
Boat-in Site #1 at Maplewood State Park
I am sharing here my Google Maps review of this site as it is a newer site for which I could find few pictures or reviews prior to visiting with my own family. I am hopeful that others looking for that information will find this useful.
We stayed at Boat-in Site #1 for five days. This is a newer site having been created within the last year.
Paddling from the fishing pier to the site took about 20 minutes. We rented a rowboat for the first and final days as we ported our gear in and out. We rented a canoe for the remaining days. The rowboat is slower than a canoe, but nice for moving a large quantity of gear. The canoe is quicker and easier to maneuver.
We slapped our dog's high-visibility lifejacket on the landing sign for, ya know, visibility.
The final approach to the site by water is a bit of a challenge with many submerged stumps and logs to navigate. A small, brown sign marks the landing.
There is a very brief hike to the site itself. There are spaces for two tents with a picnic area with a table and fire ring between. One of the sites is smaller than the other. The larger site accommodated our very large tent. There is also a bear locker and an uncovered vault toilet nearby.
Bugs were mostly kept in check by consistent cross-breezes. We were surprised that neither our dog, ourselves, nor our three children turned up with a single tick despite plenty of running around in the brush.
Ample shade in the maple stand that rings the sites kept things cool at all hours.
There is undoubtedly an investment in time getting into the site, compared to more developed drive-up sites, but it was made well worth it over our five-day stay.