Situated on the coast of Maine, about 160 miles from Portland and 50 miles from Bangor, Acadia National Park is the first national park established east of the Mississippi River and is one of the most popular national parks in the United States. With 3.5 million visits each year, travelers trek to this northeastern corner of the country for an opportunity to do some Acadia National Park camping. Known for its beautiful views and ample hiking, an Acadia National Park camping trip is a great way to fully enjoy everything this beautiful national park has to offer.
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Acadia National Park Camping Basics
Four Acadia National Park camping grounds are spread throughout the park and offer different experiences. There are two places to camp on Mount Desert Island — Blackwoods and Seawall Campgrounds. Schoodic Woods Campground is situated on the Schoodic Peninsula, which is the only mainland section of the park. Duck Harbor Campground is located on Isle au Haut and is only accessible from the mainland by mailboat. There is no backcountry camping or overnight parking allowed anywhere in the park, so in order to take an Acadia National Park camping trip, you have to stay in one of these four official campgrounds.
A few important things to know about making Acadia National Park camping reservations are that there are no same-day reservations, and campsites are not available for request upon arrival — at any of the campgrounds in the park. Reservations have to be made online ahead of time on Recreation.gov. If your plan is to spend your time at Acadia National Park camping, the campgrounds tend to fill up quickly, so it is important to make reservations as soon as you are able to, which is up to two months in advance.
Dates vary slightly from campground to campground, but Acadia National Park camping season is typically open from early May to mid-October (see details under each campground below). Since reservations are open two months prior, the earliest reservations can be made starting in March for dates in May.
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The Acadia National Park Campgrounds
An Acadia National Park camping trip is an inexpensive way to visit this beautiful northeastern section of the country. If you are not sure where you want to stay during your Acadia National Park camping trip or which campground is right for you, here is a breakdown of those four campgrounds. Details about specific sites in each campground can be found online at Recreation.gov, and maps of the campgrounds are available online at the National Park Service’s Acadia National Park website.
Blackwoods Campground
The majority of the park is on Mount Desert Island, where it shares a border on one side with the town of Bar Harbor, a popular spot with park visitors and beach vacationers alike. Blackwoods Campground is located on the east side of Mount Desert Island, about five miles south of Bar Harbor.
There are 281 sites here, the majority of which accommodate tents. There are sites set up for campers with RVs, but they are all non-electric sites. However, generators can be used in certain areas. All of the sites are equipped with a picnic table and fire ring. The campground has flush toilets, running water, and a dump station, but there are no showers located at the campground. Fee shower facilities are located half a mile from the campground.
If you are looking to enjoy the wilderness and the ocean while on your Acadia National Park camping trip, the sites at Blackwoods are all wooded and within a 10-minute walk of the ocean. That sounds like camping perfection. The season is typically open from early May to mid-October at this campground, with reservations opening up in early March.
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Seawall Campground
Seawall Campground is located on the west side of Mount Desert Island, which is considered the quiet side of the island. This family-friendly campground has a total of 202 campsites. The majority of sites in Seawell Campground are for tents, some of which are considered “walk-to sites” that are not accessible by car.
While Seawall does have sites that can accommodate RVs, the campground was not designed for large RVs and trailers, so it is important to read the campsite details and warnings carefully before reserving a site. Typically, the season here is open from late May to early October, with reservations opening in late March.
Like Blackwoods Campground, Seawall is wooded and within a 10-minute walk to the ocean. All of the sites at Seawell Campground are equipped with a picnic table and fire ring, and there are flush toilets, running water, and a dump station. There are no showers located at Seawall. The fee-to-shower facilities and a camping supply store are located 1 mile from the campground.
An Acadia National Park camping experience at Blackwoods offers plenty to see and do in this national park. This side of the island boasts many beautiful hiking trails as well as Echo Lake, a perfect spot for swimming, fishing, kayaking, or family picnics. There is also a nice picnic area on the shore across from the campground entrance.
Schoodic Woods Campground
Schoodic Woods Campground is the newest campground in the park and is located on the Schoodic Peninsula, which is the only mainland section of Acadia National Park. If you are planning an Acadia National Park camping trip, this campground has a lot of options. There are primitive hike-in tent sites as well as drive-up tent sites that can also fit a small RV. However, unlike the previous campgrounds, this one has RV sites equipped with electric as well as sites with both electric and water hookups. Like the other campgrounds, there are no showers in the campground or the surrounding area. The closest showers are located on Mount Desert Island.
There are a lot of recreational activities that are easily accessible from Schoodic Woods. A six-mile one-way loop road with vehicle turnouts offers views of lighthouses and forested islands. There are over eight miles of hiking trails and an additional eight miles of bike paths. Plus, Schoodic Point, a rocky point, provides spectacular views of Mount Desert Island. Typically, the season here is open from late May to early October, with reservations opening in late March.
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Duck Harbor Campground
If you are interested in a secluded, primitive Acadia National Park camping experience, Duck Harbor Campground is just what you are looking for. The campground is located on Isle au Haut, a rugged island off the coast. Remote and inaccessible to cars, the only way to get to Isle au Haut from the mainland is by mailboat.
Camping here is complete backcountry camping. There are only five sites, each with a three-sided lean-to shelter with a roof and floor. Tents are permitted but limited to what can fit inside the shelter. Sites are equipped with a fire ring and picnic table. There is a composting toilet and a hand pump for water located about 1,600 feet from the shelters.
This unique experience is limited to a maximum stay of three nights, and campers are limited to one stay per calendar year. Camping here is very popular, so reservations need to be made as soon as they open up. Typically, the season opens at the beginning of June and runs until mid-October.
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Important Things to Know Before You Go
There are fees for Acadia National Park camping in all of the parks. Since it is a national park, the camping fees are reasonable and are different depending on the campground and the type of site you are reserving. In order to enter the park, all visitors – including campers – need either an Acadia Entrance Pass or a National Park/Federal Lands Pass, which is different from campground fees.
There are several different types of passes for entrance to the park. Standard Acadia passes for the 2022 season are $30 per vehicle and are valid for seven days. They can be purchased online or at the park. There is also an Acadia Annual Pass for visitors planning to visit the park multiple times during the year. If you are interested in more than one Acadia National Park camping trip, this pass is worth the cost after just two visits to the park. However, note that this annual pass is only for Acadia National Park and cannot be used for admission to any other National Park.
Another park pass option is a Federal Lands Pass. These passes allow entrance to all the National Parks as well as National Forests and U.S. Fish and Wildlife sites. A variety of federal lands passes are available online and in-person at Acadia National Park, including the standard interagency annual pass, a discounted senior annual pass, a lifetime senior pass, and a military pass.
Want to get around, but you do not want to drive your car during your Acadia National Park camping trip? Acadia’s Island Explorer shuttle buses provide free shuttle service between park destinations and locations in the surrounding communities. The shuttle operates from late June through Columbus Day in October. It travels between Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and various locations in the park. It is a nice way to get around without having to worry about keeping up with your vehicle.
Before you head out, consider downloading the National Park Service App. Whether you are at home planning your Acadia National Park camping trip or you are already in the park looking for the next hiking trail you want to take, the park app is a handy guide. Because cell signal is limited, it is best to download the app before you go and choose “save this park for offline use” on the homepage so you can use it seamlessly. The app is useful because it has interactive maps, self-guided park tours, things to do during your trip, and a list of amenities
Things to Do While Acadia National Park Camping
There are plenty of things to do in the park during an Acadia National Park camping trip. Hiking is among one of the more popular activities here. That is because there are more than 150 miles of trails running through the park. Hiking trails take visitors through forests, along Maine’s beautiful rocky coastline, and up to exposed mountain tops. Sometimes you can do all of those things in one hike. Depending on your comfort and experience level, there are opportunities for both challenging hikes and leisurely hikes that keep you on flatter ground.
If you and your family enjoy bicycling, be sure to bring your bicycles along on your Acadia National Park camping trip because there are 45 miles of carriage roads you can explore. Acadia National Park offers opportunities for bicycling on carriage roads, bike paths, gravel roads, and paved roads. There are various options based on your experience, the type of bicycle you have, and where you are starting or would like to go. The carriage roads are great options because cars cannot travel here, so bicyclists are only sharing the road with pedestrians and horse carriages. The only place bikes are not permitted is on the hiking trails.
Another fun activity to go along with Acadia National Park camping in the summer is swimming. Acadia National Park has three beaches popular for swimming in the summer — Echo Lake Beach, Lake Wood, and Sand Beach. Echo Lake Beach is on the west side of Mount Desert Island. This popular swimming area is at the southern end of Echo Lake and consists of a small sandy beach with a roped-off swimming area. There are occasionally lifeguards at this beach but they are not always on duty. Lake Wood is a secluded pond with a small beach area a short drive away from Hulls Cove Visitor Center. There are no lifeguards at this little swimming spot.
Sand Beach is Acadia’s only sandy ocean beach. It is found at the beginning of the Park Loop Road’s coastal section and is one of the park’s most heavily visited areas. During the peak visiting season, lifeguards are generally on duty here. While it is a busy area, the view here is a must-see, so no Acadia National Park camping trip is complete without a visit to Sand Beach. If you have visited this area before, you might be familiar with the cold ocean temperatures here. If not, beware that the water here is frigid even during the height of summer due to the cold waters flowing through this part of the Atlantic Ocean.
Besides swimming, “tidepooling” is another fun water activity to do while visiting Acadia. Then the tide comes in, and a variety of plants and animals come with it. When the tide recedes, tidepools are left behind in the depressions of the rocks along the shore. Exploring these little glimpses of the ocean is a fun way to spend an afternoon while you are camping in the park.
If you head out to check out the marine life in the tidepools, Get down low, look closely and carefully, and have patience. These fascinating and hidden creatures can take time to findPro tip — the best time to tidepool is to start before low tide and to head out as the tide is rising.
Another way to keep yourself and your family busy during your Acadia National Park camping trip is with some of the ranger-led programs in the park. Between mid-May and mid-October, park rangers offer hikes, walks, boat cruises, talks, and children’s programs. They also provide opportunities to view peregrine falcons and raptors. Many of the ranger-led programs are specifically designed for children and families, so there are options for all park visitors.
Children can also participate in the Junior Ranger Program by attending ranger programs, completing activities in a workbook, and promising to take care of Acadia National Park. It is a great way for kids to learn and have fun during their trip to the park. To get started, simply pick up a workbook at one of the visitor centers, the nature center, or one of the park campgrounds. When they are finished, they get to be “sworn in” and receive a Junior Ranger badge to keep.
Acadia National Park camping is easy and relaxed. This National Park offers both the solitude you want while also being a short trip to nearby communities. You can easily venture out of the park to one of the surrounding communities and visit the boardwalks, enjoy some seafood, check out the local shops, and visit one of the area’s beaches. Whether you are interested in an Acadia National Park camping trip so you can enjoy nature, go fishing, or take a long hike, Acadia National Park is the perfect spot. An Acadia National Park camping trip offers it all.
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Sources: Acadia National Park
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