Abol Bridge Campground, Millinocket

Campground: Abol Bridge Campground [Maine Gazetteer Map 50, D/E 5].

Contact Info: (207) - 447- 5803  or email at greatnorthernvacations@gmail.com
*** I struggled to make contact with phone messages and emails. 

 Best way to make reservations: When I finally spoke to someone I was told the best way is to reserve online...but because I had questions I wanted to talk to someone.  (See more info below.)

 Directions (from Portland, ME): Head North on 95 or 295 (which merges with 95 just south of Augusta.)  It will take you about 4 hours to get there from Portland, so definitely worth taking a weekend to enjoy the northern Maine woods!  From I 95, you are going to exit at Medway, exit 244.   Coming off the exit you will want to turn left onto Rt. 157.  You will stay on Rt 157 through Medway and East Millinocket into Millinocket.

Once in Millinocket you will go past a couple of grocery stores (if you need any supplies, get them here! That block of ice? Beverages? Hot dog buns? STOP in Millinocket to get them, there will not be another opportunity!)  You will go down a hill and over a small bridge, seeing a traffic light ahead.  You will want to go straight through the traffic light.  This will take you around a corner with an old school on your right.  stay on that road as it turns to the right.  You will see a green sign that says Baxter State Park with an arrow telling you to turn left.  Turn Left towards Baxter State Park.  This puts you on the State Road.  (Not sure if that is the real name of the road, but it is what the locals call it!)

Once on the state road, you will go under a railroad trestle (The Aroostook RR) and soon you will lose cell phone reception.  (Don't be scared, enjoy the freedom of being signal-less!) 
The State Rd. will take you past a campground/white water rafting company and into Millinocket Lake.  Once you enter Millinocket Lake, you will see the North Woods Trading post on your right.  At that point you will notice that there are two roads, running parallel to one another, the State Rd. and The Golden Road.  I suggest Switching over to the Golden Road.  (This is a rough road, lots of bumps and is not well maintained, go slowly!  Be aware that the Golden Road is an active logging road that has no line markers.  There will be logging trucks with LARGE loads of wood barrelling down the Golden Road.  You will want to stay to the right as far as possible when these guys pass you.  This also means that stopping along the side of the road can be dangerous.  If you stop, make sure your vehicle is completely off the road.Also be aware that this is moose country.  Keep your eyes wide open for moose and deer.  Moose sightings are most common in the evenings, but can be anytime.)

Once on the Golden Road you don't have to worry about any more turns.  Just stay on that road.  You will pass Compass Pond on your right and River Pond on your left. (Good Moose spotting sights!)   As you get close to Abol Bridge Campground you will round a corner and see Mount Katahdin in all its glory (unless it is cloudy).

Abol Bridge Campground is on the right before the bridge.  Stop at the store to check in. 

(If this destination sounds familiar, you may have read about it on my kayaking blog HERE.) 

Must Knows: the Golden Road is a ROUGH road.  Go slowly.  I would probably not drive on it with a small car, but I saw other people doing so.

It is important for people who go here to know that there is no guarantee you will even see the mountain!  On foggy/cloudy days the mountain 'hides'.  Also the weather here changes quickly!  If you have an awning do not leave it open when you are away from the campground.  the wind can and does come up quickly and many awnings have been damaged because of it. While wildlife is usually plentiful, there is no guarantee of seeing any!

 Check in:  4 pm

Check Out: 10 a.m. 

Campsites: Gravel, mostly flat, some have ample shade, some have little to no shade, some are on the water, some are not.  There are a few sites under the bridge.  From personal experience sleeping under that bridge as logging trucks go by... I would say request a site that is not under the bridge!

 

Privacy: The lots are close together but not so close you feel that you are eating dinner with your neighbors. (though I could hear my neighbors snoring!) Some of the lots have more privacy.  I would say that if privacy is important to you make sure to note it in your reservation. This gives you an idea of how close the sites are.  This is with campers on both sides of me. 

