Ten minute drive to downtown bar harbor, close to the park entrance. No showers in the campground, or I’d say five stars. There is a backwoods style shower house just out side the can ground. Place has fire wood and ice based on the honor system, but the showers are coin operated.
Review for Blackwoods campground.
We trekked up from Rhode Island to Acadia and had every intent on staying at seawall. However, once we made the 7 hour drive, we decided to stay somewhere a little closer to where we intended on hiking. Blackwoods campground is a wonderful option for those of you interested in hanging around bar harbor or hiking the Beehive trail. The campground itself is wonderfully cared for and we were very pleased to be able to come right in without a reservation. It gets super busy on weekends and in season so a reservation is suggested. Bathrooms are clean, there is a dish water dump station, potable water sources throughout and dumpsters to keep trash out of your site. You also cant beat that public transportation (thanks LL Bean!) It allows you to keep the car at the site if you want and pick up a bus at pretty much all trailheads. The rangers at Blackwoods were very knowledgable and friendly. Thanks for a perfect couple of days, Acadia!
Gear Review of Morsel at Blackwoods Campground
If you guys have read my other reviews, generally i get gear that i never really would have gotten otherwise. Dont get me wrong, its always amazing stuff, but this was the first practical review i have conducted where i have truly felt like “where the heck has this been my whole life??”
These hyper-utensils are not just a spork. They are a fork, spoon, knife and serving spoon, or chili stirrer, or package opener. This was truly the only thing we needed as far as utensils went, and all four of us were very happy. My husband is a chef and makes some pretty elaborate camping meals. These morsels held up and threw down. And (perhaps most importantly) they were a breeze to clean!! I will be getting more in the future, i am five star pleased with this wonderful product. Get your own here- available in two sizes! https://morselspork.com
Fairly typical national park campground. Two huge loops; sites varied in size; some were clearly for tents only as they had huge boulders that separated the driveway area from the rest of the campsite. Ours was site A46 and was a large pull-through. Easy access to the bathroom which was clean. I thought there were enough trees to separate the sites and provide privacy. Generators are annoying but their allowable hours are limited. Unusual that there were windows in the bathroom, and you could see into the handicapped stall from the windows! No showers, no hookups, no hot water. I did like the“drain” for dishwater– I’ve never seen one like this before. It was located just outside of the bathrooms in the A Loop. The biggest plus to this campground is access to the Cadillac Mountain trail, a challenging but rewarding hike! Also, as a senior, can't beat the price of $15 per night!
In my opinion this campground was much nicer than sea wall, which is also in the national park. This campground was nice, but there isn’t much privacy in the spots. The campground has access to some hikes, which is nice. You can hike to Cadillac mountain from here and you can also go to the ocean side.
We spent 3 nights here while hiking and sightseeing Acadia. There aren’t hookups and generator time is limited. We made our reservations about 6 months in advance. The location is ideal because there’s a bus stop at the campground to get access to the entire park. The campground also sits at the trailhead for Cadillac South Ridge, which we hiked. The restrooms were clean and the campground was very quiet considering it was 4th of July week.
This campground was the nicest one I’ve been to so far, facilities were incredible clean and accessible. The campground itself was at the hub of many major trail heads so it was perfect for hiking, site-seeing or just taking a trip into bar harbor! The site neighbors an incredibly clean shower house stocked with fire wood and ice
Wife and I stayed on our last night of our honeymoon trip to Acadia. We were very happy! This is a great place to feel Acadia and be engulfed in nature. The trees are beautiful and dense offering plenty of shade, and bugs so be prepared. We stayed in loop B and walked over to loop A, down the trail and were at the ocean for sunset in under 10 minutes. Sites are nicely spaced apart. No showers but nice and clean restrooms. 1 minuet from campground there is a shower station that offers $2 hot showers with ATM and coin machine. Next time we are in Acadia we will be staying here for multiple nights!! Perfect location/hub if you plan to explore park loop road, easy to get back to for lunch or changing in between activities. Love our Parks!
I read that this was the most popular campsite in acadia national park due to how close it was to the epic cadillac mountain. So we wanted in on that. The campsite was very close to the main town of Bass Harbor, so that was great. It was a very well organised campsite. They had excellent maps to getting to your site and properly checking you in. The campsite itself was pretty busy. Not secluded at all but it was a nice and welcoming campsite to stay at, quite chilled too. The hiking trails were right off the camp so that made things very convinient, and a hike up Cadillac Mountain is definitely a must! They didn't have showers but had water and toilets at every site. I would say all in all it was a pleasant experience and pretty awesome sleeping at Acadia National Park.
