A Design Field Trip on the Midcoast: 36 Hours of Art, Food, and Places to Stay
“We’re staying in Spruce Cabin at Camp DeForest, a little over 400 square feet with all the comforts of home, including a tiny mudroom. Inside we find a carefully curated collection of memorabilia, including flags, posters, needlepoint pillows, old copies of the Hardy Boys. We opt for a couple rounds of cards and a cocktail instead before heading down to the lodge to enjoy a campy dinner.”
An Inspired Chat with Brim-DeForest of Camp DeForest
“We built Camp DeForest around this idea of ‘analog luxury’ – quiet mornings, real conversations, mid-century environments that feel lived-in. What’s surprised me most is how deeply that resonates with guests of all ages. People don’t just want amenities; they want to exhale. They want a place where time slows down. I knew that would appeal to some, but I didn’t expect it to become the thing guests talk about the most.”
The Best Hotels in Maine for Romantic Escapes and Family-Friendly Vacations
Camp DeForest in Lincolnville, Maine, is a boutique summer-camp-themed resort that blends cozy camp living with playful nods to midcentury nostalgia. With 10 lodge rooms and four cabins nestled in the pine groves just off Route 1, the property offers guests a relaxed, communal escape where campfires crackle nightly, and lawn games and vintage-inspired design create an easy, carefree vibe.
What Off Season?
For newer hospitality business owners, a first winter is a bit of an unknown — especially when it was a seasonal operation under prior ownership. Camp DeForest, which opened in the old Ducktrap Motel on Route 1 in Lincolnville last June, is committed not only to staying open year-round, but also to bringing in locals to its very freshly opened restaurant and bar, which only began service around Thanksgiving (or for a staycation in a room for that matter).
A Cozy Winter Retreat in Mid-Coast Maine at 5-Star Boutique Retreat Camp DeForest
When frost begins to lace the pines of MidCoast Maine and the daylight softens into glowing winter hues, Camp DeForest emerges as one of New England’s most enchanting year-round retreats. Just a short drive from Camden and Belfast on the Penobscot Bay, this boutique lodge and cabins destination turns the art of the winter escape into something both timeless and luxuriously intimate.
A new midcoast motel offers ‘summer camp’ for adults
Camp DeForest opened this year at the site of the former Ducktrap Motel at 12 Whitney Road, offering well-appointed cabins and traditional motel rooms where guests can stay at all times of the year.
But it also has many touches meant to evoke a classic camp experience, including private fire rings with materials for s’mores, the raising of flags, games and outdoor activities, and booklets listing merit-badge style achievements for guests to complete during their visit.
Camp DeForest opens after 3-year renovation
“We wanted to invest in the area, we live in Northport, and we probably watched way too much Schitt’s Creek and Hotel Makeover during the pandemic and decided it would be a good idea to buy a 1950s motor lodge and cabins. And what we thought would be a quick redecoration turned into a three-year remodel,” said Jessica Brim-DeForest, owner of Camp DeForest.
Camp DeForest: Nostalgic Lodging in the Heart of Ducktrap, Maine
The brainchild of Northport residents Jessica and Brady Brim-DeForest, Camp DeForest is designed to give the impression of a classic 50s motel, with strong summer camp vibes. All 14 rooms and cabins have been fully refurbished, with modern/vintage furnishing and amenities, hardwood flooring, and four season heating and insulation.