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Sandy Pines Campground to Debut This Summer in Kennebunkport

Kennebunkport hoteliers, Tim Harrington and Debra Lennon, the duo behind Hidden Pond, The Tides Beach Club, and The Grand Hotel, now have their sights set on a new campground. Sandy Pines will open this summer in a forest approximately ½-mile inland from Goose Rocks Beach. Each of the 320 sites will feature a picnic table, fire pit, electricity, cable, water and sewage. They’ll be offering different site options, ranging from basic tent sites to pull through sites with full utilities for larger RVs. All sites are a short walk to the spanking new bathhouses with restrooms, showers, and oversized sinks for dish washing. Yet, this being Maine, the best part could very well be a lobster pound and a snack bar serving lobster rolls. Also on premises will be a rustic general store, farm stand, ice cream cart, saltwater pool, kid’s craft tent, playground, laundry facilities, and WiFi. 

 
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Trustees Sites Not To Be Missed, Tully Lake Campground

This coming Saturday, May 21st, the Trustees of Reservations will kick off their 125th anniversary celebration with a “Home Sweet Home” Historic Open House Day. The Great House on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, the Old Manse in Concord, and seven other historic homes will be open to the public for free. To get the festivities rolling, all this week I’m going to divulge 5 unheralded Trustees sites that might not be on your radar. The non-profit conservation organization maintains over 100 sites in Massachusetts including their crown jewel, Crane Beach. Others, like Tully Lake Campground in Royalston, should be on your list. 

 
Come to this tranquil Tully Lake where there is little or no motorized boat traffic and tents-only campsites and you’ll understand why campers return year after year. Many bring their own kayaks to paddle to the sandy isles and within sinuous Tully River. The Trustees offers kayak rentals and stand-up paddleboarding lessons on Sundays in season. Hiking trails lead to stunning Doane’s Falls, where Lawrence Brook tumbles over a series of ledges before it reaches Tully Lake. Rangers lead paddlers to see beavers and teach kids how to fish. You may want to bring your mountain bike, since there’s a 7-mile loop around nearby Long Pond. 
 
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Spending the Night on Grape Island

My only experience with the Boston Harbor Islands was visiting the Civil War-era fort on Georges Island and walking the trails of Spectacle Island, mostly formed from the dirt unearthed during Boston’s Big Dig. Last Thursday, however, I spent the night on Grape Island, one of the four islands in the harbor that offers camping. Only a stone’s throw from the mainland and the town of Hingham, you feel a world away on this 50-acre forested outpost. We kayaked around neighboring Slate Island with a ranger, ran into a 10-point buck and several doe, watched the sun set over the Boston skyline, and built a bonfire on the beach. There were only 10 sites on the island, and people in the know booked the sites months in advance at ReserveAmerica.com. It’s primitive camping with no running water available, but it’s great to be out on the water for a night or two, smelling the salty air and seeing Boston from a different viewpoint. 
 
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Buy a Weekend at a Vermont State Park

Still not sure what to get for the holidays? Well, you’re in luck. Vermont State Parks is offering Holiday Gift Packages for next summer. The Weekend Getaway Package includes two nights of tent, RV, or lean-to camping, two VT State Parks water bottles, a bundle of firewood for your campout and a VT State Parks tote bag, all for $79. Sample two of my favorite state parks, Silver Lake and Button Bay. Just north of Woodstock, Silver Lake is open to non-motorized boating only. Thus, this gem of a lake is the perfect place to swim, canoe, or catch perch from the shores. The 47 campsites are in the woods, close to the lake. Located on the southern shores of Lake Champlain, all of the 72 sites at Button Bay have exquisite views of the Adirondacks across the lake. The exceptional biking through farmland that borders the lake is an added bonus.  Call 888-409-7579 or book online at www.vtstateparks.com.

 

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Go Camping in June and Receive Discounts

President Obama has proclaimed June to be National Great Outdoors Month. Building on Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, the idea is to get kids and their families off the couch, away from computer screens and into the Great Outdoors. America’s private campground operators are helping promote this effort with nature oriented family activities. Campgrounds affiliated with GoCampingAmerica.com are offering 20 percent discounts on camping June 1st through 25th. Coleman is also offering 15% off all their merchandise during the month.

If you think campers are sticking solely to RVs and tents, you’d be wrong. All across the country, campgrounds are building cabins to accommodate the growing number of requests. And these aren’t little shacks either. The six cabins at West Glacier KOA in Montana near Glacier National Park feature full bath, kitchens, and an outdoor deck with barbecue. Many campgrounds also feature nightly entertainment, like live music.
 

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The New Trend, Renting Cabins at Campgrounds

Summer reservations are already up 8 to 9 percent at campgrounds across America, another strong sign that travelers are once again striving for affordability. But if you think those campers are sticking solely to RVs and tents, you’d be wrong. All across the country, campgrounds are building cabins to accommodate the growing number of requests. And these aren’t little shacks either. The six new cabins at West Glacier KOA in Montana near Glacier National Park feature full bath, kitchen, and an outdoor deck with barbecue. Many campgrounds also feature nightly entertainment, like live music. So the next time you need to book a room, also visit the Go Camping America site to see if there are any interesting alternatives nearby.