Our site was A129(in the back of the A loop). I booked a few months in advance and only had a few sites to choose from- so book early if you can. We were two sites over from the restrooms and water supply, but it was still pretty quiet. Many sites are close together, but there are trees in between so you don't feel on top of your neighbor. The restrooms were cleaned daily. Bring your own soap/towel. There is an electrical outlet in the restroom to use a hair dryer or charge a phone. We had a lot of gravel on our site, which made for walking barefoot in the tent a bit uncomfortable- definitely bring something to sleep on! We left our"camp kitchen" set up at the site and we had no issues of anything missing. Each site has a table and fire ring- including a grate for cooking.
We were able to walk to an ocean view by crossing the loop road. There is also a trail near the check-in booth that connects to other area trails. We had no phone service at all anywhere in Acadia. Showers are $2.00 for four minutes- bring quarters. They were not super clean, but they were hot and got the job done. There are changing rooms and ample places to hang your towel/clothes, etc. Overall, Blackwoods made for an enjoyable trip. I would camp there again.
Just the best! So much to do at Acadia! Hikes, education centers, Cadillac Mountain, Thunder hole and more! Sites are great! Close to Bar Harbor. Bathrooms are clean. Showers are off site.
Stayed so we'd be close to the water as well as in the park. Great base camp for activities. Could get up and walk to loop road with my bike, or go a little further and sit on the boulders overlooking the sea. Hiked across Cadillac Mtn and walked south and right back to camp. Sites were very gravely for tents and not level.
This is one of the 3 camping options within Acadia National Park itself and the campground has 300+ sites. Despite being so large, the sites are wooded and relatively secluded which contribute to an overall feeling of not being at a mega-campground. At my time of visit, the staff was planting even more trees to act as additional privacy screens between sites. I ultimately opted to stay here because backcountry/dispersed camping is not allowed in Acadia and Blackwoods Campground is one of the few places where you can still camp within the park. It was a nice base for day hiking and it conveniently connects the the park’s trail system and also has a bus stop for the bus lines that service the park. The staff is incredibly informative and personally greets each person who checks into the campground (the only negative about this is the process tends to cause a bit of a traffic jam at the campground entrance). Of note, when booking your spot, you may want to avoid the sites that are situated right on the trails, unless you want a constant flow of people walking along your site. Overall, my stay here was a positive experience and I do not have any complaints about the grounds, other campers, or the facilities. I ultimately rated Blackwoods as 4 stars because although well located and overall a nice spot, it lacked a certain wow factor that other 5 star front country national park campgrounds have.
They have bathrooms but no showers and have hiking trails right from the campgrounds
This site is simply amazing all around. I've stayed here several times, both with just a few people and with whole groups and every time it has been fantastic. The last time we stayed and it happened to rain a couple of times over our five day trip. This didn't stop us from biking the carriage trails or taking the free shuttle out to Bar Harbor and exploring there. Quick note, make use of the Acadia National Park Chimani app, it had lots of handy information, plus the shuttle schedule and it works without service. The sites are a good size and the bathrooms are really nice. There are pay showers a little down the road from the campground.
My friend's family has been going to Acadia every summer for probably 15 years, and myself and other friends would tag along and have a big ol' fun time. And every single year, we stay at the Blackwoods campground. You would think I'd have more pictures, but there's so much to do around the site that you forget to document!
The campsites themselves are usually completely booked throughout the season, so make sure you plan and book in advance. However, never have I once got the feeling of things being really busy of overrun with people. The sites are decently sized and well taken care of. Even though there are a ton of individual sites, you really feel like you're in the forest and each site is separated by dense trees, giving you the feeling of peaceful solitude. The campsites themselves are pretty standard; fire rings, picnic table, flat ground for tents. Bathhouses are always in walking range. I think quarter showers are in select ones (though you don't need it--splash around ion Hunters Brook where is crosses route 3. You can even jump from the road when it's deep enough!). What I really like about these sights are the intermingling of trees, making good bases for hammocks, slacklines, and whatever things you need to hang between trees.
One of the best parts of staying in the Blackwoods campground is the proximity to the cliffs over the ocean. From Loop A, there is a little trail that takes you to to Park Loop road. Cross it, and you're on some rocky cliffs over the ocean. Amazing views. Awesome for bouldering too, if you're into climbing. And one night every trip, my friends and I bring our sleeping bags and sleep on the rocks over the ocean. 10/10 would recommend. Just make sure you're above the high tide line! The stars are unbeatable, as well as the sunrise. We really stay at Blackwoods campground just for this being close by.
Blackwoods campground is a very large, very busy, somewhat rustic campground in the heart of Acadia National Park. We camped here 3 nights in July and every site was full. The sites are fairly standard, with a picnic table and fire ring. There are bathrooms generally within a short walk from each site, but no showers. There is a private shower house just outside the campground, bring your roll of quarters with you. You can also purchase firewood just about everywhere outside the campground itself. There is a shuttle bus that runs to the campground and will take you to various other parts of the park including many trailheads. We camped in site A31 which was directly off the campground loop road, but felt more private than many of the sites located in the inner circles of the campground. We could walk a short trail from camp to the ocean. There is no WiFi, and little cell phone coverage at all within the area. Amenities are few within the campground itself, but this is an area people come to explore and take in the beauty of Acadia, not hang out at camp.
