Lake Umbagog
Lake Umbagog
4.5
About
This 8,700-acre lake is part of the Lake Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge and is a good place to view waterfowl and wildlife.
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4.5
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Turks1956
Stow, MA452 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
Hello,
We are 2 older women, looking for peace and quiet, privacy and spots for 2 tents and 2 kayaks. any recommendationsof specific remote sites on Umbagog??
Thanks,
Turks
We are 2 older women, looking for peace and quiet, privacy and spots for 2 tents and 2 kayaks. any recommendationsof specific remote sites on Umbagog??
Thanks,
Turks
Written December 30, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heidi W
Hillsborough, New Hampshire, United States82 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
The Ellis cabins on Lake Umbagog are a treasure. My husband is an avid hiker and loves canoe trips. We do not like campgrounds or like camping where our car is and have preferred canoe-out sites which are often a challenge to find. I saw the camps show up on Facebook a few months ago and immediately reserved a four-day getaway for my husband and I as well as our 7 year old son. Because they have only been available this year, I could not do my normal research for seeing what they looked like and what was available -- and there were only a couple of photos of the cabin.
Pierre in the office was extremely helpful in answering my questions regarding a closer put-in than the head of the lake where the check-in is. We travelled up on a Friday and were able to check in shortly after noon-time where it was a quick and easy process. We purchased a few bundles of wood from the office and got our code for Ben's Cabin. There are four cabins on the remote site, but they were far enough apart that it still felt like you had your own little piece of the lake.
Getting there: We canoe'd in from the Steamer Diamond boat launch. It was not very busy, and we had a good parking spot on the side of the road of the launch area after unloading our gear and canoe at the put-in. It was a BEAUTIFUL paddle down the Androscoggin River -- we saw a bald eagle atop a tree within a few minutes. It was fairly calm water, and a beautiful day for a river paddle. We took our time to enjoy the scenery and we were at the put-in within an hour of setting off. Coming up on the cabins, they are to your left if you come in from the river put in. (There are a few options of put-in areas including at the Lake Umbagog State Park Campground, but that would have been a paddle of at least 3 or more hours depending on the weather...with a full load of gear and three people in the canoe, we didn't want to take that on, especially with a higher level of boat traffic on the lake).
There was a dock with several docking areas for boat access and a smaller raft perfect for canoe docking and unloading. It was a bit of a hike up to the cabin with gear (not too far -- but seems father when you are loaded down!). The first cabin is Ellis Cabin, the next is Ben's Cabin. We put in the code and went in to see a lovely little rustic abode. The cabin has no running water -- so we have a great filter system. There were three buckets located in the kitchen for getting water from the lake to filter. The kitchen included utensils, plates, glasses, mugs, a teakettle, pots, pans, etc. A sink with a drain to below the cabin was also available as wells as two dish pans and a dish drainer. There were also sponges and dish soap on the counter as well as hand sanitizer.
Other items in the cabin included paper towels, a garbage can with a garbage bag (you take out all garbage when you go), a broom and dustpan, a shelf of books/playing cards/cribbage board, toilet paper (there is an outhouse shared between the Ellis and Ben's Cabins), and a first aid kit.
A full size bed was already laid out (it is a futon) on the first floor and two roll away twin beds were folded up in the corner in case of need. A ladder goes up to a tiny loft room with two twin mattresses on the floor (which our son LOVED!). There is no electricity, but solar panels provided enough energy to light the lights in the cabin at night -- though because the weather was beautiful, we stayed outside until it was time to turn in for the night.
The front of the cabin has three GORGEOUS large windows with an incredible view of the lake to wake up to. There is a front porch and side porch ... the front had a small rustic table with two chairs perfect for eating, card playing, and morning coffee. Seating is all along the two porches with attached benches as well. The side porch included a long table as well, and we stored our canoe gear/paddles underneath.
For cooking, there is a gas cook stove which worked very well. The fire pit had an attached grill similar to most campground sites. There is also a picnic table by the fire area. An island area in the kitchen has three chairs and there is also a table and chairs inside the cabin for inside eating.
