REVIEW OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK CAMPGROUNDS

REVIEW OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK CAMPGROUNDS

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BLACKWOODS CAMPGROUND

By far Blackwoods campground is the most sort after and popular of the three campgrounds within Acadia National Park. It is located along route 3, just beyond the town of Bar Harbor, on Mount Desert Island, Maine. There are many reasons this is the most popular of the three campgrounds, the main reason being location. It is about a five minute drive from downtown Bar Harbor. It has a major hiking trail directly across the road from the entrance, the Cadilac Mountain south ridge trail. There are also coin operated hot showers across the road from the campground, and within walking distance a small country store with basic camping supplies and food goods. And the free Island Explorer buses service the campground throughout the day and evening, and the trip from the campground into downtown Bar Harbor on the bus is about 10 minutes away from Otter Creek, where Blackwoods is located.

island explorer buses

(Free Island explorer buses. Over 32 free buses service the National Park )

Another attraction of Blackwoods is the live nightly shows put on in its amphitheater, where Park Rangers lead evening programs. They always draw a large crowd and are a big hit with young children.

There is also a narrow service road along one of the tent loops which is marke as a service road. . Follow this narrow dirt road a short ways through the woods, and you quickly come out onto the ONE WAY SECTION of the park loop road. You will see a wooden rail fence across the roadway with paths that follow the edges of high cliffs with sweeping ocean views. There are also signs warning that people have fallen to their death off the high cliffs. A walk along the roadway to the right, in the direction of traffic flows, and you will soon come to a small sign, LITTLE HUNTERS BEACH, with a long narrow wooden stairway leading to a rock beach. The beach is tiny, but well known for one thing, most of the rocks and stones that make up the beach are perfectly round or oval and smooth.

The campground itself has undergone changes, some campsites that were right up next to the restrooms have been removed and the restrooms are now surrounded by brush and tree's, and new brush has been planted throughout the campground, and most of the time there is a huge wood pile with free fire wood. Still, the ten sites at Blackwoods are not as well screened off by brush as those at Seawall campground. Also, Balckwoods campground is a by reser4vation only campground, and to get in, you should make your reservations as early in the year as possible.There is also an RV section, no hook ups, and a large group tenting area.

PROS;

306 CAMP SITES

Group camp sites available

Hot showers availabe across from campground

free firewood - when available

popular Cadillac Southwest Hiking trail across from campground

with 15 minute drive of downtown Bar Harbor

short walk to ocean views

live nightly entertainment

wall outlets for charging small devices in restrooms

camp store right around corner from campground

pay phone available

campground serviced by free Island Explorer Buses

CONS;

NO HOOKUPS

NO ELECTRICITY

Cell phone service is hit or miss due to surrounding mountains

. By Phone
877-444-6777 phone
877-833-6777 TTY
518-885-3639 international
888-448-1474 customer service

Reservations may be made on the NRRS website.

recreation.gov

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
44.30972, -68.20806
44°18'35"N, 68°12'29"W

CAMPSITES - $20 per night

TTY
(207) 288-8800

Fax

(207) 288-8813

Write to

Acadia National Park
P.O. Box 177
Bar Harbor, ME 04609

SEAWALL CAMPGROUND

Saewall campground is located in the small village of seawall, along route 102A, just beyond the village of Southwest Harbor, on Mount Desert Island, Maine. This is the side of the island many call the quiet side, because far fewer tourists venture much beyond Southwest harbor and its many shops and there are not the large crowds here on this end of Acadia National park. Just before Seawall campground is a long natural sea wall you will drive over, and just up ahead is Seawall picnic area to the left and the entrance to Seawall Campground to the right. Unlike the Bar Harbor side of the island, there are bears over on the quiet side, and they sometimes roam into the seawall picnic area looking for scraps of food in the late evening. Your chances of actually seeing a wold Maine Blackbear however are very slim. I have lived here for over 15 years now and have only seen one bear on the entire island, and that was in late evening along the Bass Harbor Lighthouse Road.

On one end of the natural seawall is a camp store as well, with very basic camping supplies. A very short distance away from the campground are two very popular hiking trails, the first is the WONDERLAND trail, actually an old fireroad which leads through woods, fields, and finally comes out at a beach which gets very little use. There is also a loop at the very end and some people illegally camp out in the woods in here, where there are many tiny trails going off into the woods. Unlike the Ship Harbor trail system, at wonderland you are right close to the water. At low tide, there is even a small island you can cross over to and explore. The beach here is a great place to search for pieces of smooth sea glass as well as driftwood.

Just a little further down the roadway is the Ship Harbor trail system, basicly a figure eight hiking trail. Because of the cliffs, there are only a couple places you can get close to the water, and that is within the sheltered harbor section. If you can only visit one of these sites, go with the Wonderland one, you won't be sorry.

Seawall campground itself use to be a first come, first served campground, but beginning with the 2012 season, they will now be a by reservation only campground.

Seawall, like Blackwoods campground, also has nightly live shows in its amphitheater, as well as a church service on sunday mornings.

The tent sites are well screened off with brush and tree's, and the campground is serviced by the free Island explorer buses. The buses however are about an hour ride away from Downtown Bar Harbor, which by private car is about a 25 minute drive away.

Unlike Bar Harbor, Seawall is on the back side of the island, so temps at night and day are cooler and this side of the island tends to get fog in the late evening.

There is also RV sites here, with no hook ups, as well as a large group tenting area. And just like Blackwoods, this campground also has a huge pile of free firewood.

PROS;

214 CAMP SITES

pay phones available

wall outlets in restrooms for charging small devices

hot showers available around corner from campground

camp store around corner from campground

Seawall Picnic Area is across the road from campground

Wonderland nature trail is minutes away

Ship Harbor Nature Trail is minutes away.

Bass Harbor Lighthouse is a short drive away

free firewood - when available

live nightly entertainment

short walk to sweeping ocean views

pizza and subs 15 minute drive away (corners of 102A and 102)

campground serviced by free Island Explorer Buses

CONS;

NO hookups

no electriticy

cell phone service hit or miss due to mountains

Heavy fog is common from dusk onward on this side of island

By Phone
877-444-6777 phone
877-833-6777 TTY
518-885-3639 international
888-448-1474 customer service

Reservations may be made on the NRRS website.

RECREATION.GOV

CAMP SITES $20 PER NIGHT

WALK IN SITES - $14 per night

Seawall Campground Entrance GPS: Latitude 44.240444; Longitude -68.304272
Seawall Picnic Area GPS: Latitude 44.237646; Longitude -68.302139

Write to

Acadia National Park
P.O. Box 177
Bar Harbor, ME 04609

for info call; 207-288-3338

WILDWOOD STABLES CAMPGROUND

You would be hard pressed to find any mention of this campground on the National Park sites, but it is there, just a stones throw from Jordan Pond Teahouse. I won't go into much on this campground because I know very little about it, other then there is a condition for you to be able to stay there, you have to be coming into the park with livestock. Wildwood stables is also where you go to rent horses, or horse drawn carriages for the day to ride along the endless carriage roads that run throughout the park. You can also pay to have a driver take you for a horse drawn carraige ride as well.

BAR HARBOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE