Spectacular view of Penobscot Bay, the surrounding islands, and the Town of Camden. Well maintained and clean park, we walked a few of the trails on our visit today. $6 per person for non residents of Maine. That pretty much says it all, a short review, but this is a "must visit" if you are in the area. read more

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I always try to visit a park when I'm traveling. Camden Hills State Park is a must see while visiting Maine. There is a small $6 fee for entry. You can camp, walk, bike or drive the park. The park guides are very helpful. We went straight to Mt Battie Rd for a beautiful scenic view of Camden Harbor. Penobscot Bay and Megunticook Lake. The views are out of the world! We spent 2 days going in and out of the park to see daytime versus sunset across the bay. We actually had a small picnic while visiting. This was a very calm relaxing experience. I highly recommend especially if you like wandering and hiking in parks. There is two sides to park, so dont forget to drive across the street. read more

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I can't speak to the rest of the park, because I only came to drive up to Mount Battie overlooking Camden Harbor. Fortunately, I also arrived at sunset. What a magnificent, stunning view of the open ocean below, the harbor, and the surrounding islands - the sky was clear and blue, and so peaceful. I just stood there and stared. read more

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Camden Hills State Park is a beautiful place to explore with stunning views, well-kept trails, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy nature. Whether hiking up to Mount Battie for the panoramic views of Camden and the harbor or simply soaking in the peaceful surroundings! read more

Camden Hills State Park - Look out - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

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The views at the summit are marvelous. Early morning or dusk make the best pictures. Worth the drive! read more

Camden Hills State Park - Camden Harbor - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

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Before we arrived for a brief stay in Camden, someone we met in Bar Harbon recommended we visit Camden Hills State Park and 1) drive or bike up Mt. Battie Rd. for a beautiful, scenic view of Camden Harbor, Penobscot Bay, and Megunticook Lake; and 2) walk the shoreline trail and soak in the beautiful views of Penobscot Bay up close and personal. Well, it was just our luck that it rained and misted during our two-day stay in Camden--and the bay was fogged in nearly all the time we were there--but we followed their advice and visited the park anyway. We like to camp, so we also took advantage of the opportunity to check out the campsites and public facilities for showering, etc. They were very much to our liking. The weather preempted any scenic views, but it was peaceful and fun nonetheless. This visit whetted our appetite for this park, and we both agreed that we'd return sometime soon. read more

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You can find Camden Hills State Park at 280 Belfast Rd, Camden, ME 04843. It's between Camden and Belfast if you're traveling on US1 (this stretch is called Belfast Rd). There are entries to the East and West with parking but the main trail is on the western side. You'll drive in , park and walk to a trailhead. Camden Hills State Park wraps around Mount Battie - you can either hike to take a road that takes you near the summit. We hiked a variety of interconnected trails making up a few miles before making it to the summit where the real prize is - the Mount Battie WW1 Memorial Tower (I've added images to the separate Yelp listing for the tower). The trail up was fairly strenuous - I think it's rated "Moderate" but there are a few points where you're climbing over boulders on the ascent and have to navigate fairly rough terrain - it got me sweating and stopping often for water. Coming down it was a gentler slope. In all a pretty decent hike with mostly woodland scenery (the day we did this hike there was fog so the summit view was limited - normally you can see the coastline and I believe a nearby river. read more

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Early Fall. Changing colors of leaves. Instead of the 45-minute hike, I chose to drive up this time to the beautiful scene of Penobscot Bay & Camden, Maine. Early morning. Serene and calm. Deep in thoughts and memories of summers past here. Up went my backpack and off to a tree-lined trail thereafter. CHEERS! read more

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Nice park. Pretty view from top of mountain. Close to town so great place to visit nearby places of interest.

