Old Quarry Ocean Adventures

Great afternoon guided kayak tour. Clean boats, knowledgable guide, quarry swim mid trip. Lovely day. Place was very clean and friendly.

This place has an infinite amount of potential. The location really is a gem but the man who runs it, «Captain» Bill is not nice nor accommodating.
I reserved for 4 nights but apparently that doesn’t matter. We had to find another campground after two nights. The site we did have was on a leachfield that smelled like a sewer, but I was kayaking all day anyway so I tried to overlook that. Reservations are not a guarantee that you will have a campsite. Stay at Greenlaws and drive into town and launch at the public launch. It was easy enough and the service is leagues better.

I’m torn here. I think this guy runs a fine business. He clearly is doing very, very well for himself and is pretty much the only game in town. That does not, however, give one the right to relax on simple good-​business practices. Organization. Respect. Value. Clarity. These are things that are grossly lacking here.
That being said, on arrival it is immediately clear that he does a lot of repeat business. Other «campers» are frequently found hanging around the shop chatting with Captain Bill. I’m left wondering what it is that brings these people back for second, third or fourth visits. Frankly, I couldn’t wait to get through with my first.
I made reservations for an «overflow» camping site for two nights. It was described as a spot big enough to pitch a tent, no fire ring, no table. OK, fair enough. I was planning to be out doing stuff anyway.
On arrival I was directed to a parking space in the parking lot that had gravel laid out a few feet more in front of it than the rest. Yes, it was a parking space essentially and from the bumper of the car parked IN IT to the woods was MAYBE five feet. I reluctantly started to set up my tent and soon realized there was no way it was going to fit.
Back to the office I went and was told that one night in the bunkhouse was available and so was the next night in an actual camping spot complete with fire pit and adequate tenting site. OK, maybe a little redemption here… but read on.
Bunkhouse night went OK. Next came the trip to Isle au Haut. On their website it’s titled «Hike & Bike Isle au Haut» and specifically states: «The [boat] will drop you off with a map at the Isle au Haut town landing in the morning.» OK, no map was offered (it would have been REALLY, REALLY helpful) and as the boat was pulling away half of the group was left asking «did they say what time to be back?»
Isle au Haut is not worth the trip IMHO. Especially not for the money you’ll spend at the Old Quarry to get there with bikes ($ 120 for 2). I would have bought the map at their well-​equipped camp store were it not explicitly stated on their website that one would be given to us. But after walking around seeing price tags/​solicitations on everything I should not have been surprised that one wasn’t.
Back to camp that night I’m exhausted from my Bataan Death Peddle around IAH and looking forward to having a real tent site ON GRASS or at the very least soft ground (isn’t that where most people camp anyway?). Into the office to confirm the details of what we had discussed thrice the evening before and guess what? The site was given away during the day to someone he calls by first name — I assume a friend. I’m walked down the lane to another gravel spot along the road. Here it is that I spent my last uncomfortable night in Stonington.
I had actually planned to stay all day and rent kayaks to go out and do some paddling but at 0530hrs when cars started driving by and people walking by talking woke me from my gravel bed I had had enough. I packed up and left. Left the whole GD state of Maine. Vacation over.
Bottom line: I’m not going back. A lot of people do and I have no idea why. If you’re ready to spend a lot of money and have the agreeable demeanor of a perpetually stoned love child then by all means check this place out and roll iwth whatever comes your way. Bring an air mattress though for your own sake.

Old Quarry is a gem. Not perfect, but well deserving of 4 stars.
Simply put, it’s your one stop shop for outdoor fun in sleepy Stongington. And a lovely dog greets you at the door. Want a place to camp while exploring Deer Isle by foot or bike? Need to rent that bike? Want to rent kayaks (and all affiliated gear) to venture deep into the Deer Isle Archipelago? Want lessons or a guided kayak tour? Have all your own stuff and just need a place to safely leave your car and shower at the end? Planning a wedding? Yeah… all Old Quarry. And there’s a well stocked general store, too. Sleep, play, shop, explore!
We’ve found our way here 2 years in a row for some of the best, most affordable adventuring that money can buy. But let’s be clear — for us Old Quarry isn’t the vacation, it’s just where we’ve rented boats, launched, and showered at the end. The real vacation is paddling among and camping on the archipelago islands secluded from other signs of life. But it all begins with Old Quarry and Captain Bill. And for that we will return year after year.
The vibe is relaxed… maybe too relaxed… bordering on disorganized. (How many binders do you need to flip through to find our reservation materials?) But very warm and friendly. It’s not a good place if you’re rigid about schedules and demanding of lots of attention. It’s the perfect place to go to get just what you need with the dash of DIY.
What would make it a 5? A little bit more empathy (and maybe a free ice cream for the huge inconvenience?) that the rudder cable of my 16ft kayak broke on the open ocean the day before the return trip home. Greater communication and education with overnight kayak campers about MITA (Maine Island Trail Association) policy and leave no trace. Greater attention to customer service basics… and safety — offering to help fit the life vests, seat height/​distance, rudder pedal distance at the beginning and offering the obligatory «see you again soon! find us on facebook!» at the end. Maybe we did too good of a job looking like we knew what we were doing?
But assuming you have SOME experience kayaking (wet exit experience a must…) I can’t say enough about the joy and wonder that is renting boats at Old Quarry and island hopping to camp and explore for days at a time on the open ocean. Well worth the 6 hour drive from Providence.

Wanted a camp site by the water. So, this isn’t quite it. The camp sites seemed a bit squished together, but with the trees and everyone keeping to him/​herself, we felt pretty alone (which was the goal).
Cell phone service is not good, beware. The camp store is well stocked, Captain Bill is a character… a-​ok

Had a pretty bad experience with the Old Quarry campsites. We pre-​booked, and pre-​paid, an ocean facing campsite specifically to enjoy a night spent in the outdoors before taking the ferry for a hike on Isle de Haut. After a long than expected drive due to rain, we arrived at the main office around 4pm on a Sunday. Manager pointed us in the right direction, we drove over to near the campsite to find a couple completely set up on it. Like, for the long haul, not expecting to go anywhere, as they blithely continues to hose off their sea kayaks.
Now, this late in the day, they obviously were not planning to pack up their stuff, which was everywhere and would have taken at least an hour to dismantle. Which means that no one from Old Quarry campsites thought to even let them know there was another reservation for tonight, prepare them to get out.
We went back to the manager who then gave us kind of an attitude, although he even remarked we had made the reservation in May for late July, he just wrote us a check and was barely apologetic. Although we tried to keep a positive state of mind about the major change in plans, not to let it wreck our trip, I still think this major glitch was 100% the fault of the management. Either they do not care about honoring reservations or just didn’t care about honoring us, regardless, they put a huge crimp into our trip, as we had to drive almost two hours back south to find a hotel that was not a $ 200 a night old inn.
Seems like a great location, but be wary before you book.