Recompence Shore Campground

Freeport, United States

4.3

16 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 207-865-9307
Address:
134 Burnett Rd, Freeport, ME, 04032
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
2.3 miFreeport Station (Amtrak)
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Local time (Freeport) 18:25 Thursday, 26 June 2025

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Description

Specialties

Recompence is a pet-​friendly, family-​oriented campground on Maine’s coast. Situated on 626 acres of farm and forest, Recompence offers 118 campsites and 3 oceanfront cottages set amid breathtaking scenery in an ideal location for relaxation and outdoor activities. Kayak and canoe rentals provide opportunities to explore Casco Bay, and nearby Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park offers pristine oceanfront hiking. Weekend lobster bakes, hayrides and events like the Art Fest and Family Barn Dance offer wholesome family enjoyment. Conveniently located just 30 minutes from Portland, the campground serves as a wonderful «home base» for area activities. Local offerings include sandy beaches, golf courses, L.L. Bean, outlet shopping and Maine favorites like lighthouses, berry picking, hiking and fishing. The campground is a part of Wolfe’s Neck Farm, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable agriculture and education, which offers a week-​long Summer Day Camp June-​August.

History

Established in 1962.

«It was as if the land was telling us what to do,» said Eleanor Houston Smith.

In 1947, Eleanor and her husband, Lawrence M.C. Smith, of Philadelphia, purchased what is now Wolfe’s Neck Farm, named for Henry Wolfe, who was the first settler on the neck. This 626-​acre saltwater farm was the perfect place for the Smiths to begin their natural farming operation, as proof of their belief in the useful preservation and protection of open spaces.

The campground itself was established in 1962 as a place for people to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the land. The name «Recompence», which means «repayment» was chosen to signify the Smiths’s desire to give back to the community. From 1986 to 1997 the University of Southern Maine operated the farm and the campground. Since then, the farm and campground have operated under the Wolfe’s Neck Farm Foundation, a 501©3 non-​profit organization.

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Nearby

Near this location:
20
ft
Coastal Studies For Girls
184 Burnett Rd
1
mi
Mad’s Muffins
51 Maquoit
1.2
mi
Eager Eye Photography
1111 Main St
1.4
mi
Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park
426 Wolfe's Neck Rd
1.4
mi
Pettengill Farm
Freeport Historical Society 45 Main St
1.6
mi
Falls Point Marine
3 S Freeport Rd

