Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive cruising guide to Camden, but a summary of our experience and recommendations and what we believe would be interesting to fellow travelers. If you have additional recommendations, please feel free to reach out.
When we decided to sail to Maine, Camden was the one stop that we definitely had to make. We were unable to do a tall ship cruise, but we got to see everyone prepare for the winter. It is a small town with a lot of activity. It also turns out that a friend we met in Miami that we picked up for part of the journey is from Camden. He gave us a small tour and we met his parents who stuffed us with delicious food.
Dockage and Mooring
Lyman-Morse
- Dockage and mooring at Lyman-Morse (LM) is done through Dockwa. If you arrive after Labor Day, you save 10%. For four nights at $55/night, we saved $22 and paid a total of $198.
- LM amenities include a beautiful view of the harbor, shuttle boat, courtesy car, boater’s lounge, laundry, and restrooms. If I had to rate all the marina bathrooms we visited, this one was my favorite. They were newly renovated, clean, and spacious.
- The dinghy dock is located right next to the ramp with the travel lift for the yard. This was our mistake the first night going into town. We went to the town dock on the north side of the harbor and it was packed.
Things to Do
- Camden Hill State Park – The hike to Mt. Battie is a must. The trailhead is tucked away in a cute neighborhood. The path is rockier than expected and we were not prepared shoes-wise. We made it and the view was worth it. You can also drive to the top from the other side, but you need to pay the park fee. There are plenty of trails and lookouts that we didn’t have the pleasure of exploring this time.
- Megunticook Falls – These are the falls located right in town. You can’t miss it!
- Walk around town
Places to Eat & Drink
- Sea Dog Brewing – The beer was as expected. When we stopped by, we were also hungry enough to order a plate of wings with blueberry bbq sauce. However, the sauce was nothing to write home about and actually came up several times as a joke throughout our visit.
- Cuzzy’s Restaurant – This is the local hangout. We ordered beers and a sandwich to share. We had come in an hour before the kitchen closing and the service was prompt.
- The View – This is a rooftop bar near the water that allows dogs. The drinks were pricier than Sea Dog or Cuzzy’s, but that was to be expected based on the location. It is on top of a hotel so when you walk in, find the elevator in the back and go all the way up. The ambience is definitely worth it.
- Barren’s Distillery + Restaurant – This is located next to the LM boater’s lounge. We had the blueberry old fashioned and the mosaic paloma. Afterwards, we were blown away by the old fashioned that we tried to recreate the drink to no success.
Resources
- Cruising Club of America – This is the resource that we used to figure out where to anchor or moor along Maine’s coast. This link specifically directs you to the Boothbay page.
