West Gardiner, Maine

Come
Outside.

Guided camping, retreats, and outdoor adventures across Maine — where everyone belongs outside.

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Est. 1893

Rooted in History

Cambridge Gun & Rod Club — historic photograph

Founded 1893

The Cambridge Gun & Rod Club — one of the oldest continuously operating Black outdoor clubs in America.

The Cambridge Gun & Rod Club was founded in 1893 as a coalition of the excluded — Black men and their families who were turned away from white hunting and fishing clubs across New England. They built their own. On land they owned. In Maine.

For over 130 years, this land has been a place of refuge, recreation, and community for people who were told the outdoors wasn't for them. Camp Monroe is the next chapter of that legacy.

We're not a nostalgia project. We're a living community — using this historic land to create new memories, new traditions, and new reasons for Black and brown people to fall in love with the outdoors.

The history is real. The land is real. And the invitation is open.

130+

Years of history

1893

Founded, West Gardiner ME

∞

Acres of wild

Why We Exist

The Mission

Maine is stunning — its forests, lakes, coastlines, and mountains deserve a wider audience. Camp Monroe exists to make sure that invitation reaches everyone, while honoring 130 years of Black outdoor culture on this land.

The Outdoors Is for Everyone

Always has been. We exist to make that real — for Black, Latino, Indigenous, and all communities who've been made to feel otherwise. Show up. The door is open.

Come for the Weekend. Stay for Life.

We're building a new relationship between communities of color and the state of Maine. Tourism is just the beginning. Every mile ridden and fire gathered around moves us toward a Maine that reflects all of us.

The Legacy Is Real

W.E.B. Du Bois rode these roads. Major Taylor proved what's possible. The Cambridge Gun & Rod Club has stood on this land since 1893. We didn't start this — we're just the next chapter.

Community First

These aren't just trips. They're gatherings. Every experience is built around great food, real culture, and the deep joy of being outside with people who get it.

“If you weren't welcome at their table, we built a better one. That's been true since 1893. It's still true now.”

— Camp Monroe

What We Offer

The Experiences

From day hikes to multi-night retreats, every Camp Monroe experience is curated, guided, and built around community.

Coming 2026

Bike Ride

Tour Du Bois

Brunswick → Camp Monroe, West Gardiner ME·2 Days / 1 Night·from $0

Two days of riding, community, and Maine at its best. Tour Du Bois follows the East Coast Greenway from Brunswick to Camp Monroe — a celebration of cycling and culture produced in partnership with the Maine Black Chamber of Commerce and the Black Cycling Coalition.

Coming 2026

Weekend Camping

Dawnland Base Camp

Katahdin Region, Maine·2–3 Days / 2 Nights·from $0

A small-group camping experience on ancestral Wabanaki land near Katahdin, guided by Indigenous educators who have been tending this territory for thousands of years. Coming Summer 2026.

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Retreat

Camp Monroe Retreat

West Gardiner, Maine·3 Days / 2 Nights·from $895

Our signature retreat on the historic Cambridge Gun & Rod Club property in West Gardiner, Maine. Wellness, community, and outdoor skill-building on 130-year-old hallowed ground.

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Partner-Hosted Retreat

Host Your Retreat at Camp Monroe

West Gardiner, Maine·Weekend or Multi-Day·from $0

You have a community. We have the land. Camp Monroe is available for partner-hosted retreats — wellness weekends, culinary gatherings, creative residencies, corporate offsites, and more. You bring the vision. We handle everything else.

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Join the
Waitlist

We're building something intentional—and limited capacity means we fill fast. Get on the list to be first to know when trips drop, retreats open, and Camp Monroe is ready to welcome you to Maine.