Camp2Kayak: Poland Spring Campground

Campground: Poland Spring Campground

Contact Info:
207-998-2151
128 Connor Lane
(P.O. Box 409)
Poland, ME 04274

https://www.polandspringcamp.com/

Email: info@polandspringcamp.com

Best way to make reservations: My friend made our reservations by calling them!

Directions: From Portland Maine.... 95 North to the Gray Exit (Exit 63) , stay in the middle lane as you exit and turn left onto Rt. 202. Stay on202 for 0.3 miles then turn RIGHT onto 26A for 1.2 miles, at the rotary stay straight to stay on Rt. 26 for 11.1 miles. (Passing Cyndi's Dockside Restaurant on the left as you approach the causeway between Middle and Lower Range Pond.) Turn Right onto Connor Lane and follow it to the end.

Campsites: The campsites are pretty close together, but you still feel like you have privacy. There are over 100 sites here! Click HERE for a map! All sites have water, some sites have power.

Amenities: Water and electricity on most sites. Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. There is a dumpster near the main office for trash. There is a pool and an arcade. There is also an office/store complete with ice and wood! There are 2 bath houses (I only took photos in one!) Showers are available, but you need your quarters!! (Remember a good tip: keep quarters in an old prescription bottle for just such showers!!)

This is the store, just beyond the gate where you come into the campground.

What is this?? Anyone know? ha ha ha!! (not sure f it works, but I enjoyed seeing it!)

The pool!

The arcade...

Gladys was looking for a pinball machine...

This is one of the bathhouses

Overall good facilities... though at this late point in the season the water in the sinks did not get warm!

Fees: Rates range from $27 to $52 a day depending on the type of site and when you camp. There is a pup fee... $5 Fee per dog per day!
For more info on rates, click HERE

Close to these bodies of water: ON Lower Range Pond, near Middle and Upper Range Ponds, Shaker Bog,

Wildlife:Eagles, Canada Geese, painted Turtle (I am guessing potential for all kinds of other critters!)

Other: the campground has an activities calendar... there seem to be a lot of seasonal sites here. They have kayaks, rowboats, and paddleboards for rent. Close to other points of interest like Maine Wildlife Park, Oxford Casino, Shaker Village, Poland Springs Museum, etc!

Things I loved: Being able to be right on the pond! Easy access to the pond from the campground. (It is a bit of a walk to the launch area but I drove down to drop off my kayak. It would be a doable walk with a cart from most sites as well. )

The sites were wooded, with a nice canopy of trees. It made it a bit more chilly for us on this cold fall weekend, but I suspect in the summer those trees provide a welcomed shade covering to offer some respite from the heat/sun. Because it was cold, I LOVED having electricity! I was able to use my furnace and heat up my mattresses! (My mattresses have an electric attachment that heats them up! I was on site 86 and there was a great path that led to the water... where I got to see a pretty amazing sunrise!

This was the sunrise from the boat launch...

I also loved that we could walk to the town beach and explore a bit there. We got in a lot of steps this weekend! Gladys was tuckered out!

Things I liked: I like that there is a store, just in case you need marshmallows for roasting or ice for the cooler! I also like that there is a gate to try to ensure that only people who should be in the campground are in the campground. There is also a key card you can get if you think you may need to get into the campground outside of the gate hours. (It was a $10 deposit on the key card that I got back when I returned it.)

Things that didn't impress me: Despite there being a rule about all dogs being leashed at all times...
THREE dogs were off leash and charged at Gladys. One was directly across from us and not long after we got there I had Gladys leashed to a tree and the other dog came at her with its heckles up... the owner got the dog to come back just in time... I was nervous... Another dog, a German shepherd charged at us every time we walked by, once it was off leash and again got nose to nose with Gladys... After that Gladys was a little defensive with other dogs... can't say I blame her! I wish people would follow the rules!
The bathrooms were nice but could have been cleaner. Perhaps it is the time of year, but it didn't seem that the bathrooms were cleaned each day.
There is very little lighting throughout the campground and it gets DARK! I didn't mind too much, but it may make people nervous. Make sure to have a flashlight/lantern for walking in the evening/night!

Notes: This seems to be a family friendly campground with a lot of campers! We saw a few tents, a few pop ups, some travel trailers, and some fifth wheels. I think ALL camping folks are welcome!

In the fall you don't need to have your refrigerator turned up as high as you do in the summer! (Lesson learned from frozen cucumber and strawberries!)

We didn't kayak a lot, but did get out on the water a bit.

I also went over to Range State Park for a while on Sunday. I met some other people to kayak and before they arrived Gladys and I walked some of the trails there. It was nice, even in the rain.

Here are some pictures from our adventure...Enjoy:

We did a lot of walking....around the campground and down Connor Lane to Poland's town beach. It was nice. Gladys enjoyed the beach and the water! (Remember to wear orange during hunting season!)