026

General Information:

Durham Leisure Campground is a family-owned campground located in Durham, Maine and is about 25 minutes north of Greater Portland and next door to Freeport, Maine.

Every year we like to stay to do some 2-night/weekend camping and staying local is a great choice when looking to maximize our camping time.  We love that this campground is only 35 minutes from our house!

This campground gives you easy access to some many things. We have gone to the outlets in Freeport, Bradbury Mtn. State Park, Wolfe Neck State Park, Pineland Farms, and the Maine Wildlife Park from this campground.

This is a 36-site RV ONLY (no tenters, sorry!) campground.  There are a combination of back-in and pull-through sites.  All the sites are full hook-up and offer plenty of shade.  They also have some cabins available for rent.  Durham Leisure Campground appears to have some expansion plans in the works as noted with the campsites marked ‘XX’ on the map. We have stayed here for the past couple of years and work to the expansion seems slow going but I’m excited to finally check out the new sites when they are done!

Upon arrival, you will check in at the front office; if the owners are not there, you are directed to call them on the cell phone number provided.  For our stay this year, we had to call and had no issues with check in! From there, the owners will lead you to your site and offer a recommendation for where to park on the site and then leave you to settle in on your site.

Reservations are made through a reservation request form online or you can call the campground.  We have now stayed at Durham Leisure Campground twice and both times I have called to book our reservation.  Honestly, I think calling campgrounds to book reservations is always the way to go.  You can ask for site recommendations and get the nitty-gritty details about the site you book that you wouldn’t see when booking online.

Quiet hours are 10pm-8am.  Again, another VERY quiet campground for us!  There are a host of seasonal sites at this campground and I happen to know they welcome and cater to the traveling nurses and contracted Bath Iron Works employees.  Therefore, it was ALWAYS quiet, day or night, with many campers away from their sites for the day.

As you know by now, I like to get out and walk in the morning.  There is a trail (not marked) on the property that you can venture down.  I didn’t explore the trail but did get a good workout going up and down the entrance hill to the campground.  A loop up-and-down the hill was about .4 miles… so I did that a couple of times to get around 2.0 miles done before breakfast.

The salt water pool is by far our favorite campground pool to date!  Mostly because we were usually the only family using the pool. They have a HUGE shallow area that would be perfect for those younger kiddos to sit and splash around it.  They have some rules around floaties and noodles but you can find a bin of pool toys for kids….think of a random collection of “sinkies”.  A hot tub is also within the pool compound.

My daughter LOVES this pool!

A playground is available behind the camp office and is really geared for the 5 and under crew and in the camp office, you will find a great play area for kids, a wonderfully stocked children’s and adult libraries and a good selection of DVDs you can check out during your stay.

Playground located right behind the camp office and next to the pool

Now for the Google Reviews…I normally do not include or address reviews because to each their own on how much they weigh these reviews in their decision to stay at a campground or not.

BUT…I need to address two things I noticed about those 1-star reviews you will see if you do a search of their Google reviews.  

1.)  Many of these 1-star reviews are over 3 years old.  Personally, I think Google reviews should be no older than 2 years old.  Because a lot can happen within those two years.. ownership changes, management changes, expansion, etc.

2.) There were a couple of mentions regarding the owners’ religious viewpoints.  From the religious books noted on the shelves, I could deduce their religious preferences.  However, did the owners EVER push their views and opinions on us?  ABSOLUTELY NOT.  And frankly, I have had more pushy sales people knock on my door trying to sell me on solar farms than anything we ever encountered at Durham Leisure Campground.

So with that, I encourage you to check out Durham Leisure Campground for yourself! I promise you will not be disappointed!

Cleanliness of Site/Site Details:

With mature tree growth, every site has a good portion of shade for the day.  The sites are very clean with a mostly gravel site.   Sites vary with the amount of grass they have on them.  

Sites can accommodate some pretty big rigs as we observed during check in that a 45 foot, triple axle RV was calling the campground home.   We did not feel like we were right on top of our neighbors but close enough that we were mindful of our noise in the morning before quiet hours were over. 

Clotheslines are allowed…which I love when there is a pool onsite!

There really isn’t a bad site at Durham Leisure Campground.  We have stayed in the pull-through sites #26 and #27 and they were fantastic.  The sites were very clean and relatively level.  #26 has a very cool fire pit created with some boulders and rocks while site #27 has a great ball-like metal fire pit.

Our site, #27, had this nice fire pit for us to use

The only site I would probably stay away from due to have to back in around some pretty big trees is site #29.  However, it appears that it’s being used as a seasonal site but…doesn’t hurt to ask to not be put in that site.

