Sardine Picnic
at Camp DeForest
Little tins. Big picnic plans.
Good things come in little tins. Especially when you add crunchy butter, a few salty accomplices, and nowhere in particular to be.
Meet Camp DeForest’s Sardine Picnic: a tinned-seafood spread for leisurely grazing and very good company. Pull up a seat at Happy Trails, or add a picnic basket to your overnight stay. Available beginning October 2, 2026—and a permanent addition to our menu.
All the Good Stuff
Our classic picnic brings together Portuguese sardines in olive oil, Galician mussels in escabeche sauce, and mackerel fillets in tomato sauce. Along for the adventure: saltines, specialty salts, crunchy butter, housemade relish, kimchi, and jam. Salty, tangy, sweet, and ready to share.
No fishing license required. Just a healthy appetite for something a little different.
Pick Your Picnic
Pull Up a Seat
Dine at Happy Trails
Locals, visitors, and overnight campers are all welcome. Choose your tins and accompaniments using our Sardine Picnic order sheet, and we’ll bring out your spread on a board, with the tins nestled in ceramic trays. Feeling fancy? Explore optional upgrades, including specialty seafood, chocolate, and champagne. No overnight stay required.
Arrive Picnic Ready
Add It When You Book · $75
Start your stay with a little something salty. Add our classic Sardine Picnic to your room reservation, and we’ll have it waiting in your room at check-in. Your basket includes our signature three-tin selection and all the fixings, plus a picnic blanket, napkins, and utensils for four. Just pick your spot.
Make Tomorrow a Picnic
Order During Your Stay · From $75
Already at camp? Ask a camp Ranger for an order sheet to choose your tins, salts, and optional extras. We’ll deliver your picnic basket to your room the following day, complete with a blanket and picnic essentials. Please order at least 24 hours ahead.
A Salute to SardineFest
We launched our Sardine Picnic in honor of SardineFest at the Penobscot Marine Museum, a celebration of Maine’s sardine industry and the coastal communities connected to it. But this isn’t a weekend fling. The festival inspired the occasion; the picnic is here to stay.
Bring a friend. Pop a tin. Stay a little longer.