Maine, Lobster, and Needles (Oh My!): Two Weeks of Van Life and Thousand Trails
Maine. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I crossed on over. I have these ridiculously divergent images: Is Maine the land of the ultra-rich with snobby-sounding names like “Kennebunkport,” or the land of lobstermen working their backside off? The answer, friends, is both! And how glorious that mix was.
After my somewhat disastrous rides at Bolton Valley Resort (read about it here), a few weeks of playing tourist, relaxing, and chilling at BaseCamp Thousand Trails (read about my strategy here) seemed like a welcome reprieve!
My first night in Maine, however, might have left a little something to be desired. I overnighted in a parking lot where one of the resident homeless—who appeared after the main businesses had closed—was kind enough to warn me that walking my dog around the lot wasn’t safe… because of all the needles. Ouch. And Scary. I might have also witnessed some illegal drug dealing activity at 3 a.m. So, oh reader, let that set the stage.
Long story short: you can boondock in the parking lot of the Planet Fitness in Augusta—but that doesn’t mean you should!
The Capital City of Maine did appear to have some fun, history-rich attractions worthy of a stop. I, however, was on a mission to see good fall foliage and hit the Easternmost drivable point in the US, and I was not to be deterred by pretty buildings and history and stuff.
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On To BaseCamp Thousand Trails: Bar Harbor
Thousand Trails loves Maine. Three campgrounds convenient to Bar Harbor. I stayed at Mount Desert Narrows, not to be confused on Google Maps with Mount Desert Campground…
not that anyone I know made that mistake and drove 7 miles out of their way (cough cough).
🏕️ Quick Campground Stats & RVer Info
- 🏆 Tier: Loved (top tier)
- ⭐ Rating: 8/10
- 🔇 Quiet: 7/10
- 📍 Near: Bar Harbor (15 min) · Acadia NP (20 min)
- 🚐 Big Rigs: Yes — level pull-thrus, not the widest · 48 ft posted max
- 🔌 Hookups: FHU on select sites · waterfront is W/E only
- 🌲 Sites: 258 · bayfront on Thomas Bay
- 🧺 Laundry: On-site
- 📶 Signal: Verizon & AT&T strong, T-Mobile none · Starlink: clear sky
- 🏊 Amenities: Heated pool, clubhouse, game room, playground
- 🐕 Dogs: Yes — and Acadia allows them too
- 🚌 Shuttle: Free Island Explorer picks up in the lot
- 🗓️ Booking: Trails Collection · 14-day max (unless TC+)
- 🌤️ Season: May 15 – mid-Oct · October foliage is the play
- 🎯 Nearby: Acadia, Bar Harbor, Jordan Pond
- 🔗 Reserve →
Mount Desert Narrows is a Trails Collection Park. What separates it from others is the waterfront sites and its convenient 20-minute drive to Acadia National Park. Located right on Thomas Bay, the waterfront sites are spectacular if you are lucky enough to snag one. But even if you aren’t, just walking around in the morning and catching a glimpse of the Bay is pretty. I was here in the fall, and the foliage + Bay = 😍.
Maine, and Bar Harbor in particular, is where my BaseCamp Thousand Trails Strategy (click here to learn more) truly excels. While Mount Desert Narrows may not offer much in the way of amenities, it’s 26 minutes from the most popular hike in Acadia: Jordan Pond. There is even a free shuttle that takes you to Acadia National Park and town. What more can you want?
Both Mount Desert Narrows and Moody Beach (my next stop) landed on my honest Thousand Trails park reviews — head over to see exactly where they rank.
This park sits right on the bay. As a TT member, your chances of scoring a bayfront site are about the same as seeing a unicorn. But. It could happen, right? The coolest part is the free shuttle that takes you to Acadia, to Bar Harbor, or a host of other destinations. How awesome is that?
Frankly, this is a great place to stay. The campground is not amenity rich, but who cares. You have a beautiful beach in a national park that actually allows dogs. You have an amazing town. You don’t need amenities, and you don’t come here to hang out at the park.
ℹ️ Heads-Up: Waterfront Means No Sewer
If the unicorn shows up and you land a bayfront site, know that those are water and electric only. The park runs a pump-out service on Mondays and Fridays for a fee — plan your tanks accordingly.
Nearby Thousand Trails Parks
Thinking about pairing this park with another one? The Park Hopper maps every Thousand Trails park within driving range and plans the route for you.