For a family that wants to TRULY get away and shut down...this is the place. My husband and son went fishing off the dock (my son caught a pickerel right away), we saw hundreds of birds (bring binoculars!), I read an entire book -- we played cards and went on a walk on a trail behind the cabin. We saw porcupine in a tree, bald eagle, otters and found moose tracks....so many enjoyable moments. There is no cell service, and this is a great rustic getaway without the need of a tent or as much gear. I can't wait to reserve for next year.
Pierre in the office was extremely helpful in answering my questions regarding a closer put-in than the head of the lake where the check-in is. We travelled up on a Friday and were able to check in shortly after noon-time where it was a quick and easy process. We purchased a few bundles of wood from the office and got our code for Ben's Cabin. There are four cabins on the remote site, but they were far enough apart that it still felt like you had your own little piece of the lake.
Getting there: We canoe'd in from the Steamer Diamond boat launch. It was not very busy, and we had a good parking spot on the side of the road of the launch area after unloading our gear and canoe at the put-in. It was a BEAUTIFUL paddle down the Androscoggin River -- we saw a bald eagle atop a tree within a few minutes. It was fairly calm water, and a beautiful day for a river paddle. We took our time to enjoy the scenery and we were at the put-in within an hour of setting off. Coming up on the cabins, they are to your left if you come in from the river put in. (There are a few options of put-in areas including at the Lake Umbagog State Park Campground, but that would have been a paddle of at least 3 or more hours depending on the weather...with a full load of gear and three people in the canoe, we didn't want to take that on, especially with a higher level of boat traffic on the lake).
There was a dock with several docking areas for boat access and a smaller raft perfect for canoe docking and unloading. It was a bit of a hike up to the cabin with gear (not too far -- but seems father when you are loaded down!). The first cabin is Ellis Cabin, the next is Ben's Cabin. We put in the code and went in to see a lovely little rustic abode. The cabin has no running water -- so we have a great filter system. There were three buckets located in the kitchen for getting water from the lake to filter. The kitchen included utensils, plates, glasses, mugs, a teakettle, pots, pans, etc. A sink with a drain to below the cabin was also available as wells as two dish pans and a dish drainer. There were also sponges and dish soap on the counter as well as hand sanitizer.
Other items in the cabin included paper towels, a garbage can with a garbage bag (you take out all garbage when you go), a broom and dustpan, a shelf of books/playing cards/cribbage board, toilet paper (there is an outhouse shared between the Ellis and Ben's Cabins), and a first aid kit.
A full size bed was already laid out (it is a futon) on the first floor and two roll away twin beds were folded up in the corner in case of need. A ladder goes up to a tiny loft room with two twin mattresses on the floor (which our son LOVED!). There is no electricity, but solar panels provided enough energy to light the lights in the cabin at night -- though because the weather was beautiful, we stayed outside until it was time to turn in for the night.
The front of the cabin has three GORGEOUS large windows with an incredible view of the lake to wake up to. There is a front porch and side porch ... the front had a small rustic table with two chairs perfect for eating, card playing, and morning coffee. Seating is all along the two porches with attached benches as well. The side porch included a long table as well, and we stored our canoe gear/paddles underneath.
For cooking, there is a gas cook stove which worked very well. The fire pit had an attached grill similar to most campground sites. There is also a picnic table by the fire area. An island area in the kitchen has three chairs and there is also a table and chairs inside the cabin for inside eating.
For a family that wants to TRULY get away and shut down...this is the place. My husband and son went fishing off the dock (my son caught a pickerel right away), we saw hundreds of birds (bring binoculars!), I read an entire book -- we played cards and went on a walk on a trail behind the cabin. We saw porcupine in a tree, bald eagle, otters and found moose tracks....so many enjoyable moments. There is no cell service, and this is a great rustic getaway without the need of a tent or as much gear. I can't wait to reserve for next year.
Written July 24, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Irishyankee811
95 contributions
Jul 2012 • Couples
We stayed at the Lake Umbagog State Park in our small camper for one week. It is right on the lake with a small swim area and boat launch area. It offered electric and water, no sewer, dump station. There are flush toilet restrooms in decent condition, pay showers and laundry facilities. The showers were a bit disappointing with little pressure and hard to adjust whilst you have only 5 mintues for your quarter. You can buy firewood and there is a small campground store/office. There are a few cabins to rent, spots for tents or you can also pay to be transported by boat to a "remote" campsite, some of them on islands. The views are lovely and it is a great place to paddle and fish. The local area is remote, but in town you can get all sorts of things at the local store LL Cote and there is also the Errol General Store. The closest full grocery store is a half hour drive to Colebrook to a well-stocked IGA. We did a lot of day tripping out of the campground and ventured up to Lake Francis in Pittsburg, over to some lovely waterfalls in Colebrook, up into Maine to a series of wayside state parks with lovely waterfalls, glacial formations, etc. The "Thirteen Mile Wood" is a lovely drive along a river with many turn offs for the fisherman. Families can enjoy tubing down the river. There are many, many small ponds and lakes around for the fisherman, as well as the Androscoggin and Magalloway Rivers. Wildlife was abundant. We saw moose, deer, beaver, loons, ducks, geese, eagles, hawks, a kingfisher, red squirrel, lots of rabbits, and the ever-present chipmunk. With a 4WD, you can explore and get lost on many logging roads, but watch for private property signs and be aware some roads may dissolve into small ponds or be in very bad condition. Your GPS may not work in some of these areas and the Atlas doesn't necessarily reflect all the dirt roads, either. Some wonderful sunsets are to be seen if you venture into Upton, ME to some of the high spots -- sun setting over lake and mountains. This is an area without any fast food places, movie theaters, shopping malls, arcades, waterparks. Our cell phones did not work, the campground had no WiFi and we had no cable for our little TV -- we loved taking a break from all that and reading, doing crosswords, hiking, paddling, fishing, playing Scrabble.
Written July 15, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StaKeGo
Louisa, VA74 contributions
Aug 2011 • Couples
I "discovered" Umbagog in a pamphlet 10 years back or so while camping in the Great North Woods. I was totally intrigued by the picture of a kayak-er and the words "your own private island" so I had to check it out. Since then I've been back either every summer or every other summer and now have my wife and some friends hooked as well. In fact, we got engaged there a few summers ago - I figured she couldn't say "no" if she was trapped on an island!
To provide as much accurate info as possible, there are really two totally different aspects to this campground - the mainland sites and remote sites - and i can only speak to the remote sites. For these you will park on the mainland and either be transported by pontoon boat or provide your own transportation to get to your site. Canoe rentals are available for @ $45/day. You will pay a fee for transport if you need it and it's not "cheap" and will depend on how far out your site is - the lake is 10 miles or so long. Figure anywhere between $60 and $120 or so each way to get to your spot. Before you head out you'll need to stock up. There is a big store only 10 minutes or so from the campground so you can stop there for fishing licenses and the majority of your supplies. The camp store does have worms/crawlers, good ice, a few other supplies (it's a small store) and, for a state park, very good firewood that is reasonably priced. We go through a lot of wood (usually 25 bundles or so for a 4 night stay) and would definitely stop elsewhere if the wood wasn't a good deal.
Once all that is out of the way and you get to your site, prepare to be very much alone - it's absolutely wonderful! It is primitive - you will have a pit toilet somewhere on your site - there are no walls around it but most are set back somewhere to give you relative privacy. The fire rings are nicely sized, you'll have a grate to cook on and a picnic table as well. Some sites do have platforms for tents. Aside from those amenities, you will have nothing else - no water or electricity - so pack smart! This is just awesome tent camping.
What you will definitely have is a big, private, beautiful campsite right on the lake. By July the water is usually pretty warm so bring some natural soap or fill up a sunshower and you can keep clean. The swimming and boating are fantastic here because the lake is huge and I have never, even in the busiest weeks of the season, seen it even remotely crowded. In fact, I've spent days out there without seeing a single person anywhere. I have always stayed on an island so there are no animals to speak of (so no worries about your food) but we did have a huge and magnificent eagle perch on our site last year. There are always some little fish around if you want to cast a line - just don't expect to make a dinner out of them. You'll certainly run into some ducks and loons as well. If you're in the right spot you'll see some gorgeous sunsets and the lake itself, surrounded by low mountains, is very scenic on it's own. Watch out for storms of course as they can roll in pretty rapidly but usually don't last long.
