NE tips

[FlounderUSN]

Hello I am traveling through the NE. Currently in Norfolk with General plan to kinda hug coast into ME then back south through Appalachians. Looking for any tips and if any known good free boondick spots for my truck camper it would be appreciated!

 

[Sneaks]

How far in to Maine are you going? That can dictate what you might or might not see up this way. What are your plans leaving Maine, will you cross over low (northern MA\southern NH) or take the northern route over through the Great North Woods in NH then across VT? Be prepared, if going the coastal route in ME, while Rt 1 will give you some amazing sights and food experiences along the coast, traffic will suck from when you cross over in Portsmouth (probably actually starting in MA) all the way up to Bar Harbor.

 

[wigsajumper]

Agree with @Sneaks here. How far up into Maine are you planning to go. There is not many free Boondock sites along RT 1 at all if any.

 

[Sneaks]

Agree with @Sneaks here. How far up into Maine are you planning to go. There is not many free Boondock sites along RT 1 at all if any.

Exactly. Beautiful drive if you aren't in a hurry. Not so fun if you have to stop. If coming from the south and you want to see the ocean eventually, I recommend going 16 in NH then take 302/5 to 26 to 2 across to the downeast area. If looking to hit the north woods, still a good way to go. There's not a lot of boondocking in ME in general, but at least in the north you can probably find something out of the way. On the coast, not a chance unless it is in a Walmart parking lot, and even those are few and far between once you pass Portland. Reverse path coming back, instead of crossing back over in Conway, take all the way over through Gorham into Lancaster, cross over into VT there. Since there's no E-W highways in VT, the whole ride is gorgeous.

 

[wigsajumper]

@FlounderUSN if you head west on RT 2 towards Gorham like Sneaks suggested there are a few spots you might be able to camp. Evans Notch in the WMNF has 6 Camping areas of RT113. 4 of them have water and toilets, 2 of them just have campfire rings. The 2 without facilities are first come first serve. The other four are a mix. On Jefferson Notch Road in NH off RT 2 West of Gorham has a few First Come First Serve Boondocking sites as of a couple of years ago.

If you head up the Coast in Maine past Bar Harbor things start to open up a little. If you make it up to Lubec send me a PM will tell you were we had great luck with Sea Glass. Boys had a blast

 

[Sneaks]

I'm about 30 minutes from Gorham off Rt 5 in Maine. If you get this way (Bethel, Newry, Stoneham area), I know a couple of spots that can be used. Would be no facilities, but safe.

 

[FlounderUSN]

Thanks all for the info! I am completely unfamiliar with the area being from WA and never having been in NE except for a short stint in Newport, RI for training many years ago. I am full timing and tend to fly by the seat of my pants so when I get closer to Maine I'll revisit all of your suggestions! It is tough out east to find good free boondock spots it seems! Makes me miss the west a bit but wanna see it all so we'll keep pushing and use walmart/cracker barrel/etc as necessary. Oh and boondockers welcome but that one has gotten pretty popular so if not planning ahead several days or more a lot of those get filled quickly.

 

[Sneaks]

Yeh, there's Walmarts up here but no Cracker Barrels except in Portland, and I'm pretty sure the city prohibits overnight stays, though you can look. Up in the northwest where I am, there's a whole lot of nothing but there is a Walmart in Berlin NH, Mexico ME, Oxford ME, etc. Let us know when you get close, I'm sure there's places that can be used overnight along the way. The nice thing is you can go from MA to Gorham, NH in about 3 hours or less. Going across Maine is a bit longer but still can get from the west border to the coast in less than a day, depending on where on the coast you want to be. From where I'm at, Bar Harbor is about 4 hours, southern beaches 2-3, but if you want to hit the north-north sights, that's a bit of a hike and there's a whole lot of nothing once you pass Bangor\Brewer.