Hot Showers: A sampling of Maine Waterfront Campgrounds
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Part 1: Hot Showers! Maine Coast Lodgings for Kayakers and Sailors
Part 2: Hot Showers!
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Coastal campgrounds are scattered along the Maine coast, and serve as great home bases for kayak day trips. Described below are three that make it easy to get out on the water. Hermit Island Campground, in eastern Casco Bay, is within an hour's drive of Portland and Freeport. From Old Quarry Ocean Adventures in Stonington, it's a short paddle to the islands of the Deer Isle archipelago. South Bay Campground is down east in the Cobscook Bay region; it has some waterview campsites on an adjacent island.
Hermit Island Campground, Small Point
Location: On Hermit Island, Small Point. The campground is 16 miles down the Phippsburg peninsula from the city of Bath, which is 35 miles northeast of Portland. (Portland is a two-hour drive from Boston.) NOAA charts #13290 and #13293.
Offshore attractions: On higher tides, enjoy some gunkholing along the eastern side of Hermit Island. Tottman Cove and Sebasco Harbor, which lie just to the north, are interesting destinations. You can land at Sebasco Harbor Resort and enjoy lunch or a beverage on the deck. Six miles from the campground, up the New Meadows River, you'll find a little Bureau of Parks and Lands island in The Basin, appropriately called Basin Island.
Trips to the south and east of Hermit Island are recommended only for very experienced kayakers under good conditions. Bald Head and Small Point are very exposed to wind and waves. Popham Beach is sometimes used for surf and rescue practices. The mouth of the Kennebec River is notorious for its strong currents, which often sweep out past Seguin Island.
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The campground: Despite the campground's name, you can drive to it via a sandy finger of land joining the island to the Phippsburg peninsula. You can also arrive by boat, as there are two large sand beaches and five lovely pocket beaches. Hermit Island caters to tenters; it does not accommodate RV's, travel trailers, or large tent trailers. Some campsites are situated amidst scrubby vegetation; others are open and near a beach with thickets of sweet-smelling rugosa roses. Some of the nicest sites are on bluffs overlooking Casco Bay.
The island has an extensive network of hiking trails. Canoes and rowboats are available for rent.
Campsites: 275 sites, of which 70 are waterfront. A mix of privies and flush toilets. Central showers. Recreation center with video games and snack bar. Groceries and lobsters available.
Rates, etc.: $27-38 tent sites from mid-June to Labor Day, $25 off-season. No credit cards. Pets are not permitted. One vehicle per site. No visitors. Open May to Columbus Day.
Kayak access: Launch from the gravel boat ramp or from one of the beaches; there's water at all tides.
Addresses: Route 216, Small Point, ME
Mail: 42 Front St., Bath, ME 04530
E-mail: info@hermitisland.com
Web site: www.hermitisland.com
Phone: (207) 443-2101
Old Quarry Ocean Adventures, Stonington
Location: Webb Cove, Stonington, on the southern end of Deer Isle. Driving time from Portland is three and a half hours. NOAA charts #13305 and #13313.
Offshore attractions: The Deer Isle archipelago is full of granite-ringed islands, providing nearly infinite choices of paddling routes and partial shelter from prevailing winds. Because of island density and the likelihood of fog, competence with a chart and compass is essential for all boaters visiting the area. Bureau of Parks and Lands islands near the campground open to the public include Steves, Harbor, Hell's Half Acre, and Little Sheep. Tiny Steves is west of Wreck, Harbor's wildflower meadows are near Merchant Island, Hell's Half Acre (which is really two acres!) is northwest of Devil, and Little Sheep is northwest of Sheep. Some of the Bureau of Parks and Lands islands have started showing the signs of increased visitation, so walk gently to leave no trace of your visit.
The Island Heritage Trust has three islands in Merchant Row available for day visits. Wreck Island has a lovely beach and meadows, and nearby Round is wooded. Millet is covered with spruce and fir trees. The trust prefers that visitors leave their pets at home, and refrain from building fires on the islands; no camping is permitted.
Onshore attractions: The Deer Isle Granite Museum (207-367-6331) on Main Street in Stonington is worth a visit. You'll find an 8' by 15' working model of the Crotch Island quarry operation and Stonington, circa 1900, as well as tools of the trade. Also on Main Street are some galleries, shops, and a few different places to get ice cream. A couple miles north of town, stop by Lily's Cafe (207-367-5936) on Route 15 for a tasty breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Monday through Friday.