Day 1/2: Explore Acadia
Acadia felt like a great beginner park. And I say that with love. It’s a curated experience. From the well-worn trails to the Disney-like bus experience (brought to you courtesy of our friends at LL Bean), it doesn’t feel like you are in the wild rugged outdoors—unless you have spent your entire life in NYC or Boston, then it probably feels like the wild, rugged outdoors.
To me, I wasn’t hiking—I was on a pleasant nature walk with a bunch of my newest besties.
And while that may sound like a slam—it’s not. It was a LOVELY experience. The best part? I spent one day and said, “Eeh. Had enough.” But I could also see how someone could spend days exploring the park and not get tired.
For me, I did some of the most epic parts. I hiked Jordan Pond (van life tip: be there by 7:30 a.m. at the latest), hit the Otter Cliffs for lunch, and then headed on down to Sandy Beach for an afternoon of beach time.
And that was perfect. And I was done. Because I don’t do crowds, and Acadia is crowded.
Day 3: Explore Bar Harbor
What a quaint town. It just has that happy, hippish vibe with an old New England feel. Utilizing the free shuttle from the campground (bonus: Odie was welcome aboard and enjoyed his day finding all of the shops that had free dog treats), we spent the day walking around, soaking in the vibe, gorging on lobster rolls and ice cream. Oh, and fudge. Don’t forget the fudge.
But overall, this is just a fun little town to explore. Yes its packed with tourists. Yes, its kinda cheesy. But grab a lobster roll, go sit out at the park and listen to some local musician play as you enjoy your picnic looking out over the harbor. What a memory to cherish!
Lobster, Lobster, and well—Lobster.
Okay, fellow sojourners. You probably noticed that I don’t talk much about food. Blasphemy, I know. Thats partially because my taste in food rivals that of an 8 year old? Sugar = good! Everything else? Cool but don’t care….
But if you’re in Maine, it seems like it would be illegal not to indulge in at least some lobster. And oh my, did I indulge.
As I am a bit of a seafood aficionado, I did try several local places. My top recommendations:
- The Lobster Pound: Outdoor seating, paper plates, a classic laid-back summer vibe, and Lobster Nachos! The food was delish.
- Frenchman Bay Lobster Roll Company: The classic lobster roll. You stand in line, take your lunch to the grassy knoll (A/K/A Agmont Park) right across the street, and indulge in an amazing lunch while overlooking the harbor. It’s as though you are living in a dream. And maybe a food coma after.
Other Things I Did In Maine
After a not-so-glamorous night (but two Planet Fitness workouts and a fresh shower down), I decided to forgo civilization (or what now passes for civilization—that’s a whole philosophical question to maybe answer at a later date). I pointed the Adventure Van north and east towards the famed and fabled Maine Coast line. And oh boy did I luck out!
At an undisclosed location (feel free to use my contact form to reach out and I’ll give you the coordinates—I’m not giving away my favorite Maine boondocking spots that easily!), Odie and I happened upon a pullout off a bridge next to Machias Bay. (Fun Factoid: Machias Bay was the site of the first naval battle of the American Revolution in 1775—who knew? Google. That’s who).
And oh wow! Did we have two amazing days of doing nothing. The bay was tranquil. The road, while busy during rush hour, was basically desolate at night and all but desolate for most of the day.
Odie had a beach to play on. And we even got a special surprise: a pod of seals came to say hi! Well, I enjoyed them. Odie, my vigilant protector, did a threat assessment and incorrectly determined their frivolity to be a danger and promptly shooed them away with his vigorous, little-man barking.
On To Lubec/Quoddy Head State Park
Quoddy Head is about 2¼ hours from Mt. Desert Narrows, so if you’d rather not move the rig, this one also works as a long scenic drive from the park.
Another fun factoid (this post just seems to have me superfluously playing Sheldon Cooper): Quoddy Head State Park Lighthouse is the Easternmost drivable point in the United States! Two boxes checked! Seriously. After going down to Key West and seeing the Southernmost Drivable Point in the Continental United States—this somehow became a life goal I never knew I had: to touch every corner. And whoo-hoo! Two down, two to go!
But seriously, folks—the hike was superb! Here are some photos that can’t come anywhere near doing it justice. You got that perfect Maine rocky coastline—the stereotype of what I was looking for.
From Lubec, there were several boondocking options. I have a secret one I’ll share if you reach out, but otherwise, iOverlander identified several in the area or within 30 minutes.