Amenities: picnic table, fire ring, bathhouse (showers are free!) There are some trash cans in a few locations throughout the campground, so you have to carry your trash to those areas.
There is a store at the campground.  (It seemed well stocked from what I saw, but I have heard it is not consistently stocked so, don't depend on what it may have for supplies!)  There is a restaurant. (I did not eat there.)  Continental breakfast is included.  (I am not 100% sure what was included in the continental breakfast because I was up early cooking breakfast so I could get on the water...but the weather precluded that!) There are cabins available on several sites. 

Fees: $25 per person per night. (The price.. $25 per person... per adult I should say.  I played with the website to see what the cost would be for 1 adult and 2 kids and it was $43 per night. Two adults and two kids is $66 per night.  This cost includes continental breakfast... the cost is the the same whether or not you want to access the continental breakfast.) I am not sure if the rates for cabins are higher.

Wildlife: Moose, deer, beaver, otters, muskrats, loons, ducks, frogs, eagles,... (Oh I have seen bear here before too!) 

Notes: I must share that this campground has held a special place for me for many years.  I grew up camping here.  It's where I learned to paddle a canoe and later a kayak.  It's where my sister and I were given more and more freedom to paddle further and further from the campground as our skills developed.  My parents and I spent so much time here.  They had a seasonal lot for many years.  The campground changed ownership seven or so years ago.  Things changed at that time.  I have not been back there to go camping in probably three years... so returning was something that I was uncertain about.

 The drive to Abol Bridge can be a bit nervewracking. While watching for moose and deer in the roadways it is hard to carefully watch the potholes... which are many and massive!  My max speed was 30 mph on the Golden Road because of the road condition.  (Better speed to go if a moose does decide to jump out!)  My favorite part of the drive is the final corner before getting to the campground, where, on a clear day, you turn the corner and Katahdin is there big and bold and beautiful! It takes my breath away!

I pulled up to the store and it was pretty busy.  I went in and checked in.  They let me know which site I was on and I was relieved I was on site 19, on the water!  I was also relieved that the site would be easy to back into!!  (Which I did first try, by the way!!  I am getting better!)

I was able to set up fairly quickly.  (Including lighting my fridge for the first time, attaching the hose for the **gray water, and setting up my grill!!)

Picnic table and grill set up!

My view! Not too shabby!

I got there around 4 and after setting up in crazy heat and humidity Gladys and I went for a quick swim at the 'beach', the common area of the campground on the river.  (Wear watershoes because people fish there and there may be lures in the bottom of the river. You do not want to have to drive back to Millinocket to visit the hospital to remove a lure!)

We then went kayaking, we were on the water by probably 5:45.  We went up the river and as I paddled I had a lot of feelings... such a sacred place for me, so many memories!  We paddled up to one of the ponds Mom and I used to paddle in, we named it Tadpole Terrace... and the beavers had built a HUGE dam.  I was bummed!  That was a place where I often saw wildlife including otters, moose, and deer!

In "Baxter Bay" 

We paddled further and didn't see any animals besides loons.  We paddled back down the river with beautiful lighting.

We made a small fire and enjoyed watching the sunset.

We went to bed fairly early because I was planning to get up at 5 a.m. to get back on the river.  (Oh, I dropped my camera in the camper and it broke! So I was dependent on my phone and tablet for the rest of the photos.)  Before going to bed we did walk up on the bridge to look at the clear sky!  The stars are amazing from up there.  Seriously, take a flashlight, walk up and go to the middle of the bridge and look up... amazing! 

5 a.m. arrived and I got up to make breakfast.  At 5:15 I learned that the smoke detector in the camper works!

And learned that whenever I cook inside I need to have the vent open and the fan going!  (I am sure my neighbors loved knowing my smoke alarm works! Oops!)  My lesson is that if I cook that early I will cook outside on the grill!

