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Official

Established Camping

Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park

Duck Harbor Campground is located near Bar Harbor in Acadia National Park. The terrain features coastal landscapes with rocky shores and dense forests. Temperatures range from 50°F to 70°F in summer and 10°F to 30°F in winter. Nearby attractions include Cadillac Mountain and the Jordan Pond House, offering scenic views and hiking opportunities.

Description

National Park Service

Acadia National Park

Overview

Duck Harbor campsites are reservable starting on April 1st at 10:00am ET. Duck Harbor Campground is located on Isle au Haut, a rugged island off the coast of Stonington, Maine. Remote and inaccessible to automobiles, Isle au Haut is linked to the mainland by mailboat.

Recreation

Isle au Haut offers excellent hiking. The remoteness of the island provides a quiet experience along primitive trails with many great views of rocky cliffs and coastal scenery. Bicycling is allowed but is very rigorous, on loose rock, and unpaved road. No trail biking. You must bring your own mountain bike. Bicycles can only be unloaded at the Town Dock. No bicycles may be loaded or unloaded at Duck Harbor Landing.

Natural Features

Isle au Haut provides opportunities to explore rocky shorelines, wooded uplands, marshes, bogs, and a mile-long freshwater lake. A section of Acadia National Park covers about half of Isle au Haut. The campground is situated on the western side of Isle au Haut. It is just south of the Duck Harbor Boat Landing. The island is approximately six miles long by two miles wide.

Nearby Attractions

There is a small, traditional village near the Isle au Haut Town Landing where one can find a general store, seasonal gift shop, a seasonal food shack, and post office.

Charges & Cancellations

No Shows If a camper does not arrive at his/her campsite by 11:00am check-out time the day after the scheduled arrival date, their reservation will be cancelled, the camper will incur a $20.00 service fee, and forfeit the first night's camping fee. Making Changes to Your Reservation A $10.00 service fee will apply if you make any changes to your reservation. Cancelling Your Reservation If you cancel your reservation the day before or on the day of your scheduled arrival date, you will incur a $10 service fee and forfeit your first night's camping fee. If you cancel your reservation 2 or more days before your scheduled arrival date, you will only incur a $10 service fee. _Please review Rules & Reservation Policies below for more information.

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Location

Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park is located in Maine

Detail location of campground

Directions

From the north, take I-95 to Bangor, then I-395 to Brewer, then take Rte. 15 south to Stonington. From the south, take I-95 or I-295 to Augusta, then Rte. 3 to Belfast, then Rte. 15 to Stonington.

Address

Acadia National Park, Attn: Duck Harbor Campground, PO Box 177
Bar harbor, ME 04609

Coordinates

44.0281972 N
68.6531222 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Hike-In
    Backcountry sites.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Available
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Available
  • T-Mobile
    Available

Site Types

  • Tent Sites

Features

For Campers

  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Fires

Contact

General Info

Reservations


Reviews

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5.0

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2 Reviews

Reviewed Sep. 11, 2018

Hard to get to, difficult to get a reservation, but so worth the time!

Camping on in the Duck Harbor Campground is nearly the stuff of legends. This remote island off the coast of Maine only has 5 campsites in this part of Acadia National Park, and reservations are required. The Park’s website describes this in classic Park Service understatement, “Duck Harbor Campground is very popular. Please plan your trip in advance.” What they mean is if you don’t go online within 10 minutes of opening day, April 1st, at 10 am EST, you will miss your chance to stay here for the whole year. You won’t be the first to get denied and certainly not the last. You might however, get lucky if you’re in the area for long enough and there is a sudden cancellation. 

I believe I’m right in saying that the hype is worth it here, more than just because it’s difficult to get here and difficult to get a reservation. This is a beautiful place to camp and an amazing island to explore by bike, by kayak, and on foot.

Each of the 5 sites offers a classic lean-to structure with a campfire ring and a picnic table. But it’s not the site which makes this place so special. Sticking out into the Gulf of Maine, this is one of the most remote islands with established camping and recreational trails on the coast. It feels like another world entirely than Mount Dessert Island, where the rest of Acadia National Park is located. By comparison, MDI feels like Central Park.

There is fresh water a short walk away from the campground, and a bear proof food storage locker at each lean-to. Mosquitoes can be bad during the summer, so I would recommend bringing a bug net or small backpacking tent which you could set up in the lean-to for more protection and privacy. 

Getting to the island is possible through the daily mailboat which goes directly to Duck Harbor from Stonington, but the best way to get there is to paddle up in a sea kayak as we did!

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park by Shari  G., September 11, 2018
  • Review photo of Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park by Shari  G., September 11, 2018
  • Review photo of Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park by Shari  G., September 11, 2018
  • (10) View All
Reviewed Aug. 26, 2017

Duck Harbor Acadia National Park

I describe this as "backpacking light". You need to bring everything with you (except water) on the mailboat and then walk on a short distance to one of 5 campsites. It is a great place to just get away. There are several miles of moderate hikes. Starting in 2018 reservations will be online starting April1. The campground is open mid May to mid October but the mailboat only goes to the campground from late June to late September; otherwise a 5 mile walk from town.

Site4
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park by Patricia P., August 26, 2017
  • Review photo of Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park by Patricia P., August 26, 2017
  • Review photo of Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park by Patricia P., August 26, 2017

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are fires allowed at Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is unknown, AT&T is available, and T-Mobile is available.

  • How hard is it to get a campsite at Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park?

    Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

  • Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park?

    There are 5 campsites at Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts