Bradford Camps

"Beautiful location, great hunting and fishing, authentic log cabins with wood stoves and gas lamps yet a full bathroom - rustic but not roughing it. Food is great, comraderie with other guests is delightful. Karen and Igor are great hosts."

"Bradford Camps is in a very special part of the world, a very special part of Maine. My experience is staying (twice) in one of their remote camps (not the main Bradford Camp), but with both trips, I had interactions and help from the Innkeeper Igor, his wife Karen, and their crew. On my most recent trip, they had to go wayyyy out of their way for me and an affiliate of theirs (Katadhin Air--who is also wonderful). Katadhin Air was to drop me off and pick me back up, I wasn't originally supposed to be interacting with Igor on this trip. However, I had made it clear to Katadhin Air that I really needed to be out that Sunday as I had something very important that I had to be at for work the following Monday. They said they understood and that, no worries, I'd get out. Well, Sunday dawned with clouds right down to the trees, and an atmospheric river of thunderstorms covering almost all of New England. We didn't know about the endless band of storms--we were in a cabin with no power, no cell service, and no way to contact the outside world. We could see the clouds though, and I was like dang....how are we going to get out? This pond is small enough that an experienced pilot still needs about 80% of it to land, and they come down maybe 10 feet above the tops of the trees. Katahdin Air wasn't going to be able to fly us back to Milinocket (not that we knew this). But unbeknownst to us, they had been communicating with Igor--an extremely experienced pilot who probably knows the area better than anyone. In a tiny window of weather where the clouds rose up a bit off the trees, he came in his own plane, grabbed us as quick as possible, and made the little hop over to Munsungeon Lake where Bradford Camps is. This--something some pilots wouldn't have the skill to feel comfortable doing, he did for us. Even though it was the middle of the day, he was supposed to be helping with lunch and attending the guests of the Camp, and it wasn't anything we paid for. Nor part of the contract of our stay. I had communicated to Katahdin Air how important it was that I got out, they communicated it to him, and even if it was certainly a hiccup in his day--he did this for us. And Katahdin Air drove the 3 hours of backroads (one way) to pick us up and bring us back down to Milinocket. You want adventure? You want the real woods? You want people who will do things for you even if they absolutely don't have to? Then Bradford Camps is for you."

"Right on the shores of Munsungan Lake, very nice setting. The drive up is fantastic. The lake is nice, however, we found that all the good fishing is done at the camp end of the lake (inlet), thus we did not find any "hot" fishing spots at other locations on the lake. If you're into fishing - its good, lots of salmon and trout and if you're into nature, its great as well. There is also an old growth forests in the area. Igor does a good job keeping the camps original and the grounds pristine. Costs were higher compared to similar camps in Maine."

"Visited Bradford Camp this past summer. Camp was outstanding! Great cabins, food, lake and a little fishing. They even have an ice house that they take frozen blocks of lake ice out and store for the summer. Really nothing bad to say except for inn keepers wife. Her name is Karen and she acts like a Karen. Friendly on the surface only. She gave the attitude that the guest were an annoyance in her day. Even when we asked for something it seemed like it was a burden. Better to ask one of the other staff. Husband and the rest of the staff were 5 stars. Really enjoyed our time there. Camp is worth visiting."

"Spent half a week at Bradford camps this past fall bird hunting. It’s an absolute gem in the NMW. They deserve some recognition for what they offer and who they are. The cabins and lodge were great; comfortable, clean, warm, homey, and more than just a place to lay your head after being out all day in the woods or on the water. The drive in can be rugged depending on what you’re driving, but worth it. There’s also the option to be flown in and dropped on the beach just off the porch of camp. Or, drive in and get flown in to another pond or lake and picked up later. Cool option/service to have available from a camp. Someone from our group did that one day and had a great day out. The pilot, Igor, is very experienced and flying is just a part of his DNA. The crew and owners are what makes the place. The food was amazing and something to look forward to, whether it was starting the day, taking a lunch to go, or coming back to a hot meal after a long day in the woods. Julianna is an amazing Chef! Not only were the meals hot and filling, but our beers stayed cold the whole time because Chad would make his rounds and top off coolers on the porch with big chunks of harvested pond ice while choring, and he cleaned our birds! There were just a lot of little things that added up to make it a great experience overall. It takes a lot to keep a place like this going and maintained all season and they put in tons of work, time and attention to make Bradford Camps the amazing place it is. Karen and Igor, the owners, have been doing this a long time and clearly have an eye for talent, hard honest work, and good reliable people. I’m sure there are others, seasonal staff and guides, who deserve recognition as well for helping to keep the camp maintained and running. Bradford Camps is a pretty amazing place and worth the money. Whether it’s for fishing, hunting or a remote getaway into the NMW, do yourself a favor and make the trip."