Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Deer Isle, ME

Beautiful, quiet location with views of the deer isle bridge and access to walking the beach. Owners are so nice and friendly and accommodating. Sites are mostly private and have space. Very clean.

Stayed Here for one night after picking up a new travel trailer nearby. The staff and campers were all very friendly and welcoming. Much of the population consists of seasonal campers with huge RVs and Motor Homes. It’s very adult oriented, super quiet, and super clean. There are nice little walking trails and a small fenced in dog park where dogs can play. Would definitely stay here again if in the area!

One of the MITA (Maine Island Trail Association) camping areas in the Deer Isle Archipelago, this island has 2 sites – one larger area up in the woods, the other quite small near the granite shore, but both accessible from the east side of the island. We stayed at the site by the shore and had a gorgeous view of the sun setting. 

This is a perfect island for those new to sea kayak camping as the sandy shore, which is exposed for a good portion of the day, is easy to land on and a short walk to a trail into the woods. 

Come prepared with fresh water(there is no fresh water for filtering) and wag bags (no toilets). Sites are first come, first served and completely free for MITA members.

The Maine Island Trail offers 200 islands in which to sea kayak camp and Saddleback Island is one of the many gorgeous options in the Deer Isle Archipelago. The free camping spots and beaches are maintained by the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA), which is a non-profit membership organization. This island is perfect for a few small tents or you can rent the island’s cabin through MITA.

The camping spot is simple and similar to most backcountry sites: a flat space to pitch your small tent, no toilet, no drinking water, no picnic table, and no reservations possible.  But, what this island lacks in “amenities” is made up for in beauty all around! With a deep, rocky shore, it’s the perfect place to make dinner and watch the sunrise or set, all with beautiful views of Mount Desert Island, the home of Acadia National Park.

The closest town is Stonington, which has all the things you will need for an island camping adventure. You can even rent kayaks and nearly all the gear you need at Old Quarry Ocean Adventures.

Things to consider when sea kayak camping in this area:  1) the fog can roll in at any minute so come prepared with a chart, compass, bearings between islands/markers and a marine radio, 2) you are required to use Wag Bags instead of digging a cat hole to dispose of human waste, 3) since all of the islands are first-come, first-served, have a back-up plan for camping on another island, 4) there are no docks, so the islands are not accessible to large boats, 5) you may get awakened by the sound of lobster boats motors, as they start their day pretty darn early; bring ear plugs if you are light sleeper, 6) the tide in this area is significant (9-14 vertical feet), and landing at high tide is nearly impossible on Saddleback (and many other islands), and 7) file a float plan before you go out (Old Quarry Ocean Adventures is the perfect spot to do this, as well as launch and park for a small fee).

One of the MITA (Maine Island Trail Association) camping areas in the Deer Isle Archipelago, this island has 2 sites– one on the southeast side near Sand Cove and the other on the northeast side of the island. We stayed at one of the 2 sites near Sand Cove which is a truly gorgeous wooded area with a tent platform and a picnic table at each site. Sand Cove is perfect for a beach fire and stargazing on a clear night– some of the best stargazing spots we’ve ever seen! 

Despite the fact that the other islands had pesky mosquitoes, this site had none. Come prepared with fresh water (there is no fresh water for filtering) and wag bags (no toilets). If you happen to need a food or water resupply, Swan’s Island is a short paddle away and has a very small grocery store and town office with fresh water. Sites are first come, first served and completely free for MITA members. And, if you do a beach clean-up during your stay and send in a picture, you will receive a Maine Coast Heritage Trust hat!

Overall, this is a great little private RV park with awesome views (from some sites) and great access to the ocean. The park is conveniently located just a few miles from downtown Belfast (a sweet little Maine town) which offers plenty to do and see. Plus, you are just five miles from the cute town of Searsport which houses the wonderful Penobscot Marine Museum and two miles from Moose Point State Park with hiking trails, picnic areas, and more gorgeous views.

The park offers a variety of sites (44 total) depending on if you want oceanfront, ocean view, or a pull-thru. All sites have electric (50 or 30 amp), water, cable and wifi. The five pull-thru sites also include sewer. A mobile sewer pump-out service is available for guests staying one week or longer and there is a dump station. Roads and sites are gravel with grass patios and level. All sites have a fire ring and picnic table. Our Verizon 4G phone and Hotspot worked great but we mostly used the free wifi which worked very well.

Park amenities include private ocean access, horseshoes, playground, laundry, showers/bathrooms, free coffee in the morning, free weekend papers delivered to your site, free donuts on Sunday mornings, and a restaurant on-site. The park organizes a lot of group activities including pot lucks, lobster shore dinners, and free wine and beer during Friday Happy Hours. The laundry has two wash machines/dryers and was clean and tidy.

The Moorings is in a great location. It is just a few miles from downtown Belfast where you will find restaurants, a brewery, boutiques, a movie theater, art galleries, historic museums/sites, and plenty of water-related activities. Grocery stores and fuel stations are within a few miles of the RV Park. Just a mere 20 miles away is the popular coastal town of Camden.   

What we liked about this park is the town of Belfast and how close the RV park is to downtown. Also, the parks small size and friendly people make this an enjoyable place to stay. We like the fact that they had social activities (like free happy hour and donuts) that bring people together. The ocean access in this park is great! A short set of stairs takes you down to the water which is great for exploring, launching kayaks, and letting the dog run/swim when the tide is out. 

The biggest downside for us was the price and lack of sewer and 50 amp at some sites. Our site was $66/night for a FHU (50 amp) pull-thru on the hill in the front of the park without much in the way of a water view. Premier oceanfront sites (with no sewer and 30 amps) are $72/night during high season. That being said, there are not too many options for campgrounds in the Belfast area and we really did like staying here. 

From a dog owners perspective this park gets mixed reviews. The rules ask that dogs be on a 4’ or less lease, you may only have two pets (unless you get prior approval), they must do their business in one small area and are not allowed on most grassy areas throughout the park. We make a consorted effort not too let our dog pee or poop in others yards but we don’t always have control over where that happens. We did like the fact that you could take them down to the ocean to play in the water and on the beach when the tide was out. Within two miles of the RV park is Moose Point State Park with a few miles of hiking trails, picnic area and water access (a daily use fee is charged). Downtown Belfast does have a fenced off-leash 1.4 – acre dog park with water for dogs and benches for owners.

**Campground Review: **

Hadley’s Point Campground is located on the north side of Mt Desert Island and just a short distance from Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Hadley’s Point is a large private campground that has tent, water& electric RV, and full hook up sites, as well as Cabins. The campground is broke up in to multiple loops (campground map can be found in my pictures) with some loops in open areas with little shade and sites close together, and other loops have more wooded sites that have some shade and privacy. All style sites include a picnic table and fire ring. 

Reservations are site type, not site specific, so a little bit of a gamble. We were assigned site B27 on this visit. This site was partially shade depending on the time of day and very close to our neighbors. Other sites in the B loop did have more trees and more private, but they were full on this stay. Check-in was easy and the staff was very helpful in providing info and answering questions about the area. A host guides you to your site and assist you in positioning if needed. 

The bathroom on B-loop does not have showers so we had to hike to other loops to shower. The Bathrooms and showers were very clean. The showers are metered and cost $0.50 per 7 minutes, so don’t forget your quarters! 

Firewood and limited supplies were available at the office. There is a full grocery store about 10 minutes away. 

We found good cell phone service with Verizon throughout the property. The campground did not have wi-fi. 

The campground also has a heated pool, playground, and laundry. 

With Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park close by, there is so much to do and see in the area. One of the best benefits of the area is that there is a free shuttle with multiple routes around the island, so you can leave the car and parking hassles behind and just shuttle everywhere. The Shuttle has a stop right on the campground and is dog friendly (on leash and if your dog is friendly). 

Speaking of dog friendly, I’ve never been to an area that is so dog friendly. The campground staff was very forthcoming with dog friendly info and I have to mention Bark Harbor in downtown Bar Harbor. Bark Harbor is a pet store that bakes their own treats, has toys and gifts, and tons of info on dog friendly areas on the island. They have pre-printed lists of dog friendly hotels, restaurants, on and off leash hiking trails, and dog parks. Super friendly crew that keyed us into an off leash hiking area that our dogs loved! 

Pro Tip: A short ¼ mile walk from the campground is an off leash dog friendly beach that you can also launch your kayak or canoe from or have a sunset beach campfire. We really enjoys this beach after a long day of hiking all around the national park. 

With all the outdoor activities of the national park, kayak and boat cruises in the ocean, lobster, lobster, lobster, you’ll need a full week to explore this island. Hadley’s Point made it a perfect place for us to take it all in.

**---------------------------- **

**Product Review: **

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the Morsel Spork. This spork from Morel is very handy to have in your gear list. We are teardrop campers, so our space is limited. Everything has to have a purpose and be compact. Items like the Morsel Spork, that serves multiple functions, fit right into our needs. We purchased both the mini and the XL. Both are the same (spork on one end, spoon/scraper on the other end), but the XL is a little longer. We found this very functional for regular eating from plates or bowls, or eating directly from food packets. I also found the scraper spoon side useful in cleaning out our french press carafe. Easy to clean, easy to use, comes in multiple colors, and happy to have it a part of our camping equipment.

Well maintained. Pet friendly BUT must be in leak at all times. Cannot be left alone in RV or vehicle. No sewer. Friendly atmosphere

We stayed at this campground unexpectedly as two places I was looking at would not accept reservations less than 24 hours in advance. They had availability, offered wooded tent spots, and were affordable as some campgrounds anymore are charging an arm and leg to camp. When we arrived, the girls in the office were super sweet. They had the essentials needed if you are in a pinch, a cute gift shop for the Bass Harbor Lighthhouse (bring your lighthouse passport with you to get stamped here), have coffee/muffins in the morning, washrooms were very clean, laundry, dog park, dog run, small rec center, and pool. Tent sites are nicely wooded and spaced out, so you are not on top of one another. Quiet hours are between 10 PM and 7 AM, and it was so nice to camp in peace and quiet with others wanting the same thing. There are homes close by, but they are fenced off and really are out of sight, so it's not really an issue. The Bass Harbor Lighthhouse is literally 500 feet away. We could hear the bouy ding from our campsite. There are two beautiful hiking trails .7 miles away from the campgrounds: Ship Harbor and Wonderland, that bring you to beautiful ocean views. One of the Acadia Park entrances is 5 minutes away. Southwest Harbor is a short ride away to grab an ice cream or a nice dinner. There is a brand new mini golf center further down the road that is amazing!! The Acadia Mountain trail is not far nor is the Cranberry Island Ferry. This was a prime location to see another side of Bar Harbor, see beautiful sites and avoid the crowds of downtown