I feel the need to preface all of my nature reviews with this: being 90% forested and having around 3500 miles of coastline, Maine has a tremendous amount of spaces, walkways, paths, and trails of all kinds and of all levels. There's something for everyone. What I'm reviewing is how a spot compares to similar outdoor spots in my personal opinion. Being in nature - and remembering to carry in, carry out - is always five stars! :) Parking? Yes. Loop trail? Yes. Well marked signs? Yes. Element of surprise? Yes. There are so many places in Maine that are absolutely breathtaking, and Camden Hills State Park is one of them. One of the best ones, if I'm being totally honest! Much like Cadillac in Acadia, if you want to hike to scenic views... you can. If you want to drive right to the top for those same scenic views... you can. Either way, CHSP is renowned for its panoramic views of Camden Harbor, Penobscot Bay, and the surrounding islands from the top of Mt. Battie (we watched the ferry go Rockland to Vinalhaven the last time we were here too!). The state park is 5,700 acres and offers a 30 mile network of multi-use trails. Mt Battie rises about 800 feet above sea level (side note: you can hike Mount Megunticook [which connects to Adams Lookout Trail ad Tablelands Trail] - a Natural Heritage Hike and the highest of the Camden Hills - which is closer to 1,400 feet for more of a challenge; there's also Maiden Cliff Trail - a natural rock outcropping formation - which will bring you over Megunticook Lake and ends with a cross monument dedicated to 12-year old Elenora French who fell to her death in 1864 when trying to catch her wind-blown hat). There's a stone tower at the top of Mt Battie (as well as some outhouses) built in 1921 that you can climb, and there's lots of surrounding area on the rocks nearby to enjoy a picnic from while overlooking Camden Harbor below. From the abundance of blossoms in the spring, the thousand shades of green in summer, and the vibrant foliage of autumn... whenever you come it is sure to be spectacular. read more

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$6 per person for non-residents of Maine. Enjoyed climbing the tower and watching the boats go by. Met a great couple (Kevin and Joann) who gave us recommendations. Calming experience, I could imagine couples or families going there for a lunch or dinner picnic. read more

Camden Hills State Park - Views - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

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You may drive to the top, or walk the lovely well marked and maintained trail from the hiking parking lot--about 45 minutes to 1 hour walk. Some parts are steep, but there are many level areas to catch your breath before letting the spectacular view from the tower at the summit take your breath away again. Postcard views of Camden from the summit and the various islands identified with the help of a useful map. Price per entry is very affordable for this state park at $4 for adult resident, $6 for non resident adult. read more

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First time in the U.S. camping with Wifi. Also there is hot shower available with unlimited time. There is a picnic table set, and a fire pit for each site. Spacious and cozy. It is price for car camping but considering the points listed above, it might be worth it. read more

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Excellent park and campground. We spent 2 nights at the campground in small tent Site 80 and loved it! A campground reservation gets you admission to the mountainside and oceanfront portions of the park. Site 80 had an awesome pull thru driveway (no difficult backing up required!) and plenty of flat space to pitch our 6 person tent. The campground has warm water showers (available at both portions of the park on either side of Route 1), clean bathrooms, and plenty of water spigots. We're tent campers, so we look for quiet campgrounds and this campground didn't disappoint. Just inside the main park gate is the paved road up to Mt Battie providing gorgeous views of the town of Camden and Penobscot Bay. On the north end of the campground is one of several trails to Mt Megunticook and the surrounding mountains. We took the hike up to Mt Megunticook (about 1.25-1.5mi from the trailhead adjacent to Site 81 to the Ocean Overlook) and while moderately difficult, it was so worth it for the views! read more

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Great park to take a drive (or hike) up Mount Battie to see the views of Historic Camden and the Penobscot Bay. It's well worth the $6pp. There are clean bathrooms at the top (vault toilets) and plenty of parking. There's a WWI monument that you can climb stairs to the top (not very high) and get a bit of a better view ;-) Very cool structure. Would highly recommend for anyone visiting Camden. read more

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What a gorgeous spot!!! I see it as a mini Acadia :) there are hiking trails all over and the view is breath taking. You can also drive up and park if your not up to hiking!! Be sure to take a drive through Camden such a cute little town! read more

Camden Hills State Park - Need I say more - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

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This State Park offers several trails, some of which are perfect for beginners and children alike. Mt Battie offers gorgeous views of Camden Harbor and Penobscot Bay. You have the option to drive to the summit of Mt Battie as well. Camden is a charming little town where the mountains meet the ocean. It's definitely worth a stop to stroll around after for lunch and shop. read more

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Camden Hills Family Campground has contaminated water. No showers. No water at dump station to clean hoses. No notification before arrival. Every day they said "tomorrow should have water", but they had to keep bleaching the system. Also, No free Wifi... that was an additional charge. No partial refund for no water. Second day there, when I requested free wifi since no water was being provided, I was told "no". At that time I was told I could cancel and get a refund... not before my 5 hour drive to the campground, nor when we checked in the day before. Campsite Flooded out during heavy rainstorm. I do not recommend this campground. read more

We loved hiking Mount Battie! We started at the trailhead which was on a side road in a neighborhood. Can't remember the name of the road but type Mount Battie trailhead into Google Maps and it'll come up. Parking lot there is small but free. The hike was moderate with lots of scrambling. DEFINITELY wear hiking boots or sturdy sneakers and be in somewhat good shape. The trail is .5 miles to the top but feels like much longer with all the climbing you have to do. We took our time and made it to the top in about 45 minutes (that including rest breaks and stops for pictures). There was fresh blueberry bushes towards the top of the mountain. You must look low to the ground to find them. The views were amazing! Depending on where you were standing at the top of the mountain, you could see almost 360 degree views. The mountain overlooks the bay. Tons of people were around the tower when we arrived and we learned we could have driven up (but what's the fun in that). We sat, rested, and took in the views before making our descent. Overall, incredible hike! The views are well worth the hard work needed to get to the top! Highly recommended! read more

