Acadia National Park Camping Guide

Camping is fun and will make your mind deeply refreshed. If you are tired of the daily busy urban routine and planning for camping with your friends at Acadia National Park then this guide is completely dedicated to you. We have covered what the best you will get at each campground available at Acadia National Park. The history and geography of the Acadia National Park are quite rich and interesting. The Acadia views are the highlights for most of the nature lovers who camp at the Acadia campsites.

The best way to experience the wooden aroma, enjoy the Acadia views, listen to the birds sing at Acadia National Park is camping. There are mainly three most popular campgrounds available at Acadia National Park and a dozen private campgrounds also available. This place features both front-country and backcountry campsites. You don’t need to get confused anymore. This guide helps you to analyze and decide the best campsite for you at Acadia National Park.

Acadia National Park Camping Guide

Blackwoods Campground

Location: Five miles south of Bar Harbor just off Route 3.

Blackwoods campground is one of the most popular Acadia’s camping grounds. The Blackwoods has 306 campsites. From 10 minutes walk, you will find the ocean in front of you. All camping sites at Blackwoods campground are wooden. Campfire ring and a picnic table are also available at each campsite. Keep in mind that there are no showers available at this campground.

A half-mile from the campground, a nearby village Otter Creek offers private pay showers. Flush toilets are available at the nearby location of the campground. This campground also includes several RV sites.

Cost and Reservations: $30 per site, per night during peak season from May to October. Make sure to make reservations.

Seawall Campground

Location: Four miles south of Southwest Harbor. On the western side of Mount Desert Island.

The Seawall campground features an aesthetic oceanside picnic area. You can get here by a short walk from the campground. It is also the most popular campground at Acadia National Park. It consists of around 200 campsites. All the campsites are wooded. Like Blackwoods, the Seawall doesn’t have showers. You can read our guide on Most Comfortable Ways to Sleep in a Tent.

There are several private pay showers available around 1 mile from the Seawall campground. Flush toilets are available nearby and each campsite consists of a camping ring and picnic table. The Motorhome sites can accommodate RVs up to 35 feet in length. It is open from the first Wednesday before Memorial Day through the end of September.

Cost and Reservations: $22 per night, for walk-in tent sites and $30 per night for drive-up tent, camper and motorhome sites. Reservations are highly recommended in late June, July, and August.

Schoodic Woods Campground

Location: Near Schoodic Peninsula, on the mainland. Forty-three miles from Bar Harbor and 3 miles southeast of Winter Harbor.

Areawise, the size of the Schoodic Woods is approximately the same as of the Blackwoods campground. However, it has only about one-third of the campsites of Blackwoods. It has around 94 campsites. Thirty-seven campsites with parking spaces for cars, vans, and campers are categorized at Loop A and 30 campsites for recreational vehicles are categorized at Loop B.

The best thing about campsites at Schoodic Woods campground is that there are washrooms with flush toilets and potable water is available nearby. Campfire rings and picnic tables are also available at each campsite. Apart from that, there are 9 hike-in campsites also available. Keep in mind that fire is prohibited at these hike-in sites.

Moreover, it also has a hiking trail that goes to the highest point on the Schoodic Peninsula – Schoodic Head. Around eight miles of bike paths are also present near the campground.

Cost and Reservations: $22 walk-in tent sites, $30 drive-up tent/ small RV, $40 RV with electric and water, $36 RV with electric only sites. No first-come, first-serve principle. Reservations are mandatory.

Acadia National Park Camping Guide

Dunk Harbor Campground

Location: Sixteen miles southwest of Mount Desert Island, on Isle au Haut.

Love hiking trails? Yes! Then you can go for the Dunk Harbor campground. Its location at Isle au Haut is an enriched perfect network of hiking trails. It features five primitive campsites. This campground is the most remote campground of Acadia. This campground has composting toilets and around 0.25 miles, a handpump is available. All of the campsites include one three-sided, lean-to shelter with a roof and floor.

Here is the limitation for camping, one stay per year, for a maximum of three nights. Moreover, a maximum of six persons per site is allowed. A picnic table and campfire ring are available at each campsite. Apart from that each campsite also has a locker for storing food and toiletries. If you’re looking for the best family camping tents, read our detailed guide here.

Reservations: Advance reservations from 15 May to 15 October.

How to Get a Campsite?

If you are visiting the campgrounds during the summer and don’t have a reservation then there are high chances of getting out of luck. Don’t worry, there are a dozen private campgrounds also available near the Acadia National Park. During the off-season, the Blackwoods campground offers first-come, first-served campsites.

From April to May and November, you just need to pick a campsite then make the payment transaction at the self-registration kiosk located near the ranger station. During winters, from December to March, a winter permit is necessary. You get it from the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

Summing Up

Camping allows you to experience the aesthetics of Acadia National Park. A perfect campsite is necessary to enjoy the camping days and nights at best. Acadia National Park offers one of the world’s most popular campsites. You just need to select the best campsite for you. The above discussion helps you to select the best campsite for you at Acadia National Park. Comment below your valuable thoughts. Stay tuned with us for more regular updates on the latest camping guides.

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