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Spectacle Island, Damariscotta Lake

98%

· Newcastle, Lincoln, Maine

1 acre hosted by Midcoast C.

1 tent site

Nomadic camping

Best for self-contained campers. There are no toilets, showers, or potable water at this Hipcamp.

Midcoast is a Star Host

Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.

Boat-in

This Hipcamp is accessible by boat.

The sister islands, shaped like a pair of spectacles as their name suggests, offer opportunities for swimming, blueberry picking, camping, and general exploration. Although the islands make up a small portion of the 1000+ acres protected by Midcoast Conservancy in the Damariscotta Lake Watershed, they are among the most popular. The islands have long been a gathering spot for local families to swim. The islands were donated to Midcoast Conservancy in 2000 and are now forever protected. When you reserve your spot on Spectacle Island, know that it comes with a healthy dose of day use during peak summer weekends.On Damariscotta Lake, these sister islands, shaped like a pair of spectacles as their name suggests, offer opportunities for swimming, blueberry picking, camping, and general exploration. Although the islands make up a small portion of the 1000+ acres protected by Midcoast Conservancy in the Damariscotta Lake Watershed, they are among the most popular. The islands have long been a gathering spot for local families to swim. The islands were donated to Midcoast Conservancy in 2000 and are now forever protected. When you reserve your spot on Spectacle Island, know that it comes with a healthy dose of day use during peak summer weekends. The islands are open to daily public use, from dawn until dusk. The islands can be reached by kayak, canoe, paddleboard, or small motor boat. Campers are required to allow day use by other visitors during their stay and to respect the quiet nature of the island by keeping noise to a minimum after 9pm. Campers may spend a maximum of two consecutive nights. All waste must be packed out: human, pet and otherwise. Reservation includes both islands. Each island, North and South, provides one camping site. A maximum of 4 people per site are permitted, one tent per island site. We highly suggest campers arrive at the island no later than 5pm. Note: For the past several summers, Damariscotta Lake has experienced cyanobacteria outbreaks, which in high concentrations or with prolonged exposure can pose a health risk to humans and pets. For more information on cyanobacteria, visit the Damariscotta Lake Water Quality Alerts page on our website and follow Damariscotta Lake Watch on Instagram and/or Facebook for the latest water quality updates. Please note that there are inherent risks in open water recreation, and we recommend to follow best practices, including to avoid scummy or dense areas, avoid inadvertently swallowing lake water while swimming, keep pets from drinking the lake water, and avoid using lake water for drinking or household use.

Activities

Boating

Fishing

Paddling

Swimming

Natural features

Beach

Lake

98%

25 ratings · 15 reviews

Alison E.recommends

October 8, 2024

Spectacle Island Campsite

Can't wait to go again

Fantastic place for fairly easy camping. Short & easy (15 min?) paddle from Damariscotta Lake Boat Launch. No gradual place to beach kayaks or canoes, you have to get out in the water and clamber onto the island (not a huge deal but fyi). It was helpful to have a rope to tie off the kayaks while unloading, then we brought on land for the night. We brought (local) firewood, don't count on driftwood. When we visited someone had left a grill to use over the fire pit which worked out great.

Steve C.recommends

September 25, 2024

Spectacle Island Campsite

Nice island but boy has it changed

Really nice campsite...one of the best in the state. Camped here 20 or more years ago and WOW has it changed. People don't realise how much impact they have over the years. Stop cutting tree roots that might stub your toe on and stop trampling and/or cutting small trees and bushes. Both islands have half the vegetation that used to have...in another 20 years they'll be practically barren.

Danielle M.recommends

August 26, 2024

Spectacle Island Campsite

Accessible Island Camp!

Amazing island campsite with easy access from shore via kayak/paddleboard/etc. We especially loved swimming between the two islands and using the rope swing on the one island. The cries of the loons and the peaceful sunsets were unforgettable.

Anthony B.recommends

August 22, 2024

Spectacle Island Campsite

A pretty magical spot. The lake is fairly busy with motor boats but not too bad. The rope swing is a lot of fun. The islands ate really nice - the one closer to the boat launch with the rope swings has more open space. It’s about a 10 minute paddle from the boat launch. There was a decent grate for cooking over the campfire (we put our skillet on top of it) and there is a well maintained port o potty at the boat launch.

Amy P.recommends

September 1, 2023

Spectacle Island Campsite

The site was easy to get to and very clean. Perfect for swimming and fishing !

Trina S.recommends

August 14, 2023

Spectacle Island Campsite

Camping alone

We love camping at Spectacle Island. Beautiful views, perfect campfire setup, and lovely swimming, easy in and out. The addition of the porta-potty at the boat ramp was welcome!

Location

Newcastle, Lincoln, Maine, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), N’dakina (Abenaki / Abénaquis), and Nanrantsouak First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking