There is really no place to compare Wolfe’s Neck Oceanfront Campground to. Imagine the most insanely beautiful rocky cove in Maine, give every campsite an ocean view and throw in a bald eagle for good measure. It takes your breathe away.
The campground is on the grounds of an organic farm with a wide variety of family programs, so in between roasting s’mores and playing on the playground, kids can go visit goats and help collect eggs. It is such a great place for families and one of those educational experiences where the kids won’t even notice that they are learning because they are having that much fun.
Wolfe’s Neck Oceanfront Camping
It is fall in New England and we are enjoying a magnificent foliage season. We wanted to soak up all the outdoor time we could before we do the quick shift to snow. One of the benefits of homeschooling this year is that we can do it from anywhere.
We have desperately been missing Maine and they just opened up their boarders to Massachusetts travelers, so we headed up to visit her. I began researching campgrounds in Maine and let me tell you, I was overwhelmed. There are so many and they are all so different. Some don’t even take reservations! You just drive 6 hours and hope for a spot. That’s not something we can do with 3 little kids.
We also wanted a dog friendly spot with some local activities to keep the kids busy. I kept coming back to Wolfe’s Neck Campground and anyone who had been there highly recommended it. While we had planned on doing a road trip up the coast, this place was so special that we just stayed there for the entire time.
Camping in Freeport Maine
The coast of Maine is HUGE! Especially because of all the “fingers.” Our original thought was to camp in Acadia but didn’t think the kids could handle a 6 hour drive. Freeport is not that far up and only took us about 2 hours to drive to.
Freeport is known as a shopping town which includes the flagship L.L. Bean store with the gigantic bean boot outside. There are loads of good coffee shops, restaurants and a Ben & Jerry’s. Portland is only 20 minutes south of Freeport so there is loads to explore.
The campground is just 10 minutes outside of the town center, so it is close enough to run into town if you need something or are looking for a rainy day activity.
Our big surprise for the kids
The next part that made this trip so special is that we rented a friend’s RV. If you follow us on the gram, you will know that we basically treat the local RV dealer like a playground. My kids are obsessed with the thought of going on a RV trip.
Since my friend was local, she brought the Minnie Winnie over and hooked it up. We had told the kids that we were tent camping and pretended to bump into my friend there. When we revealed that they were actually sleeping in a RV for the first time, they were so very excited and didn’t stop chanting that it was the best day ever. It was such a fun surprise. They quickly made the bed above the driver seat their fort. Really, the only issue was that they never wanted to leave the RV.
After we were all settled, I brought the dog for a walk to explore the grounds and it is just such a beautiful area. As I passed the organic garden, I saw a little fox hunting for dinner. He would concentrate so hard, then jump straight up into the air and land on whatever little rodent he was after. I ran back and got Harry, who just loves foxes.
At 5:00 each night, the cows have returned from the pasture and you can watch them getting milked in the parlor. It was really interesting to watch as I have never seen that before. Wolfe’s Neck Center is actually a dairy supplier for Stoneyfield yogurt.
At sunset, we walked down to Hayload Point to look out over the water. The tide was going out and the seabirds were pecking around the newly exposed ocean floor for food. A bald eagle soared across the pink sky. It was pretty dreamy.
We got dinner from the farm cafe which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The farm cafe was such a perk because meal planning for a camping trip is too overwhelming for me. It was so convenient to be able to order meals right there. We also picked up firewood from the farm store.
Hiking Morse Mountain
The next day, we drove about a half hour north to hike Morse Mountain. This was a relatively easy hike that ended up at a secluded beach.
It was pretty strenuous for the little kids so we rewarded ourselves with a big hearty meal at the Tuscan Brick Oven Bistro back in Freeport. The restaurant always ranks number one on Trip Advisor and has excellent food and drinks.
Private Farm Tour
We signed up for a private farm tour which I would highly recommend. It was fun for the kids to go on a tractor ride around the grounds, meet the animals and learn about the research they are doing at the farm. It will make you appreciate what the Wolfe’s Neck Center is doing even more when you hear about it. For example, we learned that the environmental issues caused by cows releasing methane comes from their burps not their farts (mind blown). They are doing a study to see if feeding seaweed to cows lowers the methane emissions.
One of the highlights from our trip was going into the field with 300 chickens to collect eggs. The chickens were young and curious birds and they immediately swarmed us. My son could barely walk with them jumping up to peck at the shiny buttons of his jacket. We could not stop laughing. Also- Harry gets attacked by birds on every trip we go on, so it’s just a thing with him.
After our tour, it began to rain so we went into town for some shopping. The L.L. Bean store is fun to walk around because it is so enormous and even has water features inside of it. There is an outlet for my favorite store, Fjallraven so I was really excited to find some great deals there.
For lunch, we went to the Maine Beer Co and that was a really cool experience. They have tents set up outside and all sorts of safety precautions for covid. The pizza was amazing and you can try their Wolfe’s Neck beer that is only sold at the brewery.
I brought my dog for a rainy day walk at the Wolfe’s Neck State Park which is just across the bridge from our campground. There is a small admission fee, but it is worth it to walk the coastal trail that leads out to an osprey sanctuary.
Back at camp, we roasted marshmallows and told ghost stories before heading in for movie night. Our trip went by so quickly and the next day we were packing up to head home.
Other details that make Wolfe’s Neck Oceanfront Campground so special
Some other details that made the experience so great was how kind the people were. Every person we came into contact with at the farm was so friendly and helpful. Wolfe’s Neck Oceanfront Campground also has an amazing website which made booking really easy. You can even look at a picture of each campsite by clicking on the map.
There are four separate areas you can camp at Wolfe’s Neck, each designed to meet the needs of different campers. Quiet Cove is for tent camping only and you have to carry your gear in (no cars).
If you prefer to sleep on a mattress, there are a couple of cabins you can rent. They have even teamed up with L.L.Bean for “wicked easy camping” where they will set everything up for you. There really is something for everyone.
Just a 7 minute drive outside of the campground is Bow Street Market. This grocery store has everything you could ever need. I would grab my coffee here in the morning and ready made breakfast sandwiches.
The campground is really dog friendly but they must be kept on a leash at all times. (Ask the one eared goat about the importance of that rule.)
Check out their website for all of the farm programs that they offer because the list is so extensive. On our next trip, I am so excited to go on a hike with the goats. While the campground shuts down for the winter, the farm itself is open year round.
We loved the campsite spot we got. We were at number 710 which was in the West Bay right across from the bathrooms and the playground. There was a path beside our site that led down to Hayload Point that looked out over Casco Bay. We wandered down there several times a day to take in the view.
There was another beach area nearby with a kayak launch. They kids loved playing there and pretending they were pirates.
Wolfe’s Neck Oceanfront Camping was such an amazing experience. I am happy to know that this 600 acre property is protected. Show me one other place on earth where you can see cows grazing on pastures by the ocean. We loved camping in October when we felt like we had the place to ourselves. Definitely dress in layers since it gets cold on the ocean at night. It is a perfect place to visit with family and enjoy some time in nature.
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