It started raining around 5:30, light rain at first.  I figured I would wait a few minutes then get out on the water when the shower passed.  But then it rained hard!  The camper doesn't leak!! Yay!  Thunder storms came through around 9:30 and then as it stopped raining the wind came... the wind came hard!  I have spent a lot of time there and have seen all kinds of weather, and this was extreme!  There were whitecaps in front of my site which is where the river connects with Abol Stream.  At one point I was glad I was there because even though I had pulled my kayak way up on the bank, upside down (because I know how quickly the water levels can change here!) the wind picked it up and it flipped over a few times as it blew towards the river.  I was able to get to it before it went in the water but it was WINDY!  I then secured the kayak onto the truck, just in case!  Throughout the day as we waited for the wind to die down (I was convinced it would calm down as evening came and we would be able to kayak and then enjoy a fire...) we went for some walks.  We walked around the campground, taking a stroll down memory lane and getting pictures to share with folks.  We went 'out back' beyond the pavilion where the road for the rafters coming into the campground meets the Appalacian Trail and Baxter State Park.

Dogs are not allowed in the park so Gladys and I couldn't go very far.  We hen walked back into the campground and watched the river.  Later we went for another walk.  We crossed over the bridge on the Golden Road.  There is a road on the left that follows the river but there was a new sign indicating this area is now the Debsconeag Wilderness area and no dogs are allowed.

I was disappointed because that is a beautiful walk.  Instead we walked down an old road that follows the river going upstream.  Apparently that is the Old Golden Road.  We walked for a while and saw signs of deer, a lot of signs, but did not see one.  It was a nice walk and I even found some blueberries!  I love Maine's small sweet blueberries!

At lunch time I decided to cook up some onions (outside) ones that I could easily use for the rest of the trip.  I think cooking onions will become part of my routine while camping.  So good for burgers and dogs, and even for breakfast with eggs! 

The wind prevented me from paddling, but provided opportunity to organize the camper a bit!  

I used a plastic package that Gladys's harness came in to store the picnic table clips.  (reuse!!)

This was a great find at Walmart... a fold-able dish strainer!  Loved it!

In a pop up there is not a lot of places to hang stuff...but this hanging basket on the door worked for a small make shift garbage can. 

I found this shoe/closet organizer, also at Walmart, and used it as my pantry.  Worked pretty well!  (My camper has 4 hooks attached to the ceiling for a hanging pantry... which is expensive in camper stores, this was $13 bucks at Walmart! 

I did some other much needed organizing as well.  I need a few more small totes and some shelving for inside my cupboards, but for the first trip, this wasn't bad!  

As we waited for the wind to die down I got some new neighbors ... Now, I am just learning but I don't think your jack is supposed to angle into the ground like this! They fixed it pretty quickly...a good reminder to make sure the ground is solid!

As the day went on the wind got worse and worse...  

 As I said I have been here in bad wind before, but not like this.  (This was before the wind blew the kayak!) As the afternoon and early evening came the wind had not died down.  I got nervous.  I probably would have been fine, but the wind was shaking the camper and kept making the awning (rolled up) bang against the camper.  I knew I would not sleep and would be nervous... so I decided to leave Friday night.  I was only scheduled to stay until Saturday morning and knew I had to be out by 10 anyway... so I left and ended up at my parents' house for the night.  

Because I kayak so much I was really disappointed about not being able to be on the water. BUT it felt good to be there.  It really is a beautiful place!  Here are a few more pics of our windy day as we waited to see if the wind would die down. 

This good samaritan was paddling to rescue the canoe and float that had escaped from the shore.  

Gladys seemed content just relaxing outside! With this view, who could blame her?

Sitting Pretty at Katahdin! 

Do you see the skull?

More about the campground itself... 
There are fewer sites for campers/tents  than there used to be due to cabins having been built on several sites, but having cabins would, I hope, make camping more accessible for people who don't have tents or a camper.  I did not get to see inside of the cabins.

The campground works closely with a rafting company now, there is an area in the campground called the Pavillion. (For those who have camped there before it has replaced the sites at the top of the hill.  There is a nice volleyball court out there too, and a large fire pit.    I think that is for when they have large groups of rafters who spend the night.  It looks like a nice facility.  I am not sure if that area is open to people camping at the campground or not.

Other activities available: 
 Rafting - there are multiple companies that do rafting trips.  I rafted here several years ago and as my friend fell out of the raft he tried grabbing the rope in the raft and grabbed my leg instead, pulling me in too!  It was so much fun! Make sure you research age restrictions and choose the right company for you!

Tubing down the river... I do not know the details, but apparently you can rent tubes/floats to come down the river.  The tubes looked pretty comfy!  (Though I am not sure people should have been on the river in them in such strong winds!)

Hiking - For those who do not bring dogs, there are some great  hikes just outside the campground.  Walking to Abol Pond is a nice hike as is hiking up to "The Ledges." Get more info on hiking trails before you head off into the woods! Plus Baxter State Park is so nearby!  If you want to see moose, Sandy Stream Pond, within the park is a great spot!  (Though you are limited to 2 hours due to high demand!)

Canoeing/Kayaking - The campground does have at least one canoe and kayak available for people to rent.  this is my favorite part of this trip!  (When it isn't windy!)  There are other places nearby that you could try to paddle.  I do not have more info on those places, sorry!

The campground is so close to parts of Baxter State Park and is on the West Branch of the Penobscot River.  There are few place I find more beautiful than this area. 


LOVE/Like/Not Impressed... (I am toying with this as part of the blog.  I would love feedback on whether or not this is helpful! I don't want to say negative things about campgrounds, but those who know me form my other blog know I am pretty honest about things... so... these are my final 'take aways' from this campground)

Things I loved...

-Going up on the bridge after dark and looking at the stars.  You MUST do this if you camp here.  The stars are impressive from the campsites, but from the bridge... magical! (I'm not kidding, this is a MUST!) If you or anyone with you loves astronomy, bring a telescope! And keep your eyes to the sky for the international space station.  You can actually find out when it will fly overhead and can watch it go!
-Being back on this part of the Penobscot River. 

- Being at the base of Katahdin... (This place is part of my soul!)
- Free showers!
- Proximity to Baxter State Park
- fire rings at each site, it's not camping without a fire!

Things I liked...

- Children under 5 are free.  

- Bath houses! I love nature, but don't need to pee in the woods to feel like I am camping!
-  Volleyball court.  I remember as a kid coming here and wishing there was more to do!
- The caretaker seemed to be out and about a lot. He seemed to be very helpful and friendly.
- watching the river
- firewood/ice available at the store
- close to Baxter State Park entrance

Things that didn't impress me...

- Making contact to make a reservation was very difficult. This was because I kept trying the phone and email instead of just making reservations online.  (Since I prefer talking to a person about reservations, specifically the site I prefer...)  

- I really dislike not being able to reserve a specific site.  I requested a site that had been my favorite site from years ago, lot #26, but was told it is now a group site for a minimum of six people.  I was saddened by that.  I then asked for other site options and was told they don't reserve by site.  I said that I wanted to be on the water (not under the bridge) and she said she would make a note of that.  This campground is pretty deep into the woods.  To make that trek and not make sure you get the site you want or at least have a choice/say in the matter...doesn't make sense to me. 

- I think the cost of the sites, per person would get pretty pricey for a family who wanted to stay for a  week.  

- Not being able to check in until 4... by the time I set up and had a snack my time on the water was limited due to sunset.   

- Despite the expectation that dogs be leashed there were several dogs off leash including the caretaker's dog who sneaked up on Gladys a few times and she did not like it!  A couple of other dogs off leash made Gladys very alert. The lack of this rule being enforced added some unnecessary stress for me. 

- No refunds if reservations are made less than 30 days in advance.  (And if you expect to have more than one person but are not 100% certain, make your reservation for 1 person.  If your guest does not show up, you take the hit on the cost, no refund, no credit given.  It would be better to reserve for 1 then if your guest arrives pay the extra at that time.)

Would I return? Yes. This place, the river and the mountain are part of me...  I hope to return when Mother Nature is  less windy to get more time on the river. 

**Gray water is the water that drains from the sink,  no bodily fluids!
**Lighting the fridge - I opened the panels on the back of the camper (Used a coin like my dad did instead of having to locate a screwdriver!) I turned the knob to light and then held down the gray button as I hit the ignitor button.
***Setting up the grill - there are two valve things that attach to the hose for the grill.  They looked like you had to turn them to attach them, but you have to push them back then insert the part of the propane hose.  (the valves have to be turned to off in order to make the attachment push back)