ABOUT RANGELEY LAKE STATE PARK: Rangeley Lake State Park encompasses 869 acres in the heart of Maine’s Western Mountains & forests. Visitors enjoy hiking, picnicking, boating, camping, wildlife watching, photography, and winter sports, as well as the long-established traditions of fishing & hunting. The lake’s cool, clear waters stretch nine miles and support world-famous populations of landlocked salmon & trout (sustained through a strong commitment to catch-and-release practices). Four-wheeling & snowmobiling are popular pursuits in the Rangeley area (outside the park), with many trails available. The State Park beach offers commanding views of Saddleback Mountain. During the 1860’s, word of the region’s famed brook trout spread and people began coming to fish – giving rise to new camps & guide services, and ultimately luxurious hotels serving wealthy vacationers. To take vacationers out on the lake, guides developed a sleek and narrow rowing craft which came to be known as the Rangeley boat. The golden era of the “rusticators” lasted nearly a century, drawing to a close in the 1950’s. Over the past two decades, numerous organizations, agencies, and individuals have worked collaboratively to ensure that large tracts of undeveloped natural lands in the area will remain accessible to the public and continue supporting the local economy through sustainable forest management.
$37.70/night.
Rangeley Lake State Park is open 9 a.m. to sunset daily from May 1 to October 1. Visitors may continue to enjoy the park during the off-season by parking outside the gate and walking in during these same hours. Please be aware that facilities are closed during the off season. For camping, advance reservations are recommended. Contact the State Park Reservations Office at 800-332-1501 (calling from Maine) or 207-624-9950 (calling from outside of Maine) or online at www.campwithme.com. Rangeley Lake State Park mailing address – HC32 Box 5000, Rangeley, ME 04970; off South Shore Drive between Routes 4 & 17; campground phone 207-864-3858, in season.
There are 50 campsites, 12 sites offer electric & water hook-ups; the remaining sites are without hook-ups. Also, there are three wooded group campsites for tent camping only, each can accommodate groups of up to 35 campers. There is a dump station and drinking water is available. There are camp hosts, restrooms, showers, playgrounds, boat launches, picnic areas, a dishwashing station, trash & recycling. Check-in time is after 1 p.m.; check-out time is before 11 a.m. We’ve camped here once before. Our favorite campsites are: non-reservable 21L (water view) & non-reservable 42U (no water view but huge, private site); followed by reservable 37X (no water view but good site). The other good water view sites are 11 M, 13M, 19L, 23L (reservable) and 17L (non-reservable), plus non-water view sites 28M, 35L (strike 35L from our list, decided we didn’t like it), 47M, 9M, 7L (reservable). None of these campsites have hook-ups. NOTES: This is a busy campground and it fills up completely in July & August. Freshwater fill was the slowest yet, about 1 gallon per minute. The lake is large and the water can be too rough for canoeing & kayaking. Motor boating is what most people do.
- 2018 – 08/13
- 2021 – 06/16-06/18