I love Warren Island i have been going every year with for a week each summer for the past 18 years.
I have been there in all conditions and always loved it. weather it was the time where there was a thunderstorm and a tree got near our site( no one in any of these got hurt), or the fun time when the tails of a hurricane came threw, no trees came down at our site, or the time it rained for a week.
It is always beautiful and tons of fun, even with a few mishaps.
I have never had a problem with the staff( the one park ranger, sometimes goes ashore so they arn't there.)
All the trails are clean and well taken care of, the the bathrooms are clean and painted brown on the out side and varnished on the inside, always has toilet paper, and never smells bad. There are two spickets that deliver fresh clean water, one at the dock, and one at the top of the island( there is a hill in the middle) there is no showers on the island unless you bring your own, but on the next island over, 700 acre island, at dark harbor boat yard. they have ice, fuel, and tee-shirts available, as well as showers, on one side of the building, nicely closed in, like a real bathroom.
It is lovely in the woods, like most of Maine, there are plenty of trees, if you want to hammock, just be prepared to get pine sap on your straps, make sure to clean up after your self. at most of the 12 sites, there are 2-3 spots that have been flattened, sometimes with pine shavings layed down, big enough for most 8 man tents, of course there are plenty of others spots that are good as well.
if you are wanting to have a good time without a tent, or just want another spot to hang out, the shelters are great, sites 1, 5,6 have them at this point in time. they are adarodack shelters, with no bunks, typically raised 3 ft off the ground, with good steps. at all sites there are at least to picnic tables that are large and good for 4 on each side.
So you want to have a fire, well go ahead, there is always fire wood at every site, and a fire pit that can be annoying at times, only down fall is that it costs $5-15 a day, I don't recall the actual price, but it is well worth it.
if you are only there for the day, there are plenty of picnic spots all over the island. if you are with a larger group, there is a lardger spot with more picnic tables off the end of the dock.
One of the greatest things, that some may see as a down side is the accessibility. The island is boat access only. there is a floating dock on the side that faces Islesbroro, in the small cove formed with Spruce island. Off the end of the dock there are some moorings, i don't remember how many there are, we typical never use them. there are also mooring as Dark Harbor Boat Yard. all have a price, the ones from the park cost $25 a night i think. If you would rather anchor, there are is a field on the other side of Spruce. if you don't have a bigger boat, it is easiest to take the ferry (Margret Chase Smith) from Lincolnville Maine, to Grindel pt on Islebroro. just off the ferry there is a boat launch, with edge of road parking farther in twords town. If you would rather not take the ferry you can launch from Lincolnville but it will be about 2.6 miles, with possible bad weather, and regularly occurring container ships. from the boat launch, it is about a half mile to the dock, or a 1 mile paddle to site 7, which is on the far side of the island.
if you have been there before, or are planing on going, You may have seen the family with the wood kayaks, Hi!
Happy camping, and See you there!
