Camping, Hiking Season Has Begun
May is the month when Maine’s state parks reopen to the public for the camping season, including one of the most popular, Camden Hills State Park. Undoubtedly, among the park’s draws are the views of Penobscot Bay from its six mountaintops. On a clear day, the eastward views from Bald Rock and Megunticook Mountains extend as far as Cadillac Mountain on Mount Desert Island.
The park’s nearly 6,000 acres of land, 30 miles of trails, and about 90 campsites are virtually a short drive from any location in Knox and Waldo counties, and also attract many visitors from around the state and beyond Maine’s borders.
The campsites are located at the base of Mount Megunticook, within minutes of access to many mountain trails. More than 45 of these sites offer electricity and water hookup for travelers in recreational vehicles. There are another 20 RV sites without hookups.
Park Ranger Peter Carpenter shows off the electric and water hookups for recreational vehicles installed last year. Hookups are provided at more than 45 of the 90 campsites.
Park Ranger Peter Carpenter explained that the electric and water hookups were newly installed in 2007 at Camden Hills and Sebago Lake state parks and have proven to be very popular with visitors.
On a separate loop road, there are 40 primitive tent campsites, outfitted with a fire grate and picnic table. A short walk across Route 1 leads to trails along the bluff bordering Penobscot Bay, with vast ocean views and a short climb down to the rocky shore. At this site there are several group camping sites with electric and water hookups and a large outdoor, open-air building for a sheltered group picnic.
A camping loop for tent sites is separated from the RV area and comes with picnic tables and fire grates
The campground also includes three modern bathroom and shower buildings for the tent, RV and group campsites. Drinking water also is provided at each campsite. Aged and dry hardwood campfire wood is available for purchase. The park information booth, with a telephone, is nearby, and the park ranger lives onsite. The entire campground, including campsites, surrounding grounds, and restroom facilities, is beautifully maintained..
The views of Penobscot Bay are spectacular from the top of any of the Camden Hills. This view is from the top of Mt. Battie.
A major improvement project is under way and will continue through the summer on a long, multiuse trail that travels through the center of the park, connecting the campground with the access to Bald Rock Mountain. The trail also can be accessed from the parking area in Lincolnville, at the intersection of Route 173 and Youngtown Road. The five-mile-long trail is part of an old carriage road and is used for hiking, mountain biking, horse riding, and in the winter for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Work is already completed on a 3.5-mile stretch starting from the Lincolnville side, and a 0.5-mile stretch beginning from the campground in Camden. This summer, improvements are focused on the remaining mile in the middle of those two sections.
Attractions
One of Camden Hills State Park’s main attractions is its auto road to the top of Mount Battie. At 780 feet above sea level, the summit is one of the lowest in the park, but it supplies immediate gratification for the drive-through visitor and for those who cannot walk to the top. The panoramic views of Camden Harbor, Penobscot Bay and islands, and the bird’s eye view of the town below is a spectacular treat. Access to the auto road is at the park’s main entrance off Route 1, within a few miles of downtown Camden. The charge for the Mount Battie auto road is $3 for adults and free for children under age 5.
At this time of year, the mountaintop also is the place to view a sea of every possible shade of green, as well as some reds and pinks, as leaves bud and flowering trees burst into bloom. From late September to early October, the same spot provides a view of peak fall foliage.
Hiking to the top
Hikers can reach Mount Battie’s summit from the 1.2 mile Nature Trail. This trail is rated easy, takes about an hour to reach the top, and is a good family hike, according to Park Ranger Peter Carpenter.
The Mount Battie trail provides a short, but steep hike to the top, climbing .a half mile straight up to the summit, and starting from an obscure access point off Megunticook Street. This trail is rated moderate to strenuous and involves some scrambling over small and medium sized rocks and boulders. There also is a carriage road trail to the top of Mount Battie that starts off Route 52. This road was used to access the motel and restaurant that was once on top of Mount Battie. The access is unmarked at Route 52, so ask park staff for specific directions.
The trail to the ocean lookout at the top of nearby Mount Megunticook, at 1,300 feet above sea level, also is accessed from the park’s main entrance off Route 1. This one-mile trail is rated moderate and takes about one hour to hike to the top. It provides views over the top of Mount Battie, the bay and islands, according to the free trail map available at the park headquarters.
The trail to Bald Rock Mountain, with a summit of 1,200 feet above sea level, is accessed from the Lincolnville side of the park, at the intersection of Route 173 and Youngtown Road. This easy and moderate hike to the summit is short and sweet. A mere 30-minute, .half-mile walk gains some of the best views of all of Camden Hills State Park, the bay and islands.
Seekers of solitude may want to try some of the less popular summit hikes, including Derry and Frohock mountains located in Lincolnville. Long hikes also are available within the park. The Ridge trail is found by accessing the park off Route 52 at a well-defined parking area, and starting on the Maiden’s Cliff trail. It soon connects with the 2.5-mile Ridge trail, which climbs up Megunticook, flattens out along the southwestern ridge, and then proceeds to the wooded 1,385 summit. Linking several trails together can easily create an all day hike.
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