Should you want to actually get away from your home, there’s one surefire way to vaca on the cheap. It’s good old fashioned camping.
With a tent, a few sleeping bags and a cooler filled with food and drinks, you’ll be making memories in no time.
For instance, I still remember the all-girls camping trip I took with my mother, sister, aunts and cousins back in the ‘80s. We went to gorgeous Hermit Island Campground in Phippsburg, where there are sandy beaches, hiking trails and hot showers. Despite the amazing scenery, our conversation revolves around only two incidents when we reminisce about this trip: The pasta dinner that fell out of the pot and into the campfire (and which we scooped out and ate anyway because we were so starving) and our tent that partially collapsed in the night (and which we continued to sleep in, because, well, it was night and if we couldn’t put it up properly during the day, there wasn’t much hope of improving the situation in the dark).
Should you want to create your own memories of majestic wilderness (and amusing outdoor mishaps), reserve a spot at a campground near you. Popular camping sites near Portland include Sebago Lake State Park and Bradbury Mountain State Park. Want more suggestions? Here are six campgrounds sure to give you plenty of stories for years to come.
Mt. Blue State Park
299 Center Hill Rd., Weld
Wild ways: This 5,000 acre park offers a pristine water body, Webb Lake, and stunning mountain views. Enjoy a sandy beach, a boat launch and an extensive network of hiking trails. Mt. Blue challenges hikers with its 3,187 foot summit and you can easily access trails leading out of the park to Tumbledown and Little Jackson mountains. Wildlife is everywhere in this park, including moose and bears.
Campground comforts: Hot showers, flush toilets, grassy lawn near the beach, charcoal grills, roped-in swimming area, changing facilities, boat and canoe rentals, amphitheater and Nature Center.
Campsite count: 136 tent sites
Tent site prices: $15 residents/$25 nonresidents, plus 7% lodging tax
FMI: 585-2347
Meadowbrook Camping Area
33 Meadowbrook Rd., Phippsburg
Wild ways: This 42-acre campground is nestled in a pine forest and offers a one-mile hiking trail and a beaver pond. Just minutes down the road is Popham Beach State Park. This long, sandy beach is great for sunbathing, surfing and shell collecting. Reid State Park also is nearby.
Campground comforts: On-site lobster pound, restaurant, camp store, ice cream shop, heated swimming pool, rec hall, hot showers, flush toilets, mini golf, horseshoes, shuffleboard, playground and laundry.
Campsite count: 119 tent sites, plus cabins and cottages
Tent site prices: $28, plus 7% lodging tax
FMI: 800-370-2267 or www.meadowbrookme.com
Balsam Woods Campground
112 Pond Rd., Abbot
Wild ways: Located in the Moosehead Lake region, this campground is surrounded by deep woods yet offers plenty of modern amenities. Hike the trails on the campground, or venture into the surrounding area where Piper Pond, with a boat launch and beach, is less than a minute away, Moosehead Lake is 30 minutes away and the trailhead for 5,000 miles of ATV trails is located within the campground.
Campground comforts: Camp store, gas pump, snack bar, hot showers, flush toilets, WiFi, laundry, heated swimming pool, rec hall, TV lounge, playground, kayak rentals, basketball court, volleyball court and badminton court.
Campsite count: 60 tent sites, plus cabins
Tent site prices: $24, plus 7% lodging tax
FMI: 876-2731 or www.balsamwoods.com
Camden Hills State Park
– Belfast Rd., Camden
Wild ways: Billed as the town where the mountains meet the sea, Camden lives up to this slogan in its namesake park. Mt. Battie is the centerpiece of this wilderness playground, but there are many other peaks to climb, including Mt. Megunticook. Enjoy a rocky shoreline and 25 miles of hiking trails accessed from five major trailheads.
Campground comforts: Hot showers, flush toilets, WiFi, some sites with water and electric and picnic area.
Campsite count: 106 tent sites
Tent site prices: $15 residents/$25 nonresidents, plus 7% lodging tax
FMI: 236-3109
Lake St. George State Park
278 Belfast Augusta Rd., Liberty
Wild ways: The 1,017-acre lake is the centerpiece of this state park. Listen for the haunting sound of loon calls at night or fish for landlocked salmon and brook trout during the day. Enjoy miles of hiking trails or laze in the sun at the beach.
Campground comforts: Lifeguard, bathhouse, playground, volleyball court, basketball court, hot showers, flush toilets and boat and canoe rentals.
Campsite count: 38 tent sites
Tent site prices: $15 residents/$25 nonresidents, plus 7% lodging tax
FMI: 589-4255
Recompence Shore Camping
Burnett Rd., Freeport
Wild ways: With one mile of ocean frontage, Recompence blends the woods and water perfectly. Enjoy towering pines, tidal swimming from the rocky shore, sea kayaking, fishing and hiking trails at the adjacent Wolfe’s Neck Farm. Also at the farm, you can check out the animals and kids can attend a summer day camp. Just down the road is Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park, where you’ll find more hiking trails, views of nesting ospreys and frequent nature programs.
Campground comforts: Camp store, on-site laundry, WiFi, hot showers and flush toilets.
Campsite count: 115 tent sites, plus a few cottages
Tent site prices: $21-$44, plus 7% lodging tax
FMI: 865-9307 or www.freeportcamping.com