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#300 Touristy towns have their charm and allure and most definitely can be fun. But even at my most social road traveling best, I sometimes crave distance, perspective and quiet beauty. In Camden, all that can be found in this beautiful state park. A hike including the climb up Mount Battie provides a bit of exercise and a chance to elevate oneself from sea level. The perspective from atop the mountain is exhilarating. Gorgeous views of Camden, Penobscot Bay and neighboring islands are all yours! Although Mount Battie is only 780 feet high it still impresses. The good news is that if you're reasonably fit this is an easy up and down climb well worth getting to the top to see the amazing panorama. If hiking is not your thing, you can drive. Everyone is welcome! If you like to camp, there are plenty of campsites to call home here. But reveling, even just for a day in all this beauty no matter what the season, is a soothing balm to a world-weary soul. Take a hike here and feel on top of the world. read more

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Beautiful park. If you like hiking it's for you. It's quite a hike to the summit that overlooks the bay. Be careful if you take a different trail as we did and hiked an extra hour to get back to the road. The trails are challenging. Lots of roots and rocks. If you have knee or Ankle problems I would not recommend the hike. Bring water and snacks. One outhouse on trail back. It's at least a three hour round trip hike. read more

Camden Hills State Park - Hiking trail - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

Stopped in here for a little rock climbing during the week on our road trip. It's worth the stop for sure and next time I'd like to hike and explore more. We did go up to Mt. Batte and the views are amazing. I'm sure the views from other lookouts are great as well. Ranger station folks were as helpful as they could be, but didn't know much about the climbing areas or how to access. So you'll have to do some research on that if that's why you're going. There is an extensive hiking trail system that looks fun to explore. It's dog friendly too, but they must be on leash. The Rampart area were we climbed wasn't too hard to find, but someone had knocked down the cairn (so I replaced it) and it's pretty dirty (not climbed often). I knocked down plenty of spider webs, so hopefully the next person to climb there won't have them up in there face LOL. read more

Camden Hills State Park - Rock climbing in the park! - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

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Excellent State park here in beautiful Camden. You can enter from either side of the road. One side has a bunch of picnic table with an amazing view right on the ocean and the other side is for hiking. There is an entrance fee. I think it was 4 bucks for residents of Maine and 6 bucks for non residents. Well worth it. They give you a receipt too so if you want to leave and come back you just show your receipt. Only for the same day of course. There's lots of different ways to hike up the top. I took the fairly easy one. Battie trail. You can drive to the summit as well. Bathrooms at the lot I parked in and at the top too. The view is spectacular!! I can't say enough about it that could describe the incredible beauty. This was one of the main reasons for my visit to Maine and it did not disappoint! read more

This was a great place for a day hike in Camden. They also offer camping. I was expecting crowds and lots of rules and regulations, being a state park and all... but we were pleasantly surprised that we still felt secluded in the woods. The trails are well marked and there are multiple parking spots and overlooks to choose from. What we did was hike to Ocean overlook and back down on a different trail (love that there are loops), and then drove to the top of mount Battie for lunch. Beautiful views! We saw multiple people in flip flops and not exactly well dressed for a hike.... trust me, the trails we took were technical and even some rock climbing is required. Wear proper footwear! read more

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Loved it! Not much else to say. This is an incredible facility that is well maintained and very quiet. We reserved 2 campsites at least 2 months in advance. Each site had a parking area and a fire pit. They sold bundles of dry wood for $7 at the ranger station. All sites were an easy walk to the bathrooms and showers. Most sites even had a tap for washing dishes and hands but not drinkable water. This park is just out of town but really close enough to give you the town amenities if you needed them. It did rain one day and we were in town in 5 minutes walking around shopping. In the campground you can pick up the trail to Mt Megunticook which is a quick 1 mile in and 1 mile back. A moderate trail with picture perfect views at the top. You can see all the way around to the lake and ocean depending on weather. Really a lot of bang for your hike. When we were there everyone was very respectful and quiet. Actually my kiddos were probably the loud ones. The bath houses were very very clean!!! If you really want to enjoy the true outdoors of Maine stay here!!! read more

Camden Hills State Park - Top of Mt Megunticook - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