Picnic tables vary in length at this campground so come prepared with a variety of covers. And always, always, use a cover! I have seen people sit their sewer hoses on picnic tables on the day of their departure. It’s so gross!  

I love our picnic table covers, especially because they come in a variety of sizes! And if you don’t like getting a variety of sizes in picnic table covers, opt for a large one and use picnic table cover clips.

Site Costs:

We stayed at a pull-through (20/30/50 AMP) site for $65/night + taxes.  Durham Leisure Campground is one of the least expensive nightly rates of our summer of camping!  In looking at their website, rates range from $60-75/night.

Site #26 from last year.

They do require a 2-night minimum and 3-night minimum on holiday weekends.

Additionally, a couple years ago we had booked for a 3-night weekend trip but due to some rain storms and schedule glitches, we had to rearrange our camping schedule a bit and could only come for 2 nights.    The owners were great to work with and gave us a 1 night credit to use this year or next year.  I really love when campgrounds can work with campers like this!

Amenities:

  • Playground
  • Outdoor Salt Water Pool
  • Hot Tub
  • Hiking Trail
  • FREE Wireless Internet
  • Coin-Op Laundry ($4.00 for washer/$2.00 dryer)
  • Children & Adult Libraries
  • Free DVD rentals
  • Indoor Play Area
  • Dedicated Bathrooms and Free Showers within the Campground (more on that later)
Great indoor place space.

Bathroom Low Down:

There are 2 all-gender bathrooms located in the camp office building.  One is accessible within the camp office building and the other, accessible through a door on the exterior of the building.  You will find a toilet and urinal in each of the bathrooms along with air blades to dry your hands to reduce on paper trash.

Clean bathrooms. Urinal is located directly opposite of toilet.

There are also two shower rooms accessible on the exterior of the building.  There are benches and places to hang your towels as well as shower caddies in the stalls to place your toiletries.  Again, VERY clean rooms!

Individual shower stalls.

The bathrooms and laundry are housed in one building with sex-separated bathrooms.  Showers are attached in the same building as the bathrooms and laundry.  They are accessible from outside the building. 

Bathroom Rating: A+

The bathrooms and shower rooms are very clean and very new!  You can still smell that “new-build” smell when you walk in, which I love!

Overview of our Experience:

We have been to Durham Leisure Campground 3 times since we have started camping. We love this campground for shake out runs at the beginning of the season! We can work out the kinks and not stress if we forgot an essential item at home because we live so close to it.  

For 2026, I made a reservation over the phone and really enjoyed talking to Qwenn.  She then always texts to make sure that we have her contact information with us, should we ever need it!    I think that is a great customer service touch before we even set foot into the campground!

Checking in is always a breeze! I feel like Qwenn always has our paperwork ready and waiting when we arrive. She thens leads us to our campsite and makes sure we are all set.

Camp office area which is adjacent to the play area.

My daughter’s priority is to get to the pool as fast as we can! Once we are unhitched and jacks are down, she knows she can quickly change into her bathing suit and head with me down to the pool…which is exactly what we done each trip!

The pool is partly covered by these cloth sails so you have lots of shade if you need it.

TBH, I love getting us away from the campsite so that my hubby can get everything hooked up and into place with a little peace and quiet…and then he will come down and tag me out and I will go set up the inside of the camper along with our outdoor living space. 

#teamworkmakesthedreamwork

After a little swim session, we cooked some dinner over the grill and had our first campfire of the season!

#summerunplugged

On Saturday, we headed into Freeport as my daughter had some birthday $$ to spend at Sherman’s bookstore and we picked up a classic game to add to our camper…Yahtzee! From there, we grabbed lunch at a food cart and headed to the Desert of Maine for some mini golf.

Everyone loves a good mini golf photo op, right?!

We returned to the campground for another quiet night of campfires and games.  

We love adding a Raclette grill dinner to our camping meals!

On Sunday, we adventured to Bradbury Mountain State Park. We love hiking this little mountain with our daughter! I love that it’s a bit more than a walk in the woods but not a tough hike for little legs by any means. And we grabbed some custard at Mainely Custard before the rain started!

Monday was pack up day. And…we always have this weird “luck” of doing it in the rain. For the past 2 seasons, our travel day home feels like it’s always in the rain. Here’s to hoping this rainy day was just a one-off in this year’s camping season and not something that is a trend! 🙂

If you are local to Southern Maine or are looking to do some camping near Portland or Brunswick, you have to check out Durham Leisure Campground!  This campground is centrally located to both cities with many opportunities to check out hiking trails and two state parks.

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Happy Adventuring!

~Natalie

This post may include affiliate links.  If you click on one of them, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you.