Stop in Bangor to Replenish and Resupply
So. Prices in Bar Harbor are insane. Let’s start with that. People in Maine love to talk about how insane the prices are in Bar Harbor. They are like bouncers… who sit around talking’ about bouncin’. Except for them, it’s $15.00 ice cream cones and other craziness.
I was warned no less than three times to stop somewhere before crossing over to this infamous tourist central. I stopped in Bangor, hit the grocery, and a Planet Fitness for a much-needed shower. I boondocked in a local parking lot and headed out. Thankfully, this time no needles to be worried about!
Transition to Moody Beach
Bangor seems to be the hub of my hub-and-spoke system that I didn’t mean to establish but did. After a brief stop in Bangor for resupply and a medical checkup
(read more about why that was necessary in My Chronicles of a Newbie Mountain biker series) it was time to drive to Moody Beach for a bit of relaxation.
Thousand Trails Moody Beach is a quaint park located near Wells, Maine. It’s a coastal area with definite tourist vibes—kinda like a mini Bar Harbor, without the national park or the insane upcharge. This is a great area to do some family-friendly activities, beach visits, etc., without breaking the bank.
The park itself is quaint and pretty but without a lot of amenities. For me—that was perfect. I wanted to blog and relax. So I got exactly what I paid for! This is a great park for someone looking to just unwind.
Ty’s Takeaways!
My time in Maine was brief—a few weeks—but I will be back here. What were my final thoughts?
- Bar Harbor is really pretty awesome. Yeah, it’s touristy and expensive, but a weekend there was great. I had four days, and I wish I would have allocated the entire week.
- Acadia National Park is like a starter National Park. It's more “nature walk” and less hard scramble. Realistically for me, one to two days was sufficient.
- Eat some lobster—just not boiled. I’ve had Maine lobster all over the US. The truth is, boiled Maine lobster tastes the same in Maine as it does in Texas. What you can’t get in Texas is lobster nachos or an amazing lobster roll. Those are local and cultural. So eat some lobster, but get something you can’t get outside of New England!
- It's relatively Van Life Friendly. I found it pretty easy to find some good boondocking spots. My favorite? Next to a bridge on Machias Bay. Just remember to watch out for the occasional drug paraphernalia in city parking lots.
4. It's relatively Van Life Friendly. I found it pretty easy to find some good boondocking spots. My favorite? Next to a bridge on Machias Bay. Just remember to watch out for the occasional drug paraphernalia in city parking lots.
5. Maine deserves more than a few weeks. Especially if you are following my “BaseCamp Thousand Trails” Strategy. TT has Maine covered! Maximize your stay time and take advantage of all the campgrounds available in the Bar Harbor area.
Chasing great mountain biking, camping smart, and living full-time in an RV. Hard-won wisdom. Zero fluff. Live Free. Adventure Often
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Other New England Adventures!
My time in New England was way too short. Especially my time in Maine. As it drew to a close, I was already planning my return. Sadly, that likely won’t happen for 3 more years. But in the meantime, check out some my other New England Adventures and be sure to check out my Itinerary and Destination page for state by state guides and stories
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Thunder Mountain: My Journey to Find Legit Downhill in the Land of Lobstah Rolls
Looking for legit downhill on the East Coast? Ty & Odie hit Thunder Mountain Bike Park in Massachusetts to find out if the “Land of Lobstah Rolls” is hiding a mountain bike mecca. Get a noob’s perspective on the trails, camping, and why this park is the real deal.
Killington Trail Report: The Beast of the East Lives Up to the Hype (for Beginners, Too!)
an a 47-year-old newbie survive Killington Bike Park without breaking a bone? Get the trail report, van life secrets, and what makes “The Beast of the East” a surprisingly good time.
Boondocking & Beginner Mountain Biking at Stratton Mountain, VT
Thinking about a van life trip to Vermont? Join me as I navigate boondocking in Green Mountain National Forest and tackle the trails at Stratton Mountain Resort. This is my honest take on the trails for a beginner mountain biker, the unique Vermont culture, and whether the lessons were worth
A Little Bit About Me.
I started writing this blog as a way to capture the adventurous and free lifestyle I’m privileged to live. I’ve traveled to over 28 countries and 35 U.S States. I’ve lived aboard in multiple countries and averaged over 100 days a year of travel for work. I’ve skied and hiked all over the world – and my new obsession is mountain biking.
What I bring to you isn’t AI generated. It’s based on my feet on the ground – or sometimes conversations with locals. Click here to read more about me! And, for a State-By-State guide of Where I’ve been and Where I’m headed, make sure to check out my Itinerary and Destination Page by clicking here!!!