16 reviews of Recompence Shore Campground

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Place rating: 1
Mechanicville, NY
Not for me. Place has potential but offers little in personal comfort. Restrooms are from the 60’s, showers are the same, few and not convent. RV sites are rough, most do not have a level pad big enough to accommodate a rig and picnic table under the awning. Until much needed improvements are made, I would not return! There has to be better campgrounds in the area!!!
Place rating: 1
Wells, ME
Staff is great, but it’s noisy and there are no rules, YOU WILL BE WOKEN BY OTHER PEOPLES KIDS at 5:30 a.m. Parties late into the night
SECURITY IS A JOKE. ASK FOR JIM, he won’t help
It used to be a nice place but it’s slipped with lax rules!
The roosters will get you if the unmanaged kids don’t
The spaces are VERY CLOSE to one another, and dirt road is right on your site, so cars fly by three feet from your tent
LOOK ELSEWHERE until they get some rules back!
Place rating: 5
Portland, ME
We stayed in the cabins at Recompence Campground and had a great experience! The staff were very friendly, helpful and considerate.
The cabins were awesome! Now, I am a camper/​outside type, so they seemed pretty lush to me. I even through around «glamping» while we were there. We rented two cabins, Point Senior and Cove, they share a little parking area and are tucked away from the other camping areas, right on the water! Cove has the BEST view of the ocean, both have the same layout/​interior. The beds are very nice, with seemingly new mattresses. The bottom room has a double bed and a set of bunk beds (twin). There is also a loft with two more twin beds. The kitchen has the basics and a sink with running water. Nice living area with a table for eating, a couch and a couple chairs. No bathroom inside, but there is an outhouse close-​by that was decent (I mean, it’s an outhouse, don’t expect beautiful, but it was fine).
The campground was quiet and lovely at night! We grilled and had a fire, and then slept soundly in the comfy beds. It is a family campground so they strictly enforce quiet hours from 10pm-​8am.
They have a little store at the front of the campground, this is also where you can rent kayaks or canoes. The Snack Shack offers you average american flare, and of course lobster rolls! The lobster roll I had was $ 11.99 and well worth it! Overflowing with fresh lobster meat, lightly mayo-​ed. I would go back just for the roll & the views!
Awesome things:
— Clean, well-​maintained cabins
— Cabins are large, can easily accomodate 6 – 8 people
— AMAZING views
— You can tour Wolfe’s Neck Farm and see the cute animals (a must!)
— Very close to Freeport downtown
— Easy kayak launch, and great views on the water!
— Snack Shack has cheap and good food options
I really don’t have anything negative to say. I just wouldn’t come here if you’re planing to rage or have a big party. There were 12 in our group (2 cabins) and we made sure to stay quiet and had no issues.
Place rating: 5
Worcester, MA
This is by far the best campground that I have ever stayed at. Friendly staff, and a great website. It made the booking and site selection easy.
The campsites are super spacious, and the staff leaves you alone. The campground is very quiet early, so I’d recommend for kids/​family.
They offer great access to Casco Bay, and a great launch spot for kayakers. The Osprey sanctuary and abundance of wildlife (we saw a seal) make the harbor a great paddle for all skill levels.
Very convenient to downtown Freeport… I’d highly recommend this place.
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
Beautiful spot! Would definitely go back in the future.
Place rating: 4
Staten Island, NY
Great place to just camp last minute without a reservation! During our new England tour, we just needed a place to camp out for the night and this place was perfect. Staff was friendly and the sites were clean and quiet. Great place to just camp out in nature and enjoy the fresh new England air! =)
Place rating: 5
Boston, MA
Fantastic camping experience. I loved that you could see photos of your site on the website so you could find the perfect location.
Staff was very friendly and helpful, facilities were clean and pleasant. The farm was also nice.
Will definitely be planning a future visit. The ocean-​front sites are a bit pricey compared to standard in-​the-​woods camping, but SO worth it.
Place rating: 5
Herndon, VA
We stayed in the a West Bay side area near the playground. We had lots of kids with us and they really enjoyed the playground area as well as the close shore access at low tide to explore the rocks. We also rented a canoe and enjoyed taking short rides during the high tide. The campsites were well sized with some built in privacy between sites. The hot showers were free and the flush toilets lovely. The staff was helpful and the full stocked camp store had everything we forgot to bring! We will be back!
Place rating: 5
Apache Junction, AZ
One of the best campgrounds I’ve ever been to. Very quiet, plenty of space between sites, and clean. I camped at one of the sites on the water which was a real treat and a highlight of my trip. I highly recommend Recompence and if I’m ever back in Maine I will definitely stay there again.
Place rating: 4
Dudley, MA
Went camping here during hurricane Arthur. During the Fourth of July. This is a great campground. The farm is super cool. Cows! Sheep! The bathrooms are nice. Beware there are outhouses with a serious drop but they are well maintained. Site 159 is the best one in my opinion but any of the ocean view field spots are nice as well. Great service at the front desk. Bug spray to chocotacos which are essential. We will be visiting again.
Place rating: 5
Portland, ME
Recompence Campground is beautiful. I had the pleasure of camping here in late October and my site was *on* the *ocean*. that’s a first for me.
the whole place is entirely charming, dog friendly, and not too far away from other stuff to do ~ an easy camping get away from the Portland area, which seems fairly rare. did i mention how friendly the staff are? they have a little shop that sells wood and other stuff you might need or want.
the only downsides: i hear the summer dates can fill up pretty quickly, so if you want a waterfront site over 4th of July weekend, you will need to book online January 1. also, the sites are a little pricier than my ideal. but once you factor in the savings of not having to drive some place a couple more hours away… or once you get a couple of friends to share your site… i will be back to Recompence :-)
Place rating: 5
Washington, DC
Great camping experience. We only stayed for one night and wished we had been there longer. My husband and I had a small tent and stayed at site 142. It was great and I love that you can see photos of all the sites on the campground’s website.
Our site had nice coverage and enough privacy. Each site seemed big enough and the bathrooms were clean. There were several families with lots of children, but they calmed down at night.
The staff was friendly and the water views were beautiful.
Place rating: 5
Burlington, VT
Love this campground! This is my third stay here over the past 10 years, they have grown a lot, but I still love them. I have always been later in the season, so the campground was a lot more full then I was used to, but our campsite still felt private. I love that they have their own hiking trails and kayaks that you can rent right from their office. Also the fact that is is, essential a working farm with live stock and many activities going on is awesome. It’s close to so many other things to do as well. All the employees are very friendly and I like that you can book online and view the sites before you book.
Place rating: 5
Sudbury, MA
What a gem of a campground! Anyone looking for a beautiful campground with a tent only area overlooking the water situated on a beautifully wooded site must visit Recompence! The staff is super friendly, clean bathroom stalls, a nice little store selling items you may have forgotten at home (grill plate) and even fresh local milk (delicious!), plus hot showers for when you need one and even an ice cream shack! My kids enjoyed visiting the farm and walking the trails! Plus it’s convenient to many local parks, beaches, and LL Bean shopping is fun right in Freeport!
Place rating: 5
Haverhill, MA
Very beautiful place, definitely a cut above the usual ‘campground’. On a working farm, the camping is quite spread out with lots of pasture and shoreline. Note that when they say a site has NO shade… it has NO shade, and is probably a grassy spot on the edge of a field.
Pros:
–very well run with helpful staff
–many grassy campsites
–very clean shower and bath areas
–gorgeous wide open areas
–lots of places for kids to explore with their bikes
–a wonderful «shore dinner» of lobsters and steamers on Sat. Nights ($ 25)
–beautiful views from many campsites –the premier ocean front ones.
–kayaks and canoes to rent
–close to Freeport for those midnight runs to LL Bean just to see if it is indeed open 24 hrs.
–the water in Casco bay was bath water warm! Kids swam and jumped off a bridge into it (at high tide of course) Gotta not mind seaweed.
Cons (most no fault of theirs really)
–be very aware of the tide cycle when planning your trip if you want to kayak. There are 10 ft tides there and if you have a tide cycle like we did, you’ll end up with NO water in the bay during the main part of the day — like 10 AM to about 4PM. They also will not rent unless it’s w/​in 2 hrs of high tide.
–the «outhouses» are temples of doom. Or smell at least. The bathhouses are quite nice. The women in our group refused to use the outhouses.
–certain sites on the place can be susceptible to the odor of, well, cows and their poop. Not a giant problem, but definitely there.
–several of the site areas have VERY small sites… starting from about 132 to about 150, the sites are small and RIGHT on the road, we would have been really disappointed if we’d have gotten them.
So nevertheless I’m giving 5 stars overall because of the time we had and how beautiful and interesting it is. Definitely go!
Place rating: 5
Boston, MA
Recompence is the best campground and never disappoints! Beautiful sites, organic farms, sheep and cow roaming the fields, lobster bakes on saturdays and the staff are the best around. I’d like to thank the woman who made the yogurt dog treats — my dog can’t get enough of them. We tried other campgrounds — but nothing compares to this place. Site 94⁄96 are amazing and if you can book them early it is well worth it. Thank you Recompence for living up to your reputation! We’ll see you again a few more times this summer. FIVES STARS!