A modern lakefront cabin in Maine features two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a bathroom. It might even include 250 preplanned family activities each week if you’re visiting Point Sebago Resort.
But, is that camping?
“Yes,” according to Elizabeth Caledonia. “I don’t want to know any other type of camping.”
Elizabeth travels from Brockton, Massachusetts, to Point Sebago Resort in Maine every summer. She stays in her favorite Sebago Lake cabin and loves it. It’s her version of camping.
The Great Maine Camping Debate
What constitutes a real camping trip is an ongoing debate at Point Sebago Resort.
There aren’t a lot of tents at the Sebago Lake campground. Tents are allowed on RV sites, but are rarely requested. Instead, most guests opt for their personal RVs, glamping tents, tiny homes, or modern cabins.
Is it only camping if you stay in a tent?
Does it really matter?
Most people can agree on one thing. The beauty of camping at classic lakefront resorts, like Point Sebago and Sebago Lake State Park, is trading TVs for hiking trails. It’s also about being with the people you love.
“It’s really about enjoying everybody’s company, in the place where we feel like we can be ourselves.”
Elizabeth Caledonia
The Evolution of the Point Sebago Campground
For Elizabeth, camping at Point Sebago is a family tradition that began with her father, Jay Caledonia. He began camping at Point Sebago in the early 1970s. That’s about the time the family captured the classic home video below showing the early days at the Maine campground.
Point Sebago opened in 1970 with sites for tents and pop-up trailers. It’s located past Casco Bay, about one hour outside of Portland, Maine. The original resort included a grocery store, restaurant, marina, boat launch, supervised activities for children, and even miniature golf.
So much has changed in 55 years.
220 acres turned into 775 acres.
Tents turned into buildings.
Employees came and went.
Interests and activities evolved. There are newly resurfaced sports courts and an 18-hole golf course, one of the best public courses in Maine.
But at the core, what makes Point Sebago special is still the same.
“I get to relax. I get to float on the lake. You don’t feel like you have to do anything.”
It’s an escape, but also a way for Elizabeth to reconnect with what really matters.
“I wouldn’t be as close to some of the people in my family if I didn’t have Point Sebago. Everyone shows up each summer. For some of us, it’s our one chance each year to spend time together.”
Expanding the Sebago Lake Camping Crew
Elizabeth’s seen the evolution of Point Sebago Resort.
She first turned off Route 302 and onto Point Sebago Road in Casco, Maine, in 1989. She remembers dances, boat rides on the Sebago Princess, and camping on the beach.
A decade later, family friends began joining the Caledonia family on vacation. It’s a tradition that continues today.
Now, as an adult, she finds new joys in her favorite Maine campground.
“It’s really hard to see people as an adult, especially people that you love. But for this one week each summer, you get to escape with your people and live the life that you wish was everyday.”
There’s a lot more of those people now. Elizabeth’s camping crew ballooned to include 30+ people each summer. Marriages and kids mean they no longer fit in one campsite.
Tap above for more photos
Elizabeth’s sister, Nicole Brunelle, and her family stay in one cabin. Elizabeth stays in another. Her brother, Anthony Caledonia, and his family book an RV site for their camper.
Over the years, this close-knit Point Sebago family has shared countless summers and celebrated milestones.
They’ve also grown together through the seasons of life, including the loss of one of their own, Justin Donahue, who passed away in 2017
“There’s not a year that goes by that it doesn’t feel like he should be with us,” shares Elizabeth. “He should be floating on the lake, playing yard games, sitting around the campfire, cracking jokes.”
Finding New Perspective at Point Sebago
Though the summers are different now, Elizabeth is gaining new perspectives on Point Sebago camping as an adult.
The next generation in the Caledonia group doesn’t consider it “camping.” Point Sebago is better. It’s a “partycation,” a term coined by her best friend’s daughter, Lily.
“What’s great is seeing how much the kids love it too. They get to have the same experiences that we did. They get to hang out with their friends, go to the campground arcade, or play on the beach.”
It’s that freedom of being a kid and roaming Point Sebago that Elizabeth cherishes the most.
“It’s great to see them really love the place we love. It’s different now, but they love it just as much.”
Getting the Most Out of a Point Sebago Vacation
Now, as an adult, there’s a new kind of freedom that Point Sebago gives Elizabeth.
For one week each year, Elizabeth trades real-life problems for Point Sebago problems.
Like, how to cram 30 people around a campfire?
“It used to be a circle around the fire. Now there’s a second circle. There’s not enough space for everybody.”
It’s a first-world camping problem.
For Elizabeth, growing up at Point Sebago Resort is like any other relationship. You get what you put into it. She still cherishes walks to the General Store and seeing Chippy, Point Sebago’s mascot, along the way.
“That’s my type of camping. We float on Sebago Lake all day. We keep it simple.”
Elizabeth admits that it’s hard to truly explain what a unique experience Point Sebago offers. The resort opens each May and runs through mid-October, offering themed weekends in spring and fall. During the summer, more than 250 weekly activities keep families entertained.
But according to Elizabeth, “you have to go, to really understand why we keep coming back.”
“You get so much out of it. You can’t beat the view. You can’t beat the experience. And you just can’t beat the memories gained at Point Sebago.”
