The oxymoronic Trout Mountain exists, and it's magical!…read more
We stayed two nights at this, a premium cabin aground the Twin Pine campground, for an Independence Day wedding. Granted, I can't speak to the plethora of available fun things, like volleyball, horseshoes, a rec center with ping pong, board games and screen doors, and all the kayaking Millinocket Lake has to offer, basically because a hurricane was blowing it all away.
Check-in for the temporarily residential side of the New England Outdoor Center is sparkling, as its recently renovated to feature what we'd discover to be a damn fine in-house restaurant. Staff are an orchard of peaches for fruit-based metaphor, or a patch of blueberries if its more regionally appropriate, and while everything seems to be pencil and paper, they were organized.
Back to Trout Mountain! With a full kitchen, proximity to all facilities and more beds than the Bunny Ranch, it's essentially a palace at the end of the AT. As such, it's only fitting it sleeps 14 (or 24 college kids, because stop playin').
The only rub - even when you roll deep, you're still looking at anywhere from $70-100 per glamper per night, and three of the beds are in a shared loft. Singles pad, anyone? The wifi is extremely spotty - tough luck keeping a signal to check email, let alone stream reruns of Big Brother on Hulu.
Dog friendly, too, so bring ya pup, bring ya wife. Leave your iPhone. Breathe fresh air.