Buckhorn Camps, in the Katahdin region of Maine, turns the idea of a kid-friendly Maine vacation property on its head. Instead of overstimulating children with electronics and human-made amenities like waterslides, playgrounds, and arcades, Buckthorn Camps, which started as a sporting lodge back in the 1800s, is a group of log cabins that sit on a peninsula with frontage on the lower and middle Jo-Mary lakes. Accessible only by boat or plane, the vacation spot encourages families to unplug from the modern world and reconnect to nature and each other.
The journey to Buckhorn Camps along the rural backroads of the North Maine Woods is part of the adventure. The closer you get to the camps—located in Indian Purchase Township, just west of Millinocket—the thicker the forest, the more rugged the terrain.
After passing through the Jo-Mary checkpoint into the Great North Wood, stay alert and to the right side of the road as the logging roads are still operational. Follow signs to Buckhorn Camps through what looks like an ATV path in a dense stand of trees; it opens to a parking area. Buckhorn Camps’ owners Katy Wood and Bud Utecht will pick you up there in a pontoon boat to transport you across the lake to your private cabin.
As you make the 10-minute crossing, majestic Mt. Katahdin will appear in the distance, personally welcoming you to her wilderness wonderland. You’ll disembark, be led past the wood-fire outdoor hearth and up well-maintained paths, to your rustic and cozy cabin equipped with a full kitchen, wood stove, and kerosene lanterns. From there, you’ll settle in, observe your first sunset over Jo-Mary Mountain, and enjoy a deep, restful sleep.
What to Eat: You must pack your own food for a visit to Buckhorn Camps as there are no stores or restaurants off the grid. On select nights, however, the Main Lodge serves family-style dinners with fresh salads, bread, pasta or roasted meats, and veggies. Most mornings, you’ll find hearty, home-cooked breakfasts there too.
Coming east from Rockland, I pick up fresh seafood at Jess’s Market or burgers, steaks, pork chops, and provisions from Wiggin’s Meat Market or Bleecker & Greer. If you come by way of Milo, you can also grab a beer at Bissell Brothers Three Rivers and a bite from a variety of food trucks parked there.
What to Do: In the fall at Buckhorn Camps, you can book fishing, hunting, or wildlife photography sessions with Utecht, who is both a registered Maine guide and a professional photographer. You can rent a boat for a scenic ride to an isolated sand beach off the 100-mile wilderness for a picnic, or borrow kayaks for a leisurely paddle to take in the foliage. The Hangar, a common space, offers darts and board games. And since this part of the world has little light pollution, you’ll find the stargazing at night is amazing.
Buckhorn Camps
Jo-Mary Island T4
Indian Purchase Township, ME
1-207-723-1548
buckhorncamps.com
