jacobla

4 adults and 2 kids will be heading out in a 30' Class C motorhome end of July. We don't have an itinerary yet but will probably choose from:
Portland
Camden/Rockport/Rockland
Moose Lake
Acadia- Schoodic drive
Bar Harbor
Mt Desert Island
Kennebunkport

White Mountains, NH
Stowe, VT
Adirondacks
We would love suggestions on where we can camp with this size of camper and might adjust our itinerary a little if there's a place with great sites. I'm guessing we won't be able to go to too many state or national parks with this size camper? Need to get on this so any help would be appreciated!

tbelgian

Hi jacobla, actually the roads here in Maine are very busy with BIG RV's and often they are towing a car or another trailer. It gets hard to pass sometimes.

I can comment on Acadia-Bar Harbor-Mt Desert Island. These can be accessed from one camp site and there are plenty around there that can accommodate large RV's. If you look up Acadia national park, or Bar Harbor information, they should have lists of campgrounds for you. Once there, you can travel all around these three places on the free bus transportation.

If you find something interesting and want to post it here, I might be able to give you more info.

Oh and do you mean Moosehead Lake, which I think is in Green.

As far as the White Mountains go, there are some places that could accommodate your RV. You might want to look at the Lake Winnipesauke area.

dfrostnh

For the Camden/Rockport/Rockland area, we like Chewonki in Wiscasset. It's a small, quiet campground on a former farm next to a saltwater marsh/river convenient to Rt 1. Their website has a great function where you can see what each campsite looks like. I don't care for the 3-way sites because they are out in the sun and next to the tennis courts. I just tried to get one of the sites with great view but those are most popular and are reserved early. We opted for a 2-way site and use their dump station. Wiscasset is just south of Boothbay and the Rockland area. And north of Bath/Brunswick which makes it a great location for touring around.
In Camden, I have seen large motor homes at the state park. If you just need an overnight, it would be ok.

cindyj

Moosehead Lake has several surrounding towns, the largest of which is Greenville, located at the southern end of the lake. Depending on your timeframe, Moosehead is out of the way of the coast. I might choose to focus on one or two areas to avoid drive overload. Again, it depends on what you are looking to do.

jacobla

Thanks to each of you. I do see that Moosehead Lake is probably too far from everything else so I think we'll scratch it. I think we'll do the coast and Acadia area. The free bus is good news! Maybe 3 days there? I'll check out Chewonki which sounds just like what we we're looking for. I think if I come across some really nice places to camp that might make us lean to going towards that area. I might post what I find to see if anyone is familiar with the campgrounds.

cindyj

I stay at Mount Desert Campground, but they do not accept RVs at most sites. You could call them though. I just did a google and came up with www.campmaine.com. If you search MDI you'll get a partial list. I was surprised that the Somes Sound View Campground accepts RVs. This is centrally located and beautiful! I would avoid the KOA that is located immediately after you cross the causeway to the island, I think its called the Bar Harbor KOA. Hadley's Point also looks nice. Because you're limited on time, I would also avoid campgrounds located on the 'quiet' west side of the island. It can be a long drive to the main activities. (Somes View is on that side, but close to the center of the island.)

I'm not familiar with too many campgrounds in the mid-coast. You might see if Camden Hills State Park accepts RVs, and try Megunticook By the Sea - I think its in Rockland.

jacobla

I will check out Somes Sound View Campground. That sounds like a great one and check on the others your mentioned. I have another post about Maine and also asked if we need to pull a car behind the 30' camper. Unfortunately there will be 6 of us and the car with the hitch seats 5. Is there parking to go into towns and what problems might we encounter or will it work ok?

cindyj

I have never traveled with a camper. I remember in '83 I spent 3 months driving around the country in a Subaru hatchback with my roommate. Going up to some lookout point in Yosemite we were following a huge camper with Maine plates. In the parking lot we talked with the family; we didn't see too many Maine plates on that trip so felt like family! I remember they showed us around their house-on-wheels and we looked out a window and down to our little car a few parking places away. I felt smugly superior that we were traveling so efficiently - but we were young!

I think most towns have parking to accommodate campers. If you stay on the Island Explorer bus route in MDI you can use that for transportation. You will need a vehicle in the Camden/Rockland area.

jacobla

When we were tent campers we also felt like we were really camping compared to the RV people especially when they stayed inside with their air conditioning on. Not having to set up is probably the best part of a hard side camper now.
We were able to make reservations at Blackwoods Campground in Acadia. I was surprised it was available but then they don't have showers and there's no electric so yikes that might be interesting for 3 days-only $60 for 3 days! We might still have to look around tho...

cindyj

Although I usually love the National park campgrounds, Blackwoods is not one of my favorites, although camping has gotten more expensive that that is a bargain. There is a convenience store just outside the campground on the main road that has showers for 'rent'. There's a line when its warm out!

Also, I'm not criticizing your choice of traveling in a camper. When we tent now we bring an air mattress!

dfrostnh

You'll have to watch your battery, water and gray water levels if you camp in a place without hookups. Remember, if you are on battery you won't be able to use the microwave and coffee pot. The frig and stove run on propane so you're all set but 5 people may use quite a bit of water. We don't have any problem with 2 people and 2 nights/3 days camping without hookups but I always forget how to make coffee in the old-fashioned pot that perks on the stove.
You should be able to find parking spaces but make sure to park away from cars as much as possible. Early in the day you might think it's ok to park near a store but if cars park on either side of you, you won't be able to pull out of a parking spot. Generally RVs take the farthest spaces on the ends at grocery stores. Just remember that if the camp site has 3-way hookups, you'll have to take the time to hook back up and the sewage hose takes time (you clean it after you unhook).
My husband liked the looks of Megunticook.

jacobla

The best part of the RV will be that we can all ride out together and eat in it as we go. It belongs to my sister's family so I am a little nervous about the parking and not having the usual hookups in Acadia. I'm open to other suggestions but don't know what luck we'll have at this late time. My computer crashed and so I haven't been able to do much for the last week which has been very frustrating. We need something farther south too. You didn't mention where Megunticook is but I'll check that out. What didn't you like about Blackwoods?

cindyj

Megunticook by the Sea is in Rockport. It is nice. Hardly any campgrounds have direct ocean access, but this one is located convenient to Rockland and Camden, both interesting towns.

Blackwoods is just dark. Its wooded and the tent sites are close together. I am surprised that they accept RV's but I don't travel with one so I'm not familiar. Did you check out the other MDI campgrounds I suggested above?

jacobla

Megunticook looks very nice and they have openings- thanks! It was either that or Camden Hills State Park but we can always go there to hike.