Summary:
Host your own private island event on a 14 acre Maine island with 5 unique stays.
2026 bookings are open on a 14 acre natural island playground. It's island life in a treehouse, Aframe, glam tent, dome, floating cabin, & 2 event tents to seat 50. REMOTE & RUSTIC does NOT mean roughing it. Bring clothes, friends, off-leash pups & lots of food. We’ve got the rest: easy transport, comfy-real-beds, cooking options, hot shower & super clean, Maine Guide hospitality. All levels of nature lovers.
The Space:
When you schedule your private island event for 1 Big Sustainable Island, you experience five unique living spaces (treehouse, Aframe, glam tent, dome, and floating cabin), two dining tents for event and meal gatherings, as well as the seclusion of the entire island for your guests (staff available and on-call to address any needs). We'll help your crew settle into the rhythm of island life and return you all refreshed, renewed, and inspired.
Sleep soundly in our 5 comfy queen size beds all made up. Additionally 5 futon couches convert to full-size soft beds. Lounge in any one of our 10 island hammocks. Amenities include: 4 compost toilets and a hot shower (available as long as temps at night are above freezing) with towels and soap nearby, a cold plunge sauna, dozens of canoes, kayaks, and SUPs, miles of scenic walking trails. Island life is barely "roughing it", even though the electricity is battery limited and plumbing is eco-unconventional. For groups larger than 20, we offer the same logistical support, but with BYOTenting for the overflow crowd.
HOW DO I GET TO THE ISLAND? Every island adventure begins at our shoreside parking/dock area. From there, your crew has options: Paddle, Ferry, or BYOBoat. Know that we make island access for you, your guests, and your gear convenient, safe, free, and part of the quest.
RETURNING GUESTS: We appreciate groups who return year after year. If you've misplaced the Island Withdrawal Syndrome coupon code, remind us of your last stay and we'll send you a new one. We can't have you suffering from IWS, now can we! Also, if you are looking for an exception to our minimum night requirements, please reach out.
COOKING OPTIONS: Cooking is easy, so pack heavy on food, and light on gear. We supply every tool you'll need to feed a hungry group after an adventure day of island life: kitchen utensils, dishes, pots and pans, French press, coffee, tea, sugar, salt, pepper, drinking water from our homestead well. Cooking can be done at each stay or at our event tents for dining together.
FREE STUFF: Every Maine Island adventure includes: FREE island transportation, camp chairs, unlimited firewood, lanterns, fire starters, lighters, canoes, kayaks, or stand-up paddle boards with life vests and gear. You just need to bring coolers of food, vacay clothes, and a curious sense of adventure.
PUPS ON VACAY: We're dog people. 1 Big Sustainable Island is pet-friendly for most furry friends. The dog fee is $30 per night per dog. Request permission by sending us a picture and brief description of each dog's demeanor toward other pups and humans. The good news is that when you rent the entire 1 Big Sustainable Island, dogs can be off leash without any worries!
LARGE GROUP PRICING: For a quote above 16 guests, please send us a message and we'll work up a quote.
FREE PLANNING TOURS: Yep, we do that. If you want to scope out the island ahead of time to see the potential of the venue for your event, we're happy to give you a tour. It's best if your reach out to schedule while the leaves are still on the trees!
DANCE PARTY ALL NIGHT? Sound carries on the lake, and we love our neighbors. During the quiet hours (sunset to sunrise) we offer a silent disco headset system for music you might want to play (add $500). Create your own mix, play it from your phone, and dance till the moon sets.
Guest Access:
ISLAND ENTERTAINMENT:
* Walking more than a mile of trails
* Swimming
* Cooking over an open fire
* Sunset Rock
* Hammock swim docks
* Fishing from dock or boat
* Canoeing, kayaking, and SUP
* Sauna/lake plunging
* Indoor games: cards and board games
* Outdoor games: Corn hole, Capture the Island Flag
* Two 20x30 event tents for dining and gathering.
We are happy to provide safe luggage storage so you can enjoy free early arrival or free late departure. Guests can take advantage of the shared areas and activities either before check in or after check out.
DAY VISITORS? Sure! It's your private island. Of course you can have visitors who don't spend a night. If you have friends and family who want to visit for a ceremony, a meal, or just an afternoon of island fun: no problem. We'll fit them into the existing ferry schedule or do a special ferry service at their convenience ($$).
The Neighborhood:
Annabessacook Lake is our 1400 acre backyard of clear water, good fishing, and great neighbors. Whether they are year-round residents, summer vacationers, or visitors, most folks you'll meet will tell you that they have been coming here since they were a kid.
Getting Around:
GETTING THE CREW TO THE ISLAND:
CHECK IN & CHECK OUT WITH FERRY SERVICE:
We offer three round trip ferry services daily, during daylight hours, at times that work for your crew. We can transport up to 25 people with gear at a time on our two pontoon boats and floating side cars.
BYOBOAT
Bring your own boat or boat plane - we have a public boat launch, free overnight parking for your trailer at our place, and free island dock space for convenient boat tie-up. Or, you can rent a boat from a local partner.
PADDLE THE LAKE
Take one of our canoes or kayaks and paddle the 30 minute trip across the lake to a stay (weather permitting and during daylight only). We'll shuttle gear on the next ferry trip, if you want.
FREE PARKING: Park 20 vehicles in our private and secure parking area for free.
Other Things to Note:
OUTHOUSAPHOBES: We're with you!
New guests might wonder about our island, off-the-grid bathrooms. Rest assured that our compost toilets are designed with usability in mind. They smell great!
We have all been to rural outhouses where this is not the case. It's the number 1 complaint (or is that #2?). Which is why, when building our toilets facilities, we did something different. Through management of airflow, separation of liquids and solids, application of saw dust, and optimizing the force of gravity, we created a toilet system that has been in place for years with very little odor and maximum sanitation. So rest easy: if a member of your party is an "outhousaphobe", know that so are we!
I HAVE A SMALLER GROUP:
If 14 acres and 5 stays is too much for your needs, check out our smaller private island adventure at Naughty Dog Island, suitable for a group size of 1 to 8. It's private, remote, leash-free, on the same lake, and just as convenient - only for smaller groups.
THIS IS GLAMPING, NOT CAMPING, WE DO THE WORK, SO YOU CAN PACK LIGHT!
WHAT TO BRING?
• Cooler (Free replacement ice packs available)
• Favorite foods and beverages
• Cell phone/laptop charging cables (We've got juice to keep them charged.)
• Sunscreen and bug repellent
• Layers of warm clothing
• Headlamp or flashlight with extra batteries
• Fishing permit if you're over 16
• Water shoes for swimming
• Curiosity and a good sense of humor
FREE stuff you DON'T need to bring:
• Free island transportation
• Free canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards paddles and life vests
• Numerous dock spaces for parking boats
• Hammocks
• Camp chairs
• Unlimited firewood
• Out door fire pits
• Indoor woodstoves
• Adjustable grill for cooking over the fire
• Gas grills and stoves
• Pots, pans
• Dishes
• Utensils
• Biodegradable soap
• Sheets
• Towels
• Playing Cards
• Lanterns
• Dad jokes and exclamation points (we're WAY overstocked on these!)
REMOTE WORK - Wifi, cell, and battery recharges
Cell reception registers 3 bars and 5G on the island . So, with any smartphone or laptop, remote work gets done. Bring your cord and we'll take phone and laptop battery charging from there. If you need our data plan, we offer a mobile hotspot upon request. There might be a catch: Telling the office or the teens how easy it is to get online on your island adventure will be up to you! If you need us to keep this on the low down: mum's the word.
Interaction with Guests:
Kent is a Registered Maine Guide and Licensed Commercial Boat Operator. Our 5 person Reset Crew is available for all sorts of event support, setup, and breakdown. They are available when needed, checking in on things, and happy to gopher this and gopher that, but otherwise the private eco-island resort will be all yours.
