Authentic Lakefront Camp on Coffee Pond in Casco, Maine, Has Rustic Charm

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Authentic Lakefront Camp on Coffee Pond in Casco, Maine, Has Rustic Charm

Enjoy a Cuppa Morning Joe on this Screened Porch Overlooking Coffee Pond, Casco, Maine


Located on pristine Coffee Pond in Casco, Maine, is a seasonal lakefront camp with rustic charm. The current owners purchased the “camp” at 42 Sleepy Hollow Lane ten years ago, after searching for the perfect spot for several years.

This classic camp has a knotty pine interior and a vintage layout. The current owners tell us, “We loved the ‘woody’ feel of the interior with its knotty pine walls and ceilings. It was built by a Maine carpenter in 1961.”
On the inside of this cozy house, I think you’ll fall in love with the stone fireplace. The original builder added ventilators to it. It reportedly has incredible draft and will keep you toasty warm throughout the season.
A kitchenette opens into the dining area and living room. The camp has two bedrooms  and a bath on the first floor. In the sleeping loft, approached via a counter-weighted stairway, there are two rooms with double beds. Inside, the current owners have maintained the character of the camp. It’s all quite comfortable and the space is reminiscent of a quieter, simpler time.
“We have always wanted to keep the camp in its original form,” say the current owners.  “We wouldn’t change a thing.” They did re-side the building with red cedar shingles and pine clapboards, upgraded the walkway and made a perennial garden using ferns and local flora. “But overall, we have saved the integrity of the camp,” they tell us and feel quite certain that its builder would be pleased. “They don’t make them like they used to!”
The screened sleeping porch and open deck on opposite ends of the camp were re-built by the current owners. The porch is made from hemlock hewed at Red Mill in Casco. The wooden joinery is simple, yet beautiful, using mortise-and tenon joints.
On the outside, the sites and sounds of the pond, just steps away, will take your breath away. For those wishing to channel an authentic Maine camp experience–this is your place.
At 137 acres, Coffee Pond is a quarter mile wide and a mile long. The owners tell us that “Although it is called a pond, Coffee Pond is a very large body of water and we do not consider it a pond. It’s more like a lake.” This spring-fed pond has a maximum depth of 70 feet and the water quality is absolutely EXCELLENT!
The camp faces Peanut Island, the only  island on this body of water, which provides the perfect swimming or kayaking goal for the kids.
And then there’s the fishing. Anglers are delighted with Coffee Pond. It’s managed for cold and warm water species.  Brook trout are stocked annually. The pond holds 10 to 12-inch hatchery brookies from late April into June, when the water begins to warm. Small and largemouth bass plus pickerel are also caught here.
Access is limited to canoes, kayaks and small boats, making this an enjoyable family pond. “Every 4th of July, the Coffee Ponders decorate their kayaks and canoes and have a wonderful parade past a group of judges,” say the current owners. “Lots of food follows and a great time is had by all. Much of the planning happens early in the morning when a group of Coffee Ponders go kayaking at sunrise. Because of their constant gabbing and because they travel by kayak, they are called “The Yakkers!”
The Yakkers know the secret about the brilliant pink reflection of the sunrise. With the backdrop of the surrounding mountains, the owners describe it as an incredible sight–accentuated even more by fall foliage.
Ten years ago the camp appealed to them because “it was just what we were looking for, an authentic, rustic Maine camp within 2 hours from Boston.” Today, they are reluctantly selling because they feel it’s time to turn the property over to a young family.
If you are looking for a camp that personifies Maine, this is it. The loons are calling you to become a Coffee Ponder–maybe even an early morning Yakker! Heed the call.

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