A High-End Campground Is Coming to Kennebunkport This Summer

Go glamping in a tiny house or a pitch a tent of your very own at Sandy Pines Campground.

Photo courtesy of Sandy Pines Campground

Photo courtesy of Sandy Pines Campground

Care to go “glamping” by the sea in Maine? Come summertime, Kennebunkport’s first high-end camping destination will invite vacationers to kick back in tiny houses and safari tents near the beach.

If the term high-end camping seems contradictory, don’t scoff just yet. The beach forest hideaway, called Sandy Pines Campground, plans to offer resort amenities and an authentically Maine vacation experience. It’s a short walk from Kennebunkport’s Goose Rocks Beach and is situated along the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge.

Much like a regular campground, summer campers will be able to pitch tents and hook up RVs at 320 sites. Then there are tiny homes and safari tents available to purchase for glamping (a portmanteau of the words glamour and camping). That means there’s no sleeping on the ground—they come professionally decorated and fully furnished, and offer private bathrooms.

Sandy Pines’ list of amenities is meant to be infused with New England charm. It includes a farm stand, a general store, an ice cream cart, a lobster pound, a game room, and a “hobby camper” for crafting. For outdoor adventurers, there’ll be a saltwater pool, ropes courses, bikes and pedal carts, paddleboards for rent, and a kayak launching point.

The concept for the campground was dreamed up by Kennebunkport hoteliers Tim Harrington and Debra Lennon. They’ve already invested $5 million into creating the tent-filled paradise on a plot of land formerly known as Salty Acres.

“In Maine, camping is a tradition that celebrates our state’s natural beauty. After admiring Salty Acres’ picturesque seaside grounds for many years, we were inspired to apply our approach to hospitality when the property became available,” said Lennon in a statement. “We look forward to creating an immersive camping experience that connects Sandy Pines’ guests to Kennebunkport in a way that’s truly Maine.”

Sandy Pines Campground, 277 Mills Rd., Kennebunkport, Maine, sandypinescamping.com.