Hermit Island Campground

Eileen Hays-Bonaccolto

2023-08

One of the best camping experiences. Camping with multiple beaches, picturesque views. There’s a really cool pavilion area with 10-12 picnic tables with a roof top and fire pit in the middle, amazing view and a path to a small beach area. We made breakfast there one morning. Your able to buy lobsters right on site and they cook them for you if needed as well as steamers.

Briana Stefanisko

2023-05

I don't even know where to start; this was our first time staying at a private campground and we loved everything about it! Booking a site here means either calling or mailing a letter so a little more effort than your typical online booking process, but kinda charming. The sites are beautiful and clean, and are well spaced/private. The views at the sites around the exterior of the "island" are incredible and listening to the waves is a great way to fall asleep. Head Beach is easily accessible and is also a nice clean spot to walk around.The camp store sells everything you would generally need (including fresh lobsters) and everyone we spoke to was very friendly! Snack bar was closed during our stay since it is still early in the season. The toilets and shower were clean and the showers are free. Cell service is unreliable at the campground so it's a great place to unplug. Overall one of our favorite camping experiences and locations so far - looking forward to visiting again!

Chris Nemeth

2023-09

Absolutely filthy place.The one star rating is only because it's located in Maine, otherwise it wouldn't even deserve that.Bathrooms were full of poop. Camp site(Branch12), was muddy and smelled like a truckstop toilet.Mosquitos are so out of control, sitting out or walking the road and trails would be impossible without bug spray, lots of bug spray.Campsites are way too close to each other. We were lucky enough to have the LOUDEST most filthy mouthed people next to us.We booked this place for 7 nights and after the 2nd night we couldn't get out of there fast enough.How does this campground have so many good reviews?The owners of this campground should be embarrassed. With a location like this there is so much potential, really sad.Restrooms: Do Not Enter

Stacey Brideau

2023-08

Lots of rain meant lots of bugs but views can't be beat. Reasonably priced. Great beach.

Christa Montgomery

2022-05

Tent camping Fri., Sat, and Sun. nights in early June 2021 with two tweens at Cross Island 4 site. The view was excellent and most sites are clean, large, and well spaced. The campground was quiet and not crowded, but we visited early in the season. Plenty of vault toilets. Free, warm showers and flush toilets within walking distance from most sites and are relatively clean. Roads are narrow, very bumpy, curvy, some are steep, and not well marked. I would NOT recommend bicycling here, especially for children as difficult to see ahead. Water available but not always easy to get large containers back to site. Our picnic table was gross with both the table and seats covered with oily spots, but other sites may be better.

Robert Anderson

2023-05

Very amazing location. Wonderful views and nice campsite separation (except for a few open areas if you want to be together as a group). Lots of beach area to walk.

Aaron Armstrong

2023-05

A wonderful chunk of paradise. We had an outstanding stay here. There was a very smart skunk that wandered through but he wasn't aggressive or intimidating. He just wanted to open our cooler while we were sleeping to grab some bananas.. The area is great to explore and the stars were beautiful.

Hayley Anderson

2024-02

My favorite place on earth. Been going for 28 years and have made a few winter visits. Only complaint is the lack of rules/enforcement of rules over the past 5 or so years. Lots of people leaving entire beach tents, chairs, kayaks etc. overnight on the beach, leaving the early birds with no space to set up in the morning. Had to stop a group of teenage boys from throwing rocks at a porcupine. That same year, another group of teenagers were breaking branches off a tree and were building a fire out on the bathtub. Last year, a group of kids were collecting and burrying hermit crabs deep in the sand. Lots of people are leaving out food and trash to blow across the beach. I'm all for fun and enjoyment, but the people seem to be less and less respectful of other people and the nature, which is disheartening and does take away from the experience. The hermit island staff are always wonderful, and I know staffing has been difficult the past few years, but I hope they start to monitor the campground more like they used to, with the golf carts, and enforce their rules.Restrooms: Always room for improvement haha. They keep them as clean as possible, but eith the older wooden structures, it still can be gross.Dog-friendliness: Dogs are welcome off-season.

Eric Michael

2024-04

Great place, well kept, enjoyable for everyone.Restrooms: Our houses scattered all over the campgroundDog-friendliness: Dogs on leash and pickup (and carry out) wastePicnic area: Tables at each site

David Pollack

2023-05

Besides mailing in a letter to reserve a site, it’s a great campground with amazing beaches. I highly recommend the water view sites. The camp store also has everything from fire wood to cooked lobster and beer.

Brendan Meagher

2022-05

I wish I had known about this place sooner. Amazing beaches and the campsites are pretty sweet. Fire pit, picnic table and tent site. What more do you need? Also miles of trails for wandering.

Gary Moore

2024-03

We started camping here many years ago when the reservation system was a fair process. The last time we went, we tried booking on the first available day and got a letter back saying all of the ocean prime sites were gone. We got a back lot. But, when we arrived we heard many saying how they get the same ocean prime site every year. How??? It just isn't the place that it was when the wonderful original owners were there. Rules, rules, rules... no communication..

Derrick Kotlus

2024-03

Does anyone know how to make a reservation with this campground? Their phone is disconnected even though the website says they are open for taking reservations. Seems like an extremely difficult process for something that should be so easy. Why can't you make reservations online?

Olya True

2019-05

I am in Love. Honestly. Such a serene, magical place this was. Lots of trails, different ecosystems, great camping neighbours, fun music events at the lodge... It was unforgettable and I want to make this destination an annual tradition.A true hidden gem.