Llocated inside Acadia Mational Park, this campground offers you a great immersion experience of this natural gem. The free island shuttle has a stop at the campground which makes it very convenient to depart for hikes from your campsite and combine various trails for a longer excursion and you can jump on a shuttle to get back, eliminating need to drive. There are trailheads that leave from the campsite and there is a beach view access walking distance from the campground. My only complaint is there is no hot water in the sinks and no showers on site. There is a shower location down the road, but be prepared with lots of quarters. It costs 8 quarters for 4 minutes of hot water, so make sure to prep accordingly. Overall, I am still leaving 5 stars because it is such a gorgeous location and the price was good for the central location on the island.
No hookups, no showers and no playgrounds in campgrounds. But it was very clean and well managed. Acadia was stunning! so much to do and see, we could easily spend a week here!
Walking distance to the ocean l, the park loop road and miles of hiking trails. Easy to access site using gps or maps provided by national park. They also have primitive walk in sites in the off season. Bathrooms are clean and fresh water, many options to stop for firewood on the road to the campground.
we stayed at blackwoods for Memorial Day weekend. the campground is Preston’s, clean bathrooms and big campsites. it’s located within the acadia National park and there are many hiking trails starting at the campground. there is a beach trail and access to the beach from the campground. it’s close to bar harbor and coin hot showers are located right outside the campground. it’s a beautiful place! the park rangers are helpful and very friendly. highly recommended!
This was my first experience camping at an actual campground and I had a very nice time! The camp sites are relatively close together but the site was big enough for two medium-large size tents. There was a fire pit and picnic table at each site! It was very clean. There’s bathroom on site that was also very clean and not far away. There’s no showers but there is a coin operated shower hut right outside the campground entrance. Water spicket near the bathroom had clean delicious water! There is an excellent trail leading to the top of Cadillac right from the campground. Trail was about 8 miles round trip and it was fairly hard we didn’t make it to the top because it got to hard on the older dog we brought with us. There’s also many things to do in the park itself! Overall we had a great time!
Typical National Park style campground, although sites are tightly packed together even for a big campground.
Wet pine forest surrounds the area, so scavenging for fire wood can be hard to come by.
For experienced hikers, many longer day hike loops are available directly from the campground.
Excellent campground at Acadia NP. Every site fills up during the summer. Have been the only campers sometimes in the spring and fall (besides the night sky festival week in early Sept) Close by bathrooms, a few trails close by. And a quick walk to the otter cliffs - which are sublime and beautiful.
This campground is amazing!!
Blackwoods has a great location on mount desert island. 15 mins from bar harbor, ocean path trail, Jordan pond and top of cadilac mountain. I came to Acadia for its beauty, so location is everything and crowds were expected. I arrived on a Monday in July and had to wait a half hour just to get into the campsite because there was a line of cars waiting to get in (mid afternoon-ish). We were surprised there were no showers on the grounds but there are some options in town for $5. There is also a rule against using any spigots or sinks to clean dishes on the grounds. Instead you are supposed to collect water, bring it to your site and clean dishes there. So pack a bucket if you’re coming to blackwoods! We arrived on a Monday and left on a Wednesday and we were kept up and woken up by our neighbors here. Quiet hours are not enfourced here. But the location is great and we are lucky to have been able to stay here! I’d recommend.
This was a great campground! Free busses to every part of the park and the village green in Bar Harbour. They have free firewood. Lots of shade. Short walk to the ocean overlook. Hope to be back next year! No electric, dry camping in rv. Staff is very friendly and will answer any questions re the hikes near by. Dump station. Potable water available.
This campground is spacious and fairly quiet. It is super close to some great hiking trails in Acadia National Park. It is also a 10-15mins ride to Bar Harbor. The bathrooms in the campground are nice and clean. The only downfall, in my opinion of course, is that you have to drive out of the campground to the showers, which you have to pay for when you get there. We have camped there now two years in a row and definitely planning on going back.
Close to many trails as well as the vast, beautiful ocean, clean bathrooms, close to island adventures/bar harbor restaurants and overall is a pleasant family campground. There are really nice showers within a two minute drive that are coin operated (ATM and coin machine inside though) and the campground also gives you an armful of free wood. Sites are not as secluded but the location and cleanliness makes up for that.
This was a great campsite to visit with our family. Was impressed by cleanliness and care of disposing of food waste to keep night time critters to a minimum.
This campground is a lot smaller than it looks on the map, which is not a bad thing at all. From our campsite, we had a five minute walk to the ocean path! This path brings you to a beautiful view of the ocean and mount desert island. There is also a trail by the rangers station that you can take that will bring you all the way to sand beach if you continue onto other trails! My boyfriend, dog (did i mention it’s dog friendly?!), and I had a great time!