What a quaint, rustic Park well worth the $6 entry fee per adult to drive up to the top of Mount Battie and have some scenic, picturesque views of Camden, Penobscot Bay and the surrounding Coastline. Don't forget to go directly across the street, cascade down 300' to the shoreline for some relaxing views and sounds of the bay/ocean! Enjoy and be safe! read more

Camden Hills State Park - Breathtaking Coastal Views - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

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The hike up to the ocean lookout is challenging and takes about an hour, but it is manageable (our six and eight year old managed it too) and very very beautiful! Take the left path at the fork to go up and then back down the other one. Bring water! The Mount Battie lookout is pretty, not as impressive as the other side though! read more

We had a wonderful weekend at the park. On Saturday, we drove to Mt Battie and hiked to Ocean Lookout and Mt Megunticook. Sunday we hiked Maiden Cliff and the Scenic Trail then Jack Williams and Zeke's. Sunday was definitely a tougher day. The terrain is pretty rough and it's pretty easy to slip. A lot of the hike is essentially climbing rocky stream beds. We were very grateful for our hiking poles. I feel sure one of us would have fallen without them! The views were amazing both days. The crowds were very light and the fall colors looked beautiful in early October. The trails could be better marked. It wasn't always easy to stay on the trail since it wasn't really clear. read more

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I'm sure there is a lot more to see in this park, but the thing that gets all the attention is the view from the top of Mount Battie. If you're passing through the area, take the time to drive into the park and to the top of the mountain - the main road takes you all the way there. Those with more time and would like a challenge can hike up along the side of the road - it looks like that's a pretty popular option since there were lots of people doing that. Regardless of how you want to get there, you can't miss the view. From Mount Battie you get a view of Camden. As with the rest of New England, the views are best during the fall with the full effect of the foliage. When I was here it seemed like the most pronounced colors in the trees surrounded Camden, framing the town and enhancing the view. read more

Camden Hills State Park - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

Camden Hills State Park is BEAUTIFUL! If you come from the south of Camden, you'll get to see the nice Camden downtown area (which you can later see on top of Mt. Megunticook). The fee to enter is $3 for Maine residents and $4.50 for non-Maine residents (I believe there is a discount or its free for children under 12). I am a student at a Maine university, the nice lady let me pay the Maine resident price instead of the out-of-state price. I did not have the chance to hike (or drive up) Mount Battie, but I've heard great things about the lookout tower. My trip consisted of hiking Mount MeGunticook. In particular, I went to the Ocean Lookout, which is AMAZING! This view is hard to beat, especially on a clear, summer day. I particularly enjoyed the hike because it was challenging but not too crazy. Plus, the Ocean Lookout view is the ultimate reward. It took about an hour to reach the Ocean Lookout. From there, you can turn back around, or explore other trails, including trails to Maiden's Cliff and Mount Battie. I HIGHLY recommend trekking one of the trails here read more

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Always a pleasure to view the coast of Maine atop Mt Battie Tower.

Spent two quick nights here in a tent in early September. We had read on Yelp that campsite 81 was the best due to its seclusion at the back of the park so we booked it several weeks in advance. When we arrived, the staff at the gate was very friendly and provided all the info we needed for our stay. We easily found our campsite and found it to be spacious enough for our large tent and pickup truck. The flat (almost level) gravel site had a fire pit and picnic table, both were in good shape. The site was drive in drive out so unloading and setting up was a breeze. The dirt road leading to the site was one way and was barely travelled...only a few cars passed our site while we were there. The site was very secluded and we could not really see the other nearby sites through the woods (although we could hear them). Occasionally we would see someone at night with a light walking down the path in the woods to the bathrooms but that was about it. The winds seemed to pick up at nighttime in this area so it was not as quiet as expected. We had been on a sunset sail a few hours earlier and there was almost no wind at the harbor so maybe it has to do with the mountains. There was also a very loud owl that made a lot of noise at night which was okay since we were a guest in his house! There was a small path a the back of the site that led to the bathrooms and showers through the woods and was a very short walk. The bathrooms were clean but did not have soap or hand dryers, just hand sanitizer which was fine. The showers were okay but you could not control the temp which was fine until the other two showers were going and it got a bit cold. Still beat washing up at the campsite with a pot of warm water! Our campsite was one of the closest to the mutli-use trail and the hiking trails. We hiked up Megunticook Mtn. one morning which took about 2 hours round trip. The hike was moderate with a beautiful view of Camden and the coast at the top! The park office was open 7am to 10pm where you could buy a bundle of wood for $8 I believe. The wood lasted about 2 hours which was just about right. There were also dumpsters and recycling easily accessible on the way out of the park. Overall this was a very nice park with close proximity to beautiful Camden. The $28 per night was worth it and much cheaper than staying in one of the many B&Bs or Inns in town. read more