Melissa M

2017-05

*** This review is for the beach only. Out of season visiting. I went for the first time and checked out Head Beach. It was so serene! Very clean beach and the rocky shore was fun to bounce around on. Just be aware some rocks are slippery per high tide times. I've heard camping here in the summer is an experience, but I have not had that part... YET!

Debbie Grijalva

2020-05

Such a wonderful little beach in phippsburg. It fills up fast so if it's hot outside you need to go early. There's a campground located right there with views of the ocean. Beautiful place to swim and enjoy the ocean.

Michael Landi

2023-05

Love this place...been going since I was a kid. Best sunsets, beaches a lot of fun. Watch out for mosquitoes and poison ivy

Marjanna Roy

2020-05

Great staff and check in process. Was a bit inconvienence about website, Facebook page and answering machine all stating to use email but no one ever returned my email. Loved it was low key, no out of control party peeps, all toilet and shower facilities very clean.

Susan Phillips

2019-05

Camping at Hermit Island in May to early June is perfect. No black flies or mosquitoes mosquitoes. We had the campsite overlooking the bay and beach. Ticks were in the grassy areas. That was the only negative. We saw deer and fox in the camp.

Bridges

2023-07

Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone about this place…. beautiful beaches, cleanest bathrooms ever; smelled very nice! Absolutely will return! Mind blowing

K

2020-05

I attended Hermit Island for a weekend with my family for a friends wedding. Everything was very clean and peaceful! This campground hosts were also very helpful and acomadating. Hope to visit again next summer for a weekend getaway!

TaIsKing

2023-05

Great place for Family time. Really private camp grounds. Decent bathroom facilities. I mean we are camping. Lots of poison ivy though. Couple of good short easy hikes. We took all the kids ranging from 4 to 9yo on the hikes and did all of them. Spent four nights here. Solid recommendation

Dayne Dennett

2019-05

Went in for an off-season hike and thoroughly enjoyed the views. As a side note, the campsites looked great and the grounds were well kept throughout.

Keegan Bluegrass

2020-05

Great campground . sites were nice and facilities maintained also nice variety of little beaches around the island . lots of small animals in the tide pools to look at and catch . beaches were sandy and very swimmable

Gary Waldron

2018-05

Ocean views here are spectacular and the place is quiet. Its a nice family environment in fact many families go here year after year and they stay for weeks at a time. The campground was built in 1952 There is an arcade and plenty of beach to wander and lots of paths that are rose bush covered but, whatever you do don't stop to smell the roses the mosquitos are terrible here. If you do stop be prepared to swat 20 to 30 mosquitoes away and the mosquitos will attack every part of you. It may be worth noting that if you go here try to get an ocean prime site. They are nice when you can get one and it may make your trip more memorable unless you really like mosquitos. By the way did I mention the mosquitos? The other thing that really threw me was the sites here are expensive as well as anything you buy at the camp store. As much as you pay you would maybe expect clean bathrooms. Nope, the bathrooms are nasty. The showers are brown and not because that's their color, it's because they are filthy. The toilets are also very smelly almost like the poo from the 1950s is still in there and you can't bring a camper so you have to use the bathrooms here or you will have to try and find a private spot in the woods to do your duty. Overall it was not terrible other than the mosquitos and the nasty bathrooms.

Rob Wilson

2020-05

It is beautiful. A great place for rustic camping (no trailers or RVs), with beautiful beaches, basic amenities (showers and toilets), and a small, on-site store and snack bar. (Coffee at 0700!) Go to the website for more info.

Sierra Frith

2019-05

This is a nice beach, very open and the views are wonderful! I have yet to camp here but will be doing so this summer, I have walked the trails and the campsites seem to be very well kept and away from the public beach! There are multiple outhouses along the campsites!

William Dale

2017-05

A great hideaway in Maine. Most everyone is friendly here. This was our Maine vacation from Tennessee. Be prepared to fight the mosquitoes. No rv campers in this joint, no radios, no worries.

Whitney Curless-Clark

2023-09

My family and my in-laws went to this campground about a week ago. We reserved our sites well in advance and our campsites were pretty far apart. We both had empty lots next to us, but when we asked about one of us moving so we could be together, we were told there was only 1 lot available to move to that was FURTHER away. The whole weekend we were there, those lots next to either of us stayed empty. The first night, we walked up to my in-laws to spend some time with them. When we came back our cooler had been opened and ransacked by 2 skunks. We chased them off 4 different times that night. The next morning we went down to ask if there was anything that could be done and we were told they would “put in a report”. We dealt with those skunks the entire weekend. The campsite was large enough for our tent and a picnic table, so when the skunks sprayed our car it made the entire campground reek. We also decided to go to one of the private beaches by taking the trails. I can’t speak on the other trails, but the trail we took was poorly marked, with markers all over the ground. We were lost for over an hour, with 2 children, before finding our way back to our vehicles. The staff was so unhelpful, and I was so disappointed. We will not be back.

Jessica Melanson

2023-09

Skunks everywhere. We got sprayed in the middle of the night and skunks ate all our food.They have a serious critter problem and when asked it was clear they have no intention to address this.The site was tiny and barely fit our tent and the picnic table. Parking in the site was impossible and we had to park on a bank. It wouldn't have been possible in a sedan luckily we had an SUV.Trails on the island are poorly marked and caused us to get lost two separate times. We never made it to the beach. Awful experience.I have great memories of this place as a kid. When I brought my husband and daughter here this summer it was sad and unfortunate to see the downfall of a great campground. It's just not the same as it used to be.