The Great Maine Glamping Guide
Enjoy the luxury of a hot shower and a good night’s sleep while reveling in Maine’s great outdoors at these glamping spots around the state.
Creating a sense of luxury is not at the top of most campgrounds’ list of to-dos. But over the past several years, the trend of glamping—aka glamorous camping—has popped up as a way to marry time in Mother Nature with the comforts of a well-appointed hotel room. If you’ve never been one for roughing it, if campgrounds aren’t accessible to you, or if you’re looking for a safe, wide open space to host a weekend getaway with friends, Maine glamping is for you.
Terramor Outdoor Resort
This $9.7 million glamping resort opened on the west side of Mount Desert Island last August, and its 64 canvas tents have all the amenities of a boutique hotel. Explore nearby Acadia National Park with complimentary gear like fishing poles and walking sticks made available at Terramor Lodge, then come back to relax at the outdoor Pavilion with an artisanal pour-over coffee, specialty cocktail, or local beer. Food is not included in your stay, but you can fire up one of the chefprepared, customized grill packages, and then do some stargazing with one of the glampground’s on-site telescopes.
Amenities: Wi-Fi, electricity, dog friendly, wheelchair accessible
Open May–October
Starting at $200/night off-season; $300/night during peak summer season
Under Canvas Acadia
In May Under Canvas, a glamping company with locations in nine National Parks across the U.S., will open its first New England property just across the water from Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. Inspired by luxurious African safaris—the original glamping experience—the 63 canvas tents feature midcentury modern furnishings and USB battery packs for charging electronics. Several of the tents also feature king- and queensize beds as well as wood-burning stoves. In keeping with Under Canvas’s commitment to environmentally friendly development, 75 percent of the 100-acre site remains undisturbed. All of the camps have low-flow toilets, faucets, and showers, and solar power is used as much as possible. A waterfront lobby tent will open out to an expansive communal dining and gathering space for elevated on-site fare.
Amenities: Dog friendly, wheelchair accessible
Open May–October
Starting at $314/night
Northeast Whitewater
Whitewater rafting company Northeast Whitewater, in the Moosehead Lake Region, has yurts outfitted with king-size beds (or bunk beds for families), electricity, refrigerators, and heaters. Be sure to pack camp chairs for lounging around the firepit, gear and food for cooking out, and a headlamp for the walk to the campground’s new bathhouse at night. The flipside to a slightly less all-inclusive vacation? The outfit’s “Stay and Play” packages, where experienced guides lead guests on moose-watching canoe tours as well as whitewater rafting excursions.
Amenities: Electricity
Open mid-May–mid-October
Starting at $109/night; two-night minimum stay on most weekends
northeastwhitewater.com/maine-yurts
Sandy Pines Campground
Tucked into a secluded beach forest ten minutes from coastal Kennebunkport, Sandy Pines Campground offers a wide array of retreats, including not only platformed cottages, tents, and A-frame huts, but also a tricked-out Airstream, two Conestoga wagons, a funky VW bus, and a stargazing dome and “glass house.” Bikes, kayaks, and paddleboards are available for rent, and the site is walking distance to Goose Rocks Beach, one of the most scenic white sand beaches in New England. Sandy Pines is an especially family-friendly option, outfitted with a “Kids Kraft Tent,” a playground, a saltwater swimming pool, and lawn games like corn hole and volleyball.
Amenities: Electricity, wheelchair accessible
Open May–mid-October
Starting at $199/night
Tentrr at Maine State Parks
The Airbnb of camping, Tentrr is known for its Signature Sites: platform-raised, safari-style wall tents located on both private and state-owned land throughout the U.S. Each is equipped with a queen-sized mattress, outdoor sun shower, firepit, and matching Adirondack chairs. The seven locations in Maine’s State Parks— including Bradbury Mountain, Rangeley Lake, Camden Hills, Mount Blue, Lamoine, Peaks-Kenny, and Warren Island—add wood-burning stoves to each tent to ensure a cozy stay. If fishing is your thing, head to Rangeley Lake, which stretches for nine miles and is a well-known spot for landlocked salmon and brook trout. And while hiking at Peaks Kenny, don’t miss the 12 “utilitarian sculptures” created by celebrated Maine artist Wade Kavanaugh.
Amenities: Dog friendly; Maine State Park sites will be wheelchair accessible by fall 2021
Open mid-May–mid-September
Starting at $100/night
Maine Forest Yurts
Owned and operated by Bob Crowley and his family—yes, that Bob Crowley, winner of the 2008 season of Survivor—Maine Forest Yurts is located on Runaround Pond in Durham, 5 minutes from Bradbury Mountain State Park and 15 minutes from Freeport. The circular framed tents are fully furnished and contain woodstoves, gas ovens for preparing meals, and solar panels for charging small electronics. Open year-round, the property boasts seasonal activities like kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and hiking, as well as ice skating, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.
Amenities: Electricity, dog friendly
Open year-round
Starting at $140/night
Comfy Dome Glamping
Perfect for a romantic getaway for two, ComfyDome’s eco-friendly, weatherproof domes in Jefferson offer plush queen-size beds, personal firepits and grills, and— most appealing of all—private, unfettered views of the night sky. (Don’t worry, the domes also come with covers.) Set on 13 acres of private land, the domes are perfect for getting outside: snowmobile trail access makes for great cross-country skiing as well as snowshoeing, and you can rent snowshoes on-site. The company also partners with Equinox Guiding Service for discounted rates on guided rock-climbing adventures.
Amenities: Electricity
Open year-round, except January
$95/night on weeknights; $125/night on weekends
Huttopia Southern Maine
Huttopia has been operating modern camping properties in France for more than three decades and has expanded to Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, and New Hampshire. Its newest property, Huttopia Southern Maine, is located next to a 30-acre pond in Sanford, just a half-hour drive from the beaches of the Kennebunks, Wells, and Ogunquit. The property features a mix of canvas and wooden furnished tents for couples and familes and modern tiny houses with wide glass sliding doors and windows. The more upscale Trappeur tents include a bathroom and shower, along with electricity and a refrigerator.
Amenities: Wi-Fi, electricity, dog friendly, wheelchair accessible
Open mid-May–mid-October
Starting at $120/night; about $350/night during peak season
canada-usa.huttopia.com/site/southern-maine
Tops’l Farm
Begun in 1936 as a family camp for hiking, tide pooling, and canoeing on the Medomak River, Tops’l Farm in the Waldoboro woods of midcoast Maine offers a nostalgic— not to mention photogenic—outdoor experience, with 10 fully furnished pinewood A-frame cabins available for rent by couples and families on summer and fall weekends, and group buyouts during the week. Due to the new owners’ commitment to working the land, food is at the heart of the venture. Included in every weekend stay are flavorful dinner and breakfast picnics for two. Additional meals, such as the “Pack My Cooler” offering, which includes items like to-go lunches for enjoying on the coast, cocktails, and from-scratch s’mores made with Ragged Coast Chocolates, can be added during the reservation process and are delivered upon arrival in a vintage cooler. Guests can recharge their phones, wash dishes, and prep food at the property’s bathhouse and camp kitchen. In the off-season, look into renting the Farmhouse, Farm Cottage, or Cider House properties, which are perfect for larger groups. Looking to elope? The options here are attractive if you want to avoid the stress of putting on a big wedding.
Amenities: Wheelchair accessible
Open Memorial Day Weekend–October 31 (couples and families can reserve on weekends, Sunday–Thursday are reserved for group buyouts.)
$600/weekend includes two nights, two people, dinner on Friday and Saturday, and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
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