The best camping near Chain of Ponds Public Reserved Land

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Chain of Ponds Public Reserved Land adventure.

Discover the serene beauty of Chain of Ponds Public Reserved Land.

Popular ways to camp

Community favorites near Chain of Ponds Public Reserved Land

Public campgrounds in the park

Stay at a public campground in Chain of Ponds Public Reserved Land

Chain of Ponds Campground

3 sites · RVs, Tents In Chain of Ponds Public Reserved Land

Top-rated campgrounds near Chain of Ponds Public Reserved Land

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Hole in the Wall Camping

4 sites · RVs, Tents30 acres · Strong, ME

We purchased this land a few years ago when our neighbors decided to sell. It abuts our property They used it as a place for their family to gather and camp on during Maine wonderful summer season. It is a beautiful, quiet spot with a great view and a small pond. Hipcamp lets us share this spot and helps pay our property taxes.We are located in the western mountains of Maine in a summer community on Porter Lake. There is a beautiful view of New Vineyard mountain from our 3 acre field. We have 2 trailer sites with power and water (non potable) and an out house. The field has several fire pits and soft grassy spaces for pitching tents. The camping area is fairly private from our neighbors along the road. The site has a small private pond surrounded by trees you can sit and relax near. You can (walk/bike/drive) the 1/4 mile down the dirt road to the public beach. The beach has a public dock, boat ramp, swim float, picnic tables and grills. Paddle out to the island and try the rope swing with one of our kayaks or canoes. Be sure to check out the bald eagles that live in the white pine tree just a little farther down the island. You will hear the loons during your stay and possibly see a mother with her babies on her back. There are also ducks and ducklings and geese with gosling paddling about the lake. The state stocks the lake with trout, splake, and salmon if you like to fish. There is plenty to do right here!

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Evergreen Conservation Area

3 sites · Lodging80 acres · West Forks, ME

The Evergreen Conservation Area was recognized as a federal conservation area starting in 2020. There are several miles of well maintained trails through the deep forest and along the pristine waterfront. This is a secluded conservation area with two remote cabins. This is a unique opportunity: you will have the entire conservation area and the two mini cabins just for your group. (Even if you only have one person or a small group you are still welcome to reserve the site.)

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Saddleback Base Camp

4 sites · Tents50 acres · Sandy River Plt, ME

Three campsites with fire pits in the Maine mountains surrounded by beautiful forests , 25 mile views and a small stream and waterfall. Hike Saddleback from cabin, swim and fish in nearby Sandy River Ponds.

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Great North Woods Farm Lake Umbagog

11 sites · Tents5 acres · Errol, NH

Tucked away in the Lake Umbagog wilderness, we are a small privately-owned farm with the wonders of the area surrounding us. Boating and fishing? Check. Hiking and mountain-biking? Check. Swimming and Sailing? Check! All the fun and memories that go with camping and bonfires and outdoor cooking! Check! IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE: We are intentionally remote, secluded, and off-grid. We are best accessed by water (1.3 mile paddle or motorboat), with a seasonal (May 15-December 1) 9-mile very rough (4wd) logging access road (minimum vehicle clearance 8in---seriously). For first-time guests arriving by road, you will need to be guided in---the property is impossible to find on your own (no gps, no map). If you arrive by road, please note that you must park (free/overnight/safe/secure) at a narrow trailhead and walk to the lakeside sites about 1/4 mile down the hill. We are happy to help you with your gear and have a couple of wheelbarrows and sometimes an ATV. So unless you want to RV/truck/car camp at the trailhead (definitely an option), it is tent-only camping on the lakeshore and garden sites. Please don't ask if you can drive your vehicle right down to the site---we don't even drive our own down. However you decide to arrive, we are happy to guide you at no extra charge. We do have cellular phone service on site and shoreline but not on the logging road in. [There is unfortunately no way for us to make the property accessible for guests who need the use of personal mobility equipment. Also, from experience, we MUST caution those with medical conditions that this is a WILDERNESS location, at least two hours from any medical facilities and very difficult to even medevac.] We have a small fishing boat (paddle only), 1 kayak, 3 mountain bikes, and a canoe for rent; firewood for purchase on site; your choice of spots to pitch a tent or use our raised platform. Join us for astonishing sunsets, breathtaking wildlife, and beautiful gardens. We can't wait to meet you!

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Camp Cochran Webb River Carthage Me

7 sites · RVs, Tents5 acres · Carthage, ME

Beautiful campsites right on the Webb River

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Camp whiskey throttle

1 site · Lodging6 acres · Colebrook, NH

Hello, this Cedar Cabin is located on a private Dead End Road with direct ATV and snowmobile access from the cabin, this area is also known for great Wildlife moose, deer and much more. 10 minutes from the location is little diamond and big diamond pond great fishing and kayaking. The property is equipped with an outdoor kitchen, gazebo with fire pit in the center. property has power a functional toilet in the cabin along with a shower, also has a Porter potty insert outhouse. There are three beds inside the cabin, **please bring your own bedding** and feel free to set up as many tents that will fit along with Easy Ups.

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Colby's Cabin

1 site · Lodging10 acres · Carthage, ME

Colby's Cabin has everything you need for your stay in a beautiful, off-the-grid, rustic log cabin on 10 acres in a wilderness area minutes to Webb Lake, Tumbledown Mountain & Mt. Blue State Park. Many kinds of trails all around. In Maine’s finest hiking, hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking and boating territory. A perfect place for adventure, romance, celebration or serenity. An escape from the electronic world! But there is good cell/data service too. The cabin has solar and battery lights but no power or generator. Hand water pump in the kitchen during spring/summer/fall. 6 gallons of wash water provided in the winter. Spacious outhouse, solar shower, etc. (See Winter Conditions below). Glamping at its finest! This is a cozy place with led lights & solar lights, candles, gas cook range, gas refrigerator, wood stove, a dug well with hand-pump in the kitchen (pump can not be used when the temperature is below freezing) and a log cabin outhouse. King bed in bedroom; twin bunk beds and queen pull-out futon couch in great room Fully outfitted with dishes, utensils, pots,/pans, linens/blankets/pillows, books, games, oil lanterns, camp/bag shower and more. Firewood is included in the rental price. Propane, paper towels, toilet paper and dish soap are also provided. All Wheel Drive or 4WD is needed to access the cabin in winter and mud season. WINTER CONDITIONS (when ground is frozen): -4-wheel drive or All Wheel Drive needed. -There is NO running water from the well pump when the ground is frozen. The sink can be used with a bucket underneath. Bring extra water for washing. -Really big storms can cause reservations to be rescheduled -Extreme Cold Weather: When temperatures fall to 15 degrees or below, use the propane heater in the bunk room with the woodstove in the great room. Feed the wood stove every couple of hours. Snowmobilers! You may have to unload your machines at the bottom of the hill to get your trucks up the hill with trailers hitched or leave trailers at the bottom of the hill in a plowed out parking area, ride the snowmobiles up separately. -Shooting/Target practice is NO longer allowed due to lack of respect for safety by several sets of guests. Off the grid = NO ELECTRICITY! There IS cell/data service Bring your own drinking water

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Jay Birds Way

1 site · RV, Tent200 acres · Bingham, ME

Welcome to a privately owned 200+ acre haven with miles of dirt roads to explore. This land is intended for to help folks get back to the basics. Camping in Maine used to mean packing up the rig, grabbing the Maine Gazetteer and driving around until you found a vacant public campsite. Sadly, those public sites are rarely vacant anymore and you need to plan well in advance to reserve an ideal site at a state campground. Public campgrounds serve their purpose but they don't offer the backwoods camping experience that so many families enjoy. So, my family would like to introduce you to Jay Birds Way. Conveniently located at the top of Murray Street and only a couple minutes from downtown Bingham. The winding dirt roads are perfect for a bike ride or hike. Watch your dog flush a partridge or your little ones explore beautiful Jackson brook. Quiet solitude is what you will find here. There are no motorized sports allowed on this property. Sorry, but ATV access is not available. North Country Rivers is only 5 minutes away for your rafting experience or to visit Patrick's Pub. Wyman lake has a wonderful public swimming area and boat launch 15 minutes away in Pleasant Ridge and the Bingham Kennebec River boat launch is just a few minutes away. Bingham in centrally located to some of western Maine's favorite destinations such as Rangely, Sugarloaf, Flagstaff Lake, Jackman and beautiful Moosehead Lake.

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The Bird's Nest-Private Tiny House

1 site · Lodging23 acres · New Vineyard, ME

Our tiny house is made from recycled materials and is nestled in the woods of western Maine. There are extensive trails and wildlife. Amenities include campfire, portable cook stove, cooking utensils. potable water, wood, woodstove with glass front, and sleeping loft with fresh sheets. Close to public beach access, atv trails and scenic views.

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No Neck Notch

2 sites · RVs, Tents1 acre · Roxbury, ME

We so love it here that we wanted to share it with others. Not much for rules, just ask for you to leave it better than you found it. Our piece of land has neighbors on both sides: one side protected by trees and cannot see them, the other side has a fence and both neighbors are super friendly. Set up right next to the river and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the waterfalls just above. This is also where 3 Pools is located, a place to soak and play, even pan for gold if you'd like! Coos Canyon is just 5 miles north of the site and Rumford is about 7 miles south where you can get any amenities you may need.

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Flashing Moose river camping

2 sites · RVs, Tents1 acre · Caratunk, ME

Learn more about this land: We are set high on the piney east bank of the Kennebec River. The view is of the setting sun over the untouched hillsides on the opposite bank or the rising sun illuminating and bringing to life that same hillside while you take your first peak of morning. The river rushes by, not a house to be seen. In the distance a loon frolics and sings out it's soulful call. Bald eagles soar over head, fishing, scanning the river valley. Owls hooting in the valley, come closer in the night to see who is still up. There is an echo in the darkness, works during the day too. The stars blaze overhead in the night sky, watch "satellites" track across heavens and the Aurora Borealis, if you are lucky and still up around the camp fire. It is here in front of our camp, where The Kennebec River continues to flow but begins slowing down, stacking up depth behind the Moscow Dam and turning into Wyman Lake, 14 miles of the most scenic boating or paddling you can imagine. 200 yards north of the camp, The Appalachian Trail crosses the river, watch hikers waiting for the famous canoe ferry crossing. Or, hike a section of the trail, Pierce Pond is a healthy 2 hr hike from the camp, to a pristine pond for a remote dip or some fishing. Bring that kayak or stand up paddle board, the river is fun right here, explore for an hour, a day or days. Whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing are huge in West Forks, (10 minutes North up 201, watch out for deer and moose) you'll paddle The Dead, The Kennebec and the Penobscot rivers, all the major tour companies are very local and there are cool bars and restaurants. You can tube down from the Forks right to the cabin in a couple of hours. We have a big Glamping tent on the property too, that is listed for rent separately on air bnb as The Duck Flashing Moose Glamping on the Kennebec, rent it too if you want the whole space for friends or the place all to yourselves.

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Camping at Runamuk Acres

2 sites · RVs, Tents53 acres · New Portland, ME

The Runamuk Acres Conservation Farm is settled at the foot of western Maine's Bigelow Moutain Range, in the village of North New Portland, with views of Mt Abram to the west, and Black Hill looming to the east. The farm boasts a large vegetable garden, perennial flower beds, herb gardens, chickens and sheep on pasture, a buzzing apiary, and a lush meadow with a secret forest beyond. A love for nature and a desire to preserve the landscape for future generations is the heart of Runamuk. The farm practices agricultural conservation for the health of honeybees, native pollinators and other beneficial insects. Because pollinators are a keystone species, by focusing on their conservation Runamuk is able to provide a benefit to the entire ecosystem. That’s why Runamuk’s mission is to practice “Bee-friendly farming for a more sustainable tomorrow”.Learn more about this land:Camps are tucked into a forested area beyond a secluded wildflower meadow on this conservation farm in western Maine. Easy access to the Bigelow Mountain Range, the Appalachian Trail, and myriad outdoor sporting activities (hiking, fishing, biking, hunting, swimming, sight-seeing, birdwatching, etc.).

The best camping near Chain of Ponds Public Reserved Land guide

Overview

About

This delightful backwoods wilderness is a paddler’s paradise. The Chain of Ponds is a series of interconnected ponds in Maine’s north woods, all with their own unique personality. The lower ponds are small and serene, while a paddle on Natanis Pond will prove challenging on a windy day. Either way you’ve got hungry fish, amazing scenery, and incredible wildlife to keep you company.

Oh, and camping! If you have never tried your hand at canoe or kayak camping this is the place to do it. Take your pick of any of the primitive campsites dotting the shore. Some even come with their own island. Pitch your tent near the water’s edge and cast a line into the water. End your day with a midnight swim, it's just you and the fireflies. Yes, this is paradise.

When to go

The best time to visit Chain of Ponds Public Reserved Land is during the summer months when the weather is warm and the ponds are perfect for boating and fishing. Fall also offers a spectacular display of foliage. Winter brings a serene beauty, though access may be limited due to snow. Spring can be wet and muddy, making some areas less accessible.

Know before you go

Check the Bureau's Safety page for access updates before planning your visit.
Buy firewood locally to prevent the spread of invasive insects and diseases to the forests.
Hand-carry and trailered boat launches are available for water enthusiasts.
Visitor accessibility information is available for those requiring additional assistance.
Always practice Leave No Trace principles to preserve the natural beauty of the park.