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Spectacle Island, Damariscotta Lake

97%

· Newcastle, Lincoln, Maine

1 acre hosted by Midcoast C.

1 tent site

Midcoast is a Star Host

Star Hosts are highly rated, responsive, and committed to providing incredible experiences.

Boat-in

This Hipcamp is accessible by boat.

Primitive camping

Best for self-contained campers. There are no toilets, showers, or potable water at this Hipcamp.

The sister islands, shaped like a pair of spectacles as their name suggests, offer opportunities for swimming, blueberry picking, camping, and general exploration. Although the islands make up a small portion of the 1000+ acres protected by Midcoast Conservancy in the Damariscotta Lake Watershed, they are among the most popular. The islands have long been a gathering spot for local families to swim. The islands were donated to Midcoast Conservancy in 2000 and are now forever protected. When you reserve your spot on Spectacle Island, know that it comes with a healthy dose of day use during peak summer weekends.On Damariscotta Lake, these sister islands, shaped like a pair of spectacles as their name suggests, offer opportunities for swimming, blueberry picking, camping, and general exploration. Although the islands make up a small portion of the 1000+ acres protected by Midcoast Conservancy in the Damariscotta Lake Watershed, they are among the most popular. The islands have long been a gathering spot for local families to swim. The islands were donated to Midcoast Conservancy in 2000 and are now forever protected. When you reserve your spot on Spectacle Island, know that it comes with a healthy dose of day use during peak summer weekends. The islands are open to daily public use, from dawn until dusk. The islands can be reached by kayak, canoe, paddleboard, or small motor boat. Campers are required to allow day use by other visitors during their stay and to respect the quiet nature of the island by keeping noise to a minimum after 9pm. Campers may spend a maximum of two consecutive nights. All waste must be packed out: human, pet and otherwise. Reservation includes both islands. Each island, North and South, provides one camping site. A maximum of 4 people per site are permitted, one tent per island site. We highly suggest campers arrive at the island no later than 5pm. Note: For the past several summers, Damariscotta Lake has experienced cyanobacteria outbreaks, which in high concentrations or with prolonged exposure can pose a health risk to humans and pets. For more information on cyanobacteria, visit the Damariscotta Lake Water Quality Alerts page on our website and follow Damariscotta Lake Watch on Instagram and/or Facebook for the latest water quality updates. Please note that there are inherent risks in open water recreation, and we recommend to follow best practices, including to avoid scummy or dense areas, avoid inadvertently swallowing lake water while swimming, keep pets from drinking the lake water, and avoid using lake water for drinking or household use.

Activities

Boating

Fishing

Paddling

Swimming

Natural features

Beach

Lake

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97%

18 ratings · 11 reviews

Amy P.recommends

September 1, 2023

Spectacle Island Campsite

The site was easy to get to and very clean. Perfect for swimming and fishing !

Trina S.recommends

August 14, 2023

Spectacle Island Campsite

Camping alone

We love camping at Spectacle Island. Beautiful views, perfect campfire setup, and lovely swimming, easy in and out. The addition of the porta-potty at the boat ramp was welcome!

Todd A.recommends

August 8, 2023

Spectacle Island Campsite

The site is quiet and peaceful at night. During the day, especially on the weekends, the lake is very busy with activity and visitors (mostly kids) to the rope swings on the northern island. Although there is no actual legal place to park overnight, we were not ticketed. However, we did speak with a Park Ranger at the boat launch who didn't even know about the island and its camping being managed by Hipcamp. That gave us pause.

Annie A.recommends

August 6, 2023

Spectacle Island Campsite

Beautiful spot! Tons of blueberries. Lots of folks came by to use the rope swing throughout the afternoon. If you want a quieter spot, I’d set up camp on the other island.

Alyson D.recommends

July 30, 2023

Spectacle Island Campsite

Fantastic site for family fun!

Blueberries galore and great rope-swing for swimming. Day swimmers do come by pretty frequently, but we enjoyed chatting with them and swimming together! There is no picnic table, but there is a great firepit.

Kirk M.recommends

July 17, 2023

Spectacle Island Campsite

Neat place. Was excited to hear the loons. Neighbors across the lake where a little loud at times, but nothing unexpected.

Location

Newcastle, Lincoln, Maine, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), N’dakina (Abenaki / Abénaquis), and Nanrantsouak First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Midcoast C.Joined in May 2021

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