My sister recently enrolled in college at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, almost eight hours from home. So naturally, we jumped at the opportunity to visit for family weekend. Alisha and I packed up Slow Ride, and off we went on our long journey.
I had made arrangements ahead of time with Mike, the keeper of the campground that we would be arriving very late on Thursday night; while the office closes at 9PM, he told us were welcome to stay in the parking lot and check in Friday morning when the office opened. The campground operates on cash and reservations are paid with either cash or a check, although they require a credit card on file to make a reservation.
We rolled in to the campground around 2 AM Friday morning. The parking lot was pretty basic, but allowed us access to my favorite amenity of the campground: heated restrooms. Being late in the season, I was enamored that the restrooms were heated, had hot and cold water, showers, and were overall very clean. After taking the time to get cleaned up, we settled in for the evening and went to sleep.
Red Apple Campground's heated bath/laundry facility
The next morning I had the pleasure of meeting Mike in person. He was a friendly older gentleman, and provided us with plenty of suggestions of local attractions as we checked in. I also needed a bag of ice, that he was happy to provide. Although we didn't get the chance to partake, the main office had a well outfitted rec room, complete with DVDs, a pool table, foosball, and even an air hockey table. Just outside the office was a heated pool; as this was the second to last weekend before they closed for the season, it was regrettably closed.
Campsite F-1
We were assigned campsite F-1, the closest campsite to the main office. Even the most basic camping site came equipped with power and water hookups, as well as a picnic table and fire ring. After getting parked and assessing the site, we decided to explore more of the campground. In addition to expected amenities like a small playground, Red Apple Campground also offers horseshoe pits, cornhole, and a dog park. We took advantage of the horseshoes, although neither of us were very good.
The crown jewel of the campground's offerings is the fresh lobster, delivered straight to your campsite. If you stop in at the main office in the morning, you can place an order for lobster at market price. Around 5 - 5:30 PM, it will be delivered to your campsite, cooked and ready to eat! Due to plans with my sister, Alisha and I never got the opportunity to utilize this, and I still regret not getting to try it.
While slightly more expensive than other campgrounds in the area, I would definitely recommend Red Apple Campground. The sheer number and quality of amenities is more than any other campground I have stayed at, and the hospitality was unrivaled. I will definitely be staying here again next time I visit my sister at college.
Until next time!
-Jason