Day 41 – At 6:30 a.m. it was 55 degrees, gorgeous out, sunny & clear. We wish we didn’t have to leave, but we’ve been at this campground for a month. We packed up & Rob did a complete check of both vehicles since we haven’t done much driving lately. The girls were surprised when they were moved into the bedroom for travelling.
169 miles (4:45), 29594-29763
Cobscook Bay State Park: 40 South Edmunds Road, Edmunds Townsip, ME 04628, (207) 726-4412, for reservations (207) 624-9950 & www.campwithME.com. Years ago when we were looking around rural areas to possibly buy some land (out in the boonies where it might still be affordable), we stayed for two weeks in the fall at this Park in site #8U. We loved it then; we love it now. Probably one of the best State Parks in the Country, if not the best. 125 campsites spread over many acres that border several coves on Cobscook Bay & Whiting Bay. All sites are private & a distance from each other, many are right on the water. The campground has several loops, the largest two are for tents or smaller pop-ups & campers. But the RV/mobile camper loop has 6 large, lovely, private sites that are waterfront. We had no problem fitting in two of the campsites, #7U at first, then #4U later. Because they are waterfront, almost all waterfront sites are fully reserved in high season. We snagged 3 nights on site #7U, then had to move because it had been reserved. We moved to site #4U, our favorite, which is not reservable and is first-come, first-served. We stayed there for the rest of a month. The remaining 21 sites in the RV/mobile camper loop are large and many are pull-through, a distance from the road, and there is privacy & plenty of trees. All campsites have no electricity. Generators are permitted during the day. There are water spigots throughout the Park, and there is a dump station; water is also available there. Because of the solitude, quiet, and privacy, and because of the views and gorgeous weather, this campground is perfect. Boating, hiking, skiing during the winter. Proximity to quaint Maine fishing towns & the wonderful Campobello Island (in Canada – passport required). Because the campground is near open water & winds are higher by water, bugs are not as bad a summer problem as in other areas in Maine that we’ve been to. We will absolutely return to this campground!
We departed at 9:45 a.m. after dumping tanks. It was 65 degrees, sunny & clear. We drove from the State Park to Route 1, north, and stayed on Route 1 all the way to Presque Isle, ME. Turned off on Spragueville Road and followed signs to State Park Road and finally to Aroostock State Park. It was a beautiful drive. Very few towns, and after following rivers & driving by several large lakes, it became wonderful rolling hills. This is northern Maine; there are signs to watch for Moose in the road. The crop we saw the most was definitely potatoes. Beautiful, tall Spruce trees. Bright wildflowers. Views of Mt. Katahdin to the northwest (home of Baxter State Park).
After making several stops (gas, propane, lunch at a scenic view pull-out), we arrived at the campground at 2:30 p.m., sunny & clear, 73 degrees. Aroostook State Park is Maine’s first state park. It’s large with a beautiful lake; the campground is small with just 30 campsites. The State Park is 900 acres with many hiking trails, snowmobiling & cross-country skiing in the winter. Even the sites marked for accommodating larger than 35-foot vehicles were small & most sites were close to their neighboring campsites. It was a Saturday afternoon & the campground was close to full, mostly tent campers, lots of families with children (to be expected). We decided to grab a campsite just for one night and then decide after that night whether to stay or not.
The park rangers were quite helpful with recommendations for site #30M. The campsite was located on a small hill but at the junction at the beginning and end of the main campground loop road. We didn’t have a lot of choice & knew it was liable to be noisy. It was, at least, semi-private, with being on the hill & surrounded by trees. We set up camp but didn’t set up the screened tent, knowing we’d probably not stay at this site.
As it was getting dark & we were eating dinner, a noisy group of people picked the campsite right next to us and pitched their tent. We shut windows and shades on that side of the RV and used earplugs to get to sleep.