Tent camping in Maine... Suggestions?

Rangeley, ME has kept it’s small town charm, has a large lake, near NH, Canada and the Appalachian Trail.

Make sure to take light sweaters for the cool nights, gators for your boots, and whatever works for you in warding off mosquitos in huge quantities.

It sounds like you’re at least a semi-experienced camper, so I don’t know how much these tips can help you, but here goes:

- aluminum foil packets make great dinners. just wrap up some hamburger meat and your favorite chopped veggies, along with some spices and a little water for steaming, in some aluminum foil and throw it in the campfire for a while. delicious and easy!
– bring along plenty of activities in case it rains
– buy all non-perishable groceries a little ways outside the camp site so you don’t have to pay the ridiculous prices the nearby groceries stores will charge. it might seem easiest to buy them at home, but only do so if you’re prepared to pay the extra gas it’ll take to lug them up there. (i’m guessing you live a least a semi-long drive from Maine).
– for a little fun, put an apple core or something in a plastic bag and leave it outside the tent before you go to the sleep. chances are some wandering raccoons will find it and try to get at it, and the crinkling of the bag will wake you and your beau up and let you watch. (not recommended if there’s a chance of bears or other vicious animals)

Have fun! :D

I dont know any places in maine but

..well from my camping experiences i went to a camp site and they had a bathroom there with a shower.. and you should take some activities in case u get bored because we didnt take as much and ended up playing DODGE THE SHOE throwing shoes at each other to see who got hit first (it was very fun. haha) .. and if theres a town near by you could go and have dinner there..also be careful of bugs and animals.. we killed like 3 big scorpions and a tarantula… also take a bunch of supplies.. like napkins.. plates.. cups.. candles or flashlights because it gets very very dark out there.. oh and most importantly take sun tan lotion!!! U WILL NOT REGRET IT!! TRUST ME!

don’t do it…come to FL

One area that I like a lot is Kezar Lake in Lovell Maine. It is somewhat less crowded than some others. There is a camping area and great hiking. The lake and surrounding scenery is spectacular.

Watch out for ticks, which is big issue when camping and hiking in Maine. They do carry Lyme disease too—some of them.

@McBealer: Thanks! We are interested in the Appalachian Trail, and were looking further north to avoid the crowded southern areas, but I’ll give Rangeley a looksee based on your recommendation.

@MisterBlueSky85: My beau is a very experienced camper and hiker; I haven’t gone camping since I was a kid. It will be just the 2 of us, so we’ll be able to entertain ourselves in inclement weather ;-)

@Melly6708: One book I have lists campgrounds with pit toilets only… so I wanted to specify that we don’t want to “rough-it” to that extreme! :-D

@NotReallyHere: You can keep Florida… I live in New Jersey, and have more heat and humidity than I can stand as it is :-/

@Marina: I think I’ve heard of Lovell… I’ll look into it. Thanks!

Florida?..I was talking about Fun Lake, MN…just kidding

@ hearcat ~ I used to live in Rangeley, let me know if you need any other info.

Check out Pine Grove Lodge in Bingham. We stayed there last summer and it was wonderful!! they have really cute cabins, only $30.00 per person per night, and they serve a full hot Breakfast that will fill you for the day. There is white water rafting nearby, and the lodge owner is a very entertaining guide. He took us on a two hour “moose safari”, and I don’t think I ever laughed so hard for so long. He is hilarious!!

Bingham is a very small town, so you will find it to be very peaceful and friendly. the kenebeck river (sp?) flows through the area, so the scenery is breath taking. Oh, and there is a really neat “secret” water fall within walking distance of the lodge.

@Scamp: Are there tent sites at that location also, or is it only the cabins? We planned on tent camping, but if the prices are that reasonable, we may reconsider. because it sounds like just what we’re looking for. Thanks!

He might let you put up a tent. He has lots of property. Here is a link to his site. give them a call and ask for Bob or Andrea. If they don’t allow tent camping, they can refer you to someone nearby who does. Like I said, they are very nice people! The town reminded me of the TV show Northern Exposure.

Acadia National Park. I’ve never actually been there, but have many friends and family who have and they say it’s amazing. I’m sure they have a range of camping to suit your level of comfort. Check out http://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

Bring the bug juice! New England is brutal in the summer!

emilyrose is right! When we went on the moose safari, there were so many biting flies they almost darkened the sun!! I thought they would carry the truck away, ha ha!!

@EmilyRose: I’d like to see Acadia, but I’ll save that for another trip during the off-season. I hear it gets very crowded in July and August.

I have heard about the black flies, and we’ll be taking precautions!!!

Arcadia looks good to me too. SO’s family reunion may be cancelled this year, so maybe we will go there instead. Hearkat, maybe I will see you there! I’ll bring extra bug spray just in case.

Go around the Kennebunkport- Portland area. We go up there every summer and there are some nice islands out there that you can camp on.