The interior of a park model that will be available for purchase at Sandy Pines Campground is shown. SUBMITTED PHOTO
Located at 277 Mills Road at the former Salty Acres Campground, Sandy Pines Campground is set to open in June, according to spokeswoman Lisa MacGillivray, of marlo marketing.
“After admiring Salty Acres’ picturesque seaside grounds for many years, we were inspired to apply our approach to hospitality when the property became available,” said Lennon in a prepared statement. “We look forward to creating an immersive camping experience that connects Sandy Pines’ guests to Kennebunkport in a way that’s truly Maine.”
Lennon and Harrington founded the Kennebunk Resort Collection in 2009. In 2016, they founded Plan B Creative, a development and management company with properties including Sandy Pines Campground, Vinegar Hill Music Theatre in Arundel and The Lincoln Mill in Biddeford.
The campground, located a half mile from Goose Rocks Beach, has 320 sites and will offer a range of camping experiences. Campers can come and pitch a tent or pull up their RV, or “glampers” can stay the season in a park model “tiny home” or fully furnished safari tent.
Glamping, the term for glamorous camping, if for folks interested in taking in the outdoors without sacrificing luxury.
Amenities at the campground will include a saltwater pool, a lobster pound, an ice cream stand, a farm stand with fresh produce, Wi-Fi, a gym and a playground with a ropes course. There will also be planned activities and a camper set up for craft activities, according to MacGillivray.
Travel website lonelyplanet.com reports glamping, or glamorous camping, is a “hugely popular trend” in the travel industry, and there has been an 84 percent increase in the number of people searching the word “glamping” in online searches over the past three years.
According to the 2015 North American Camping report, sponsored by Kampgrounds of America, “destination camping,” is on the rise, with more people opting for longer stays rather than more frequent, shorter trips.
The same report found that technology and access to technology are important to campers, with 83 percent of campers bringing their cell phones with them on camping trips and 70 percent going online at some point during camping trips.
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
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