The Best Cabins and Lodges in Maine

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When camping won’t quite cut it but a hotel doesn’t fit the bill, renting a cabin or cottage can prove the ultimate crowd-pleaser. It’s also a great way to vacation when you’re traveling in a big group. Whether you’re a keen snowmobiler, a laid-back family searching for a budget beach getaway or a couple that’s mad on wildlife, these Maine cabins promise a change of pace.

Deep in the belly of the Katahdin Region, Big Moose Inn is catnip for wildlife lovers. Flanked by two vast lakes – Millinocket and Ambajejus – the area is known as a moose feeding area, but there are plenty more creatures (great and small) roaming these parts, from deer and bears to otters, rabbits, loons, ducks and foxes. Pick from a trail- or lakeside cabin and pack your binoculars.

Whether your jam is hiking, fishing, kayaking, cross-country skiing, whitewater rafting or snowmobiling, this Kennebec Valley lodge has every adventure base covered. After a day spent exploring the local rivers, woods and waterfalls, relax on the lodge’s front deck with a cold beer and enjoy the warm country hospitality that owners Sarah and Pete Dostie – and their team – have developed a name for.

Enveloped by the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, skirting the mouth of the Mousam River, and just a 10-minute walk from the beach, this collection of cottages is in a plum spot. Each of Shorelands’ quaint little cottages comes equipped with everything you could need for a comfortable self-catering holiday (a full kitchen, ensuite bathroom, wifi); and some also have their own private deck and hot tub.

Chopped firewood and a rocking chair on your private porch? Check. Huge open fireplace? Check. Lashings of pine wood gracing almost every available surface? Check. The cabins at Bald Mountain Camps Resort have all the traditional American cabin hallmarks, and then some. The intimate, down-home feel also extends to the dining room, where you can enjoy hearty portions of traditional dishes, such as strip steak, crab cakes and more.

Although it’s located right on the border with New Hampshire, in deep backcountry Maine, you don’t have to forego your annual coastal vacation when you hire a cabin here at Gilmore Camps – there’s a man-made pocket of beach on the lake’s edge, dotted with sun loungers and parasols. This family-focused camp is big on activities (think kayaking, basketball, boating and board games) and has just four cottages on-site.

Pet- and budget-friendly, these modest cabins in Downtown Old Orchard Beach come equipped with all the basics you could need for a quick seaside getaway. Removed from the hubbub of the shoreline, but still only a 10-minute walk away, Lighthouse Cabins strikes a happy balance: loaf on the popular 7mi (11km) stretch of sand and dine at its plentiful bars and restaurants by day, but sleep soundly back at your cabin come evening.

A seaside town with one of America’s last remaining beachfront amusement parks, Old Orchard Beach is the place to indulge in a spot of childhood nostalgia. When only a beach cottage will suffice, Little Miss is your go-to. Only a few strides from the sand, it offers 13 different self-contained accommodation options, each complete with a picnic table and gas grill. Studio 11 is arguably the pick of the bunch, thanks to its secret sun deck.

If snowmobiling piques your interest, then pencil in a winter vacation at this lakeside lodge off Route 201. Owner-operator Joe grooms hundreds of miles of trails each season, right on the lodge’s doorstep. But there’s also some fine off-trail snowmobiling to be had nearby, so much so that the lodge, and the region, are frequently named among the country’s best. Expect clean, modern cabins and a barbecue restaurant lined with local memorabilia.

Doused in country-cottage chic, what this Old Orchard Beach stalwart lacks in cabin size it makes up for with natural light and a bright, zesty color palette. At Moontide, you can jump out of bed and into the ocean almost within a minute. Post-beach, head home for a barbecue in the back yard, followed by sundowners on your own private patio.