So for us, this is the perfect place where we get to spend some time really alone on a lake in the woods. If you don't need the amenities, give the remote sites a try for a night or two.
To provide as much accurate info as possible, there are really two totally different aspects to this campground - the mainland sites and remote sites - and i can only speak to the remote sites. For these you will park on the mainland and either be transported by pontoon boat or provide your own transportation to get to your site. Canoe rentals are available for @ $45/day. You will pay a fee for transport if you need it and it's not "cheap" and will depend on how far out your site is - the lake is 10 miles or so long. Figure anywhere between $60 and $120 or so each way to get to your spot. Before you head out you'll need to stock up. There is a big store only 10 minutes or so from the campground so you can stop there for fishing licenses and the majority of your supplies. The camp store does have worms/crawlers, good ice, a few other supplies (it's a small store) and, for a state park, very good firewood that is reasonably priced. We go through a lot of wood (usually 25 bundles or so for a 4 night stay) and would definitely stop elsewhere if the wood wasn't a good deal.
Once all that is out of the way and you get to your site, prepare to be very much alone - it's absolutely wonderful! It is primitive - you will have a pit toilet somewhere on your site - there are no walls around it but most are set back somewhere to give you relative privacy. The fire rings are nicely sized, you'll have a grate to cook on and a picnic table as well. Some sites do have platforms for tents. Aside from those amenities, you will have nothing else - no water or electricity - so pack smart! This is just awesome tent camping.
What you will definitely have is a big, private, beautiful campsite right on the lake. By July the water is usually pretty warm so bring some natural soap or fill up a sunshower and you can keep clean. The swimming and boating are fantastic here because the lake is huge and I have never, even in the busiest weeks of the season, seen it even remotely crowded. In fact, I've spent days out there without seeing a single person anywhere. I have always stayed on an island so there are no animals to speak of (so no worries about your food) but we did have a huge and magnificent eagle perch on our site last year. There are always some little fish around if you want to cast a line - just don't expect to make a dinner out of them. You'll certainly run into some ducks and loons as well. If you're in the right spot you'll see some gorgeous sunsets and the lake itself, surrounded by low mountains, is very scenic on it's own. Watch out for storms of course as they can roll in pretty rapidly but usually don't last long.
So for us, this is the perfect place where we get to spend some time really alone on a lake in the woods. If you don't need the amenities, give the remote sites a try for a night or two.
Written June 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill190190
Danvers, Massachusetts34 contributions
Sep 2013 • Solo
I am already planning to go back in 2014 for a couple of nights at a remote campsite on Lake Umbagog. I camped for two nights and kayaked a good amount of that time, and just loved seeing the considerable wildlife and enjoying the quiet and remoteness and taking pictures. Watching sunrise Tuesday morning a bald eagle flew right over my head as I stood on the little island campsite I rented (#34). The rangers will bring you and your gear and kayak out to your campsite for fee, on their pontoon boat. The day before while kayaking I saw more eagles than humans (3 to 2). This was in mid September and it gets cold at night so be prepared with hats, gloves, blankets, ample firewood, and good equipment. I also got caught in some squalls while kayaking fairly far from my site and really had to battle some surprising surf to get back safely before dark. This is an amazingly beautiful and well kept secret in New England but people have to understand there's few, if any people out there to help them most of the time and that weather changes and conditions can be sudden. There's also a more conventional campground including cabins right off Route 26 at the main entrance. But - this place is exactly what I was looking for, about 3.5 hours north of the Boston area. I also camped at nearby Mollidgewock State Park for a night after the wilderness experience just to sort of relax and enjoy some heartier food in Errol and smoother kayaking on the Androscoggin River before heading back south.
Written September 22, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clareart
New Hampshire11 contributions
Jul 2014 • Solo
I just stayed at remote site 32, an island you'll have all to yourself. It's an easy 3 mi paddle from the marina and provides you with a great site to explore the rest of the lake. With wind, the lake is large enough for some chop, although very little boat traffic. On arrival, the site was pristine with no evidence of previous campers. You'll have a fireplace with grate, picnic table with extension for cooking and an enormous platform tent site that will easily take 4 tents. Actually, it's the largest platform I've ever seen and looks brand new. Plan your stakes accordingly ;) The pit latrine (and this is the only negative I have) was bad. And I've been camping for over 30 yrs....I think they need to step up their maintenance schedule b/c it doesn't have to be like that. Wherever you are coming from, this will probably be a long trip, but make time to do it, b/c it is absolutely worth it. As others have said, the amount wildlife you will see each day will leave you with a smile on your face as you fall asleep. I've done a lot of hiking/camping, US east/Rockies, and Europe, and I saw more wildlife here per day than anywhere else. Really. Bring your binoculars, stay quiet and wait for it.
Written July 27, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CampinNana
Manchester, NH42 contributions
May 2014
My husband and I camped at Umbagog Lake State Park campground Memorial Day weekend. This was our first time camping here and we loved it. The lake is beautiful and our campsite was great. We will definitely go back. The views are spectacular along Route 26 and Route 16 not to mention the moose and other wildlife. We saw 5 moose in 3 days!
Written May 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
allen w
Plainville, MA87 contributions
Aug 2013 • Family
The lake is beautiful and the rivers into it also fascinating. Once we towed a boat to Errol and spent two days exploring the lake. I no longer have that boat and would love to rent one to take my wife out on the water for a couple of days, maybe even explore the Magalloway River.
Written August 25, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
draigathar
Plainfield, NH13 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
We LOVE Lake Umbagog for fishing. We mainly catch smallmouth, yellow perch, and chain pickerel, but I know there are other types of fish in the lake in abundance. You can fish the river on the way into the lake, or you can put in at the southern end and fish the big water right away. There's a lot to choose from, and it's beautiful. We've seen moose, bald eagles, loons, all sorts of ducks; I get good photos while we're out in the boat! One of our favorite places for a weekend getaway.
Written August 9, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BeachGirl330
Manchester, NH89 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
We camped at the state park a couple of years ago over 5 days in October and absolutely fell in love. We put our pop up in a site right on the lake and had a wonderful week! Hook ups were nice, especially when the temps dropped at night. Staff was friendly, store was well stocked, bathrooms and showers were clean and adequate. We loved it so much that we're heading up there in a few days for a full week's vacation and we can't wait! One note...no wifi! So don't download your camping recipes onto your phone the way that we did! LOL
Written July 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patricia A
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
I will be at remote 21 site. Just wondering how long it will take to boat over. there are 6 of us and want to plan our time right
Written June 17, 2018
Hi, we are renting the Ellis Cabin next summer for a week. We are very excited about having a solid week of peace! I have been looking at all of the available pictures of the cabins and have seen pictures of all of them except the Ellis Cabin. it seems odd that there are none at all on line, Primarily I wanted to ask what water filtration system you use. We will be hauling most of our water with us but I would like to have something for back up. I have looked at tons of them and just dont know what one is the safest and best. Thank you for help with my question.
Written September 19, 2017
I'm sorry you haven't had a good experience. We love Umbagog and went there every year for vacation and stayed in Cabin 1. Now that they are renovating, they are demolishing the cabin which broke our heart. I am hoping the remote cabin experience isn't too difficult. :)
Written October 25, 2017
bumpaalan
Derry, New Hampshire
At the remote cabins, what do you do for bathrooms and water? And what does the solar power used for?
Written March 7, 2017
The remote cabins have primitive outhouses in the woods behind them.
There is no running water, you must bring in your own drinking water, or filter it from the lake(as we did). There are small solar panels which are used to power a couple lights in each cabin.
The cabins are a 35 minute boat ride from the main campground, or a 4 hour canoe paddle.
Written June 30, 2017
looking to rent a motor boat on umbagog lake any places to rent from on this lake. or a resident nearby willing to rent out a boat for a few days.
Written July 13, 2016
wish I could help but I cannot. I have my own boat so your issue is not the same as mine. Try to Google something like " boat rentals on Lake Umbagog"
You can also contact Umbagog Lake State Campground
and there is a general store in Errol, NH. ( which is just a few minutes from the lake. I think it's called Cote's. IF I come up with something, I'll let you know
Written July 13, 2016
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