Wilderness Edge Campground

I stayed here for 3 full seasons when it was managed by the Shamps, as an incorporation.However they stopped the purchase and now it's being managed by original owners. The same owners who refused to allow inspectors onto the property, had sub par facilities and trespassed employees. Yet, the shamps upgraded the roads, bathrooms, showers, and all plumbing. So the place looks nicer than ever, although still fails some inspection line items. There is black mold in the tent side bathhouse, the touletstalls are smaller than legal size, and all the sites are laid out with the posts on the wrong side,( so bring extra power corda) or you must setup facing the road, not the woods. Also be aware there is NO Lake or rivers on this campground, the website is deceiving. Yes you can rent canoe or kayaks, but you also need to have a car/truck to take them to water. The camp is pet friendly, ATV friendly, and lots of ATV trails nearby. There is no ADA accessable toilets anywhere, but there are some larger showers, just no bars/railings, or accessable sprayers on the shower. The one that was there, , has been used as a maintence closet for at least 4 years,and gas unusable toilet . The laundry machines are good,for small loads. 1 washer- 1 dryer. Stayed April thru October for 3 years. I will NOT return under this owner, and do not recommend this place anymore.

I would give this place a million stars if I could. It is a beautiful campground with many excellent rustic spots if you want to be in the wilderness and sites with electricity and water and fantastic Wi-Fi and cell service if you want to have a little wilderness but still be connected. The facilities are also very clean with wonderful showers that you don’t have to deposit quarters in. But the best thing about this campground is the wonderful people. I’m traveling with my husband, who is through hiking the Appalachian Trail. We were on week 12 of our journey. My husband was on the trail for three days when our camper van broke down and was in a remote place, not knowing anyone, and was telling the ladies my situation when I checked in. Vicky made a call and got me an appointment with a mechanic who was terrific and fixed my car. I was able to pick up my husband at the hundred-mile wilderness as planned. I did not think checking in with them that day that was even going to be a possibility, so they are absolutely amazing, kind, and generous people. It’s great in these times to see that there is still genuine kindness in the world. Please stay here.

I enjoyed my stay here 2 years ago and was glad to have a chance to visit again. This campground provides hookups, a pool, friendly hosts, and an expanded store. They're also expanding the campground and have created additional RV sites with water and electric, though the hill to the upper sites (the Tent Area on their map) is rougher than the loop in the RV section.

Many of the RV sites will require larger units to park parallel to the road. Bring longer power cords and hoses to ensure it will reach your rig because they may be on the 'wrong' site of your connections depending on how you park. Dump station available.

Owners are friendly and helpful. They'll offer moose tours, shuttles, and good advice on where to go, what to do. Stay here and you're not too far from Baxter SP, Katahdin Woods and Waters NM, and white water rafting. ATV trails are available. Hiking, fishing, photography are just a few of the other activities to enjoy in the area. Groceries available in Millinocket.

I didn't explore the tent area when i stayed here before, so I've tried to add pictures of most of those sites. 

Reservations open a year in advance.

Campground Review

I headed to the Millinocket area because I wanted to explore the new Katahdin Woods & Waters (KWW)National Monument, Baxter SP, ponds and byways. Staying at Wilderness Edge proved to be an ideal location with full amenities. It’s convenient to each of these areas without requiring an extensive drive to any of them. My visit was very early in the season ( late May/early June) and the trails to peaks at Baxter state Park were still closed, so it was quiet. The sites are in two sections, with tenters up the hill in an area I did not have time to explore, and a lower section with hookups for RVs. The RV sites offer electrical and water. The location of the hookups is somewhat unusual and inconsistent. My site had the connections on the right side of my camper once I had backed it in, so I had to be careful about placement or have longer cords. It then made sense why Marcel explained that some campers like to park parallel to the camp road to create some privacy,

My site (6) was large and level, backing up to the woods and with trees between the sites providing some privacy. There were no sites directly opposite mine as the loop road turned and went up a hill. The very clean bathrooms are up the hill, providing free hot showers and also a dishwashing sink.

There’s a small camp store with a selection of necessities, just in case you need a map or forgot a backpack, etc. They’ll deliver firewood to your site. There was wi-fi available, strongest near the bathroom, but I had more than adequate cell phone coverage (Verizon) at my site, that I did not need to use the wifi. There’s a pool and a play area near the entrance.

This is not a campground packed with seasonal sites; they only have 2 seasonal campers. Instead, the campground fills with families, singles, couples, looking for a quiet camp setting with amenities. The amenities do come at a price, costing more than other campgrounds, but also providing more.

If you want to explore, the Discover Katahdin app is great for identifying hikes or paddles, etc. so be sure to install it to help with your planning. It’s also worth stopping by the Moose Prints Gallery in Millinocket. Anita provided some excellent suggestions for wildlife watching and paddling. If you’d like a guide, Marcel is happy to offer small tours.

In town there are a variety of shops, including groceries, dollar stores, and hardware.

Product Review: GCI Outdoors Compact Camp Table 20

As a ranger with The Dyrt I sometimes get to test and review camping equipment. On this trip, I was able to review the GCI Outdoors Compact Camp Table 20 (it also comes in a larger, 25” size). This is a great little table with telescoping legs (love the squeeze mechanism to get them to collapse), giving you two height options while occupying very small space in your vehicle while traveling. You may find yourself using it for more than just camping (I saw one in a picture of a recent tailgate party). It’s aluminum top allows you to place a hot pot on it. It can handle a substantial weight and doesn’t feel wiggly. It’s great for dinner by the campfire!