Trivia time…name the Maine state park that has the honor of being established first? If you guessed Aroostook State Park then you are correct. It probably helped a little that this post is about Aroostook State Park but nice work anyway. For being correct we’ll send you a Rubys on the Road koozie when we finally get around to designing them. Founded in 1938 after a wonderful donation from the residents of Presque Isle, the park has grown nicely to the size it is today. Another fun fact that probably won’t surprise you is that Aroostook State Park is also the most northern state park. What you might not know is that Danielle grew up just 90 minutes and 68 miles away (keep going north). Yet even with the proximity, she had never been before. Ray actually visited the park 7 years ago for the Ellis wedding party photos but didn’t remember until the beautiful bride reminded him. Must have had too many drinks before the best man speech. The Ellises are the wonderful crew that joined us on the Camden Hills State Park trip; our first ever family camping trip. They are camping pros and often tease us on how much gear we bring.

Speaking of Camden Hills, this park reminded us a lot of that location and set up. No, the towns of Camden and Presque Isle aren’t even distant cousins but with the number of sites, the layout, atmosphere and trail system, they have a lot in common. You can literally climb a mountain from your site! Quaggy Jo (2 peaks) is the mountain’s name and much like Mount Megunticook, it’s a short and straight shot up. Still a very family friendly hike but with the feeling of accomplishment at the top, pretty views to cap it off. It might not be too bulldog friendly but we Rubys roll as one.

This was our 4th and final camping trip of the season. It was the 8th since starting the family mission and our 18th park visit to date. Coming off the Rangeley trip we were eager to shake off a little PTSD from that weekend. All 3 of us were now healthy, well Eloise had a 7 minute mile runny nose but that’s just daycare life so we’ve learned to accept it. In the first minutes of unpacking, we could tell we were back in our normal grove.

We brought the dogs on this trip. One or both have now joined in on 50% of the camping trips but they are easily twice as much work as Eloise. In fact, we now believe that we could raise 2 kids per bulldog. These high maintenance creatures do bring another element to the experience that is pretty darn great. In the end, it is often worth it but bringing a pup to the parks can limit what you might be able experience. Just something to think about and it’s often why we mix it up, especially depending on where we are going and what we plan to do.

Aroostook State Park is like the Cheers of state parks. No, everybody doesn’t know your name but everyone certainly acts like it. The rangers set the tone from the first minute we pulled in. From our experience the check-in process is a little different than at the other parks. We didn’t have to get out of the car because the ranger walked right up to us and had a very friendly but lengthy chat, which made the check-in process a little longer than usual. But who’s in a rush? It doesn’t hurt to get to know the staff better and to get some additional insight. We are, of course, a little bias to The County because of the personal connection and because it’s just a different way of life. People tend to be nicer, more helpful, more prideful (the good kind) and have a stronger than normal work ethic. Of course not everyone fits this mold but it’s enough to notice a difference if you have never been to this part of Maine before. Someone might not give you their shirt off their back but they’ll certainly loan you one. Whenever someone from Southern Maine says, “I’ve never been north of ______”, you can’t help but think “what a shame” (well maybe not in the heart of winter!). It’s not only the people up there but it’s also the scenery. Honestly if you haven’t been through before, it’s time to go. Make it a point and that’s coming from 2 people who drive for a purpose and don’t get enjoyment from “Sunday drives.”

Back to the park…it’s simple, beautiful, clean and extremely welcoming. A lot like the county and the people who reside there.

Expectations weren’t too high for this park because we didn’t know a lot about it, so shame on us. Unfortunately, like a lot of things in this area of Maine, it was overlooked. We really enjoyed ourselves immensely on this trip. It was just easy to have a nice time here without much effort and that isn’t the case most of the time, even at the most popular parks. The trail system is just steps away from your site, no driving to some trail head. We were so close to the trials that Braddock pooped 1 minute into our hike (classic) and we could still toss the poop bag back into our site.

The campground was walk-able but with the majority of sites nicely spaced out. There were kids everywhere and maybe 5% of the sites were only adults. That meant lots of group hikes, soccer balls, bikes, playing in the trees, swimming, you name it. One highlight was a hefty dad who was probably creeping up on 40 (we’re not far behind), appeared to be with the group camping site which had multiple families tenting at it. We first saw him bringing up kid’s life jackets to the ranger station as we checked in, after what appeared to be a nice little canoe ride on Echo lake. Yes, you can rent on site! While setting up, we then saw him lead a group of 6 kids on a hike up the mountain by himself. A few hours later on a walk with Eloise, he was working hard to keep up on his mountain bike as this same gang cruised up the dirt road. He just looked like he was having the time of his life and traveling back in time to be a kid again; it was so awesome to witness. As the sun fell and we were sitting by the fire, he came by walking with one of the kids and they mentioned something about doing whatever and he exhaustively said “I think we are going to call it day, buddy.” You read all these articles about how today’s parents aren’t this or that anymore and here was this man, laying it all on the line for a bunch of kids but also enjoying himself just as much at the same time. His spirit was contagious.

Aroostook would be a perfect park to start with, no matter the age. We saw a mom with a baby in a pack n play who were tenting at what appeared to be an adjoining site with grandparents. You have the nearby town of Presque Isle if you need anything but you are still a few miles off the beaten path. Again, very similar to why we started with Camden Hills State Park when Eloise was 6 months. With tons of families around, people either are in the same boat as you or they aren’t too far removed from your situation so that removes any added anxiety we parents unnecessarily often place on ourselves. It is also a fantastic place for toddlers to teens to adults. One thing that really stuck out at night, was the number of campfires. We are always surprised at how quickly people normally head inside after dinner when camping. Most of the sites are completely dark before you know it. In a way, it’s nice because that means it’s always peaceful and no groups are throwing ragers. For the first time in 8 trips, it appeared that almost every single campsite had a nice fire going into the night hours; which added another wonderful layer of comfort during our stay. All of the 30 or so sites ended up being taken and we had remarked earlier on how busy, but quiet it was. The park was being used to its fullest but in a respectful way; which is ideal for everyone involved.

We played a lot, ate like kings, drank good beer, relaxed by the fire, hiked a mountain and all 5 of us slept like rocks. When it was time to get Eloise to sleep, we pushed her around the park in the legendary BOB stroller. She fell asleep with her baby in one hand and a medium sized stone in the other. She was talking and humming away and before we knew it, she was passed out cold. While continuing to stroll on, her with a massively crooked neck, we saw a wedding ceremony finish up down by the beautiful lake front.

There was a warm summer breeze blowing on this Labor Day weekend and the temp could not have been better. Moments like this make us realize that we better appreciate it because who knows what’s in store when we camp next year. Will Eloise even want to be in her stroller and could we still use it for naps/bedtime? Will she still love her hiking backpack? Will she just want to walk on her own 24/7? We weren’t prepared for all the changes that came with camping with a toddler and it ended up being an exhausting blast compared to some of her early months last year. What’s next year going to look like for us? Who knows, so we just tried to soak in now. There might have been some watery eyes on the walk back to the site and the transfer into bed.

People aren’t going to stumble upon this park, so either you live nearby or a little bit of effort is being put in to a visit. You have our word that you won’t be disappointed by your overall experience. And don’t forget to visit the small park down the road commemorating the launch site of the Double Eagle II, the first manned hot-air balloon to make a Trans-Atlantic crossing in 1978.

Aroostook State Park gets a relaxing and easy 8 Rubies from us. The distance will be a negative for a lot of folks and that’s understandable. It was a 5-hour trip with a lunch built in for us, coming from Portland. So, the most realistic way to visit, might be by building it into another trip. Make it a stop along the way to somewhere in the County. That is what we did and the 2 days we spent here was just the start of the 1st big family vacation to date and it was a heck of a way to kick things off. With that being said, stay tuned for an extra special/non-state park post about the week that followed in the woods of Allagash. The long and short of it, it was a magical trip and all of us haven’t completely assimilated back to civilization just yet but we are slowly and sadly getting there.

We always take time to stop at the Mt. Katahdin scenic lookout on our way north.

Restrooms/Showers
Group Pavilion 

Day Use Parking
x-country ski trails
Echo Lake picnic area
Swing set
Rare moment where we’re all sittingOld man Braddock crushing the mountainQuaggy Jo summit view from South Peak

Loaded up for an 8 day vacation
Baxter love – He gives us a hard time at home but is so well behaved on trips
Snacks by the fire
Tent bath this time
Once a lap dog always a lap dog
Good morning! 
A couch dog in the wilderness Giving the old man a lift so his hips don’t work too hard

Time for a nap