The campground: Bill Baker and Lisa Whittemore have been busy creating a kayaker haven on Webb Cove, two miles east of the Stonington harbor. First, they set up a much-needed kayak launch ramp and parking area near the Settlement Quarry, and opened a kayak rental shop. In the summer of 2000, they established a camping area, with some sites in the woods and others in a clearing near their shop. Cars are parked off to a side, and carts are provided for hauling camping gear the short distance to the sites.
There's a 12-foot-deep pond that originally provided water for cooling blades used to cut granite; it's now handy for practicing rescues. A path leads to the Settlement Quarry, where the Island Heritage Trust maintains walking trails and interpretive signs.
Experienced paddlers may rent Old Town single sea kayaks or Necky doubles at the shop.
Campsites: Ten 12' by 12' tent platforms approximately 100 yards from the water. Showers and flush toilets. Laundry facilities. The shop offers bagels and muffins for breakfast, other camping food, and kayaking supplies such as charts.
Rates, etc.: $20 tent sites. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express accepted. Pets permitted. Open April through October.
Kayak access: Launch from the gravel ramp, where there is water at all tides.
Address: Oceanville Rd., RR#1 Box 700, Stonington, ME 04681
E-mail: info@oldquarry.com
Web site: www.oldquarry.com
Phone: (207) 367-8977
South Bay Campground, Lubec
Location: On Red Point in South Bay. The campground is four miles from Lubec, which borders Canada. Lubec is about a five-hour drive from Portland. NOAA chart #13394.
Offshore attractions: The campground faces a relatively sheltered section of South Bay, which is part of the Cobscook Bay region. There are two Bureau of Parks and Lands islands within a few miles: Trio and Federal. Trio is actually a set of three islets (Lat. 44° 51' 20", Long. 67° 01' 45") along the south shore of Seward Neck. Federal Island (Lat. 44° 51' 45", Long. 67° 03' 53") is on the east side of the first cove on your right as you enter Federal Harbor, which is found at the southeast end of Denbow Neck.
The tidal range in the Cobscook Bay area is on the order of 15 to 24 feet, so the volume of water moving in and out of the bay is huge; the period of time the tide is slack is quite short. Low tide occurs significantly later in the far reaches, such as Whiting Bay and Dennys Bay. "Cobscook" means "boiling tides," and there are dangerous reversing falls where Whiting and Dennys meet Cobscook Bay. Even seasoned boaters are awed by the strength of the currents throughout the Cobscook Bay region.
Onshore attractions: Lubec is the easternmost town in the United States. From here it's a short drive to West Quoddy Head, the country's easternmost point. There is a red and white-striped lighthouse and a hiking trail, and you can see Grand Manan Island on a clear day.
Lubec is joined by a bridge to Campobello Island, which is part of New Brunswick. Beautiful old summer cottages and hiking trails are on the grounds of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park (www.fdr.net), which was created around Franklin D. Roosevelt's summer home.
The campground: A number of private, wooded campsites were recently added to this campground; some of them overlook South Bay. There are also some basic campsites on the 12-acre island just opposite the launch area. Mainland campers are welcome to visit the island by crossing the bar at low tide. The campground includes a pleasant 25' by 50' swimming pool and play area.
Campsites: 74 sites on the mainland, of which 23 are waterview sites. Wheelchair-accessible showers and flush toilets. Recreation room with pool table and jukebox. Four basic waterview tent sites on the adjacent island, with one privy.
Rates, etc.: $15-20 tent sites. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Pets welcome. Three-night minimum reservations are preferred, but one or two-night reservations are often possible. Open mid-May to mid-October.
Kayak access: 25-yard carry from a drop-off point to the rocky shore; there's water on the top half of the tide only.
Address: Route 189, RR#1 Box 6565, Lubec, ME 04652
E-mail: southbay@nemaine.com
Web site: www.nemaine.com/southbay
Phone: (207) 733-1037, (877) 733-1037
LEE BUMSTED is the author of Hot Showers! Maine Coast Lodgings for Kayakers and Sailors, a guide to 152 coastal B&Bs, inns, and similar lodgings, and 30 campgrounds. Her book is available from Audenreed Press at www.biddle-audenreed.com/Kayak.html. You may mail a check for $18.95 plus $2.00 shipping (and $.95 sales tax for Maine residents) to P.O. Box 1305, Brunswick, Maine 04011. You may also purchase it from booksellers and kayak shops.
This article originally appeared in Atlantic Coastal Kayaker magazine, and is used with permission of Atlantic Coastal Kayaker and the author.
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