Camden Hills State Park - Campsite 81 - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

The 360 degree view from the top of auto road provided an exceptional view of Camden Harbor and several islands in Penobscot Bay. I thought access to the Maiden Cliff trail was via this road, but subsequently learned it is off Route 52. Plan B was the easy and less scenic shoreline trail. Tip - the senior all day pass includes multiple visits and only costs $1.50 per person. read more

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Super nice park. Trails are very well maintained and I didn't see any trash as I was hiking. Good parking and amazing views from various overlook locations read more

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Great experience on the trails. Parking and maps are confusing, wrong, and misleading. If it wasn't for locals providing guidance, we would have lost for much of our visit. read more

Nice park a little spending for me but not why it gets a 3 star. The older ladies in the office did nothing but argued with me. First on how long my bus was. You think after owning something for 6 years you might know the length. And then on reservations. I called them on the phone to see if they had anything open they said first come first served and not taking any reservation at this time which is fine. Then when I get there they ask, did you make an reservation? I said no you told me no reservation at this time. So they argued about that. But beside that nice park. read more

What a bummer. Went on a Sunday afternoon in mid November. My husband had a broken foot so the one place we both wanted to see was a no go. Drive Trail closed. Make sure you check (like we didn't) what is open in November. read more

Camden Hills State Park - Road back to the Inn. - Hiking Near Me - Camden, Maine

The ocean look-out hike is definitely worth it! But don't come as unprepared as we did, we didn't have hiking boots yet alone hiking clothes, because we left out hotel thinking we would just do a short little hike.... Little did we know that this hike was completely uphill!! It was only a little more than a while, and the ranking as a 2 we thought, oh piece of cake. But we were used to the rankings on CA trails being on a scale of 1-5, not 1-3!! To our mistake what we thought was a trail on a 1-5 scale, turned out to be a hike on a 1-3 scale! Long story short, we were sweaty sweaty by the time we reached that summit point, but man was it worth it! Even though the trail was muddy from the recent rain, and our shoes did not have the traction they should have if they had been hiking boots, that view is WORTH EVERY STEP. My god, I hadn't felt like I actually saw Maine on this trip until we hiked up to that spot. You could see all of Camden, the shoreline, all of the trees, the glistening water of the ocean, and we actually joked about being able to see Nova Scotia from up there because it was so clear and we could see out so far!! True we had to pay for parking in the lot a decent trek from the beginning of the trails, but it went to support the park so you can't really complain too much. So go out and get some fresh Maine air here at Camden Hills State Park! Just come with proper shoes and clothes so you don't look as funny as we did. :-) read more

I can't believe no one has reviewed this state park yet. It's a hidden gem of a place. If you are not into the quaint little scene in Camden (It's a shopper's paradise), this place is worth the visit. The park is only three miles north of Camden on Hwy.1. It's got the tallest inland mountain on the Atlantic coast (Mount Megunticook) and has some great views from the top of its trails. You can hike them, bike them, and cross-country ski them. And if you don't want to use your own two feet, you can ATV/Snowmobile some of them or drive your car to the lookout on the top of Mount Battie. If you want to stay overnight, it even has a campground with flushing toilets and hot showers. Most people use the park for day hiking, though. Most of the hikes are easy or moderate with a few difficult hikes for variety. I recommend the Mt. Megunticook hike to the Ocean View with Bald Rock as the return hike (to catch the views from Adam's lookout). I did the whole hike and (ate lunch too) in a little under two hours. Fabulous! I will return for future hikes. There is a fee for day use of the park, but it's nominal depending on your age. And beware there is no running water except at the campground and there is no amenities stand in the park so you will need to bring your own water and food if you plan to picnic there. read more

I can't believe I'm telling you this.. but here it is.. if you're tent camping, you WANT Site 81. Now, because of my big Yelp mouth, I'll probably never see it again. I have never been here before, so when I checked in and the park ranger said "Welcome Back!," I was confused. After filling him in that I randomly picked the most secluded-looking site on the Camden Hills website map, he told me I made a wonderful choice for a first-timer. This is their most requested site, and usually booked months in advance. Why, you ask? Well, mostly because it's so far away from all of the other sites! You'll have the place to yourself. You'll see that the other campsites in Camden are right on top of one another, until you reach this hidden gem. Your closest neighbors are barely visible through the thick woods. If you're looking for a bit of privacy, and maybe a lack of yelling children at 8am, this is your spot for the night. Welcome to the club, you 81er! Enjoy it. read more