Bethel Outdoor Adventure Campground & River Trips — Hotel in Bethel

The tubing trip was nice until the end. We were told to stay to the left near the bridge to get off. However, we were not told there was another tubing company to the right which had a huge yellow tube (same color as our tubes) hanging from a tree. We could not hear the woman from this company calling us over away from the yellow tube because the traffic on the bridge was too loud- we were very confused. By the time we saw her it was too late and the current was too strong to get to the other side. We had 7 kids with us- ages ranging from 5-12. We had to focus on getting them out safely. Meanwhile, the current whipped my 77 year old mother- in- law down the river. The woman who came to “rescue” her yelled, “can’t you swim?” She told her yes but the current is too strong to swim against. She asked to hang on the handle of the rescue kayak and was told “no, the current is too strong.” Nice fishermen nearby helped direct her up a path on the riverbank, but the woman who works for the company could not help her and was rude. Meanwhile, my 11 year old niece was terrified that her grandmother may not be safe. The woman on the shore supposed to be helping us out called my niece a baby and pushed her. Can’t make this stuff up. Do not go with kids who are under 10 and not very strong swimmers and get over well before the bridge. The owner was apologetic and hopefully handles the employee who had the nerve to scream at and push a child. We suggested signs on when to get over or to show us the bridge during the safety briefing prior. All in all, we enjoyed the tubing but this company needa better safety briefing. All young children should be strapped to an adult.

Update based on business response.

At the safety briefing, it was said to get to left when you see the bridge. It wasn’t stressed how important it is and that you’re going to need to be rescued if you miss it. You’re also expecting kids to know how to get left when they can’t really paddle as their arms are not long enough. The bridge comes up after a bend. You then have adults trying to manage kids (ages 7,9,11,12) and get them to safety.

I would suggest improving your safety briefing to increase the significance of getting to the left and also show the group the bridge and landing spot before taking them up river! This way the group has an idea of what they will see as they approach your landing spot. Your landing spot is fairly wooded and not easy to identify. The traffic on the bridge above drowned out any way to communicate -we heard nothing from your staff until it was too late. They also could have had some kind of pole or something to help pull people to the landing.

All said, I think given the river current strength and the difficultly of getting children to the left of the bridge, I would highly recommend that each child under 15 is strapped to an adult tube. We read back on your responses to prior reviews and you even said how challenging the river current is when getting off the tubes.

I would also have a better protocol for rescuing people. You had one person in the office hop in a kayak to assist the 77 year old. What if we had multiple children miss the landing spot and begin to panic? The woman Erin was only nice when she saw how kind the fishermen were being. She first told our 77 year old tuber how ridiculous it was that she couldn’t swim across the current. Then she told her the current was too strong to get her back. Maybe if the current is too strong to help people you find a new spot to pickup or direct people to the right and say you will pick them up.

Appreciate your response and willingness to address safety concerns for future groups. We just want to make sure others know what to expect if they are...

This is our second time camping here and we loved it just as much this time around! My fiance threw me a surprise birthday weekend on the river with family and friends... It was so fun!

The prices are pretty good, the equipment they rent is quality and the staff is knowledgeable and friendly! The campsites are mostly decent (if you are getting a group site #14 is huge and set back a bit - it also has the best view). If you have your own kayaks and a trailer/truck to haul them you can even go yourself since you get off right at the campground. Or you can rent their equipment and have them transport you to the launch spot for a fee.

The suspension bridge is AWESOME! It goes out over the river and to an island on the other side. Heads up - it is pretty high but it is very well-constructed and totally safe to cross! The kids in my group loved it! Even my 5 year old niece went over to the island multiple times. You get the key to access it at the front office.

Overall I give this place 5 stars but there are a few small things worth noting. The bathrooms are extremely small! We had a couple BIG guys in our group and they barely fit in the stalls. Same with the showers! The stalls themselves are very tight and it's hard to get changed in there with the setup - especially if somebody else is in the other shower. There should be some Porta-Potties on the back side of the campground at the very least. It was a pain walking to the front every time someone needed a bathroom.

Also there isn't very much beachfront for swimming... Particularly for the kids. It's the spot where people are getting off the water and it stays busy. It would be nice if they had a little more beachfront for tanning, swimming and hanging out relaxing. There is a small playground area for the kids though.

I was very surprised to find that the fire rings didn't have any type of a grill on them for cooking. We got there with some burgers and hot dogs to grill and were shocked to see there was no grill on the fire ring to cook. We ended up having to order pizza that night. If you're coming up for the weekend you should DEFINITELY bring some type of a portable stove or grill for cooking - unless you plan on eating out.

If you DO plan on eating out Bethel House of Pizza makes one of the BEST pizzas around! Also the barbecue pit truck across the road is absolutely stellar! When you finally get off the river it's one of the first things you notice... You can smell that barbecue pit from over there! The first time we came up here we also tried the restaurant directly next door which was delicious (but a little bit pricey).

You won't regret spending a weekend here floating down the river with the people you love... It's a really fun experience! You can make some great memories at Bethel outdoor adventures! It's a great spot to hit the river and relax!

Be sure to pack lots of drinks, a lunch, sunscreen, bug spray, hat, towel, sunglasses, waterproof bag (for phones or important items) for the river! I strongly suggest some type of water shoes... even if it's not something you would normally wear! There are lots of spots that are very low and you actually have to get out of your kayak and pull it over the rocky spots. Trust me... you'll be wanting something on your feet because it is very rocky and slippery. Don't make the same mistake I did! You'd rather be prepared out...

So far I have only set up my tent and checked in. When I called to confirm my reservation they couldn’t find it. I booked a month prior to my call and this is a VERY small campground which I didn’t know at the time. I was worried and the person from the campground on the phone was terse and accused me of being angry. I shared I was frustrated and not angry and apologized if I sounded otherwise. She continued to be off putting in her exchange. I asked for a tent site with electricity and was provided one of the worst RV sites here. The site was dirty with a nasty washcloth and debris all over the site. We had to try to clean up at 11:30p+ because that is when we arrived. When we arrived we pulled up to what appeared to be the office. The signage wasn’t obvious and there is a maze of ramps to reach the door. It took a while to figure out where our directions were or if we were in the correct place because the office sign is dark and hard to see at night. My husband was the only one who walked around the office looking for our directions and thus did not speak to anyone. I went to check in and the man in the office asked if we arrived around 11p and when I said yes he said we were really loud. I apologized and said we whispered but it is hard to be quiet when setting up a tent. He replied that it wasn’t the tent setting up that was complained about but when we were looking for the directions for our site. The bathrooms are GROSS. And they are very small. The only toilet in the ladies room had cracks in the bowl and the trash was overflowing. Shower was ok. Unless something drastically changes from now until Monday, if we can tolerate this place that long, we will never stay here or recommend this place to anyone. We have been camping in Maine for over 20 years and have never encountered people this rude at a campsite or in Maine. We could excuse the filth and not come here again but the icy reception from the staff starting at the initial phone call to confirm the reservation to check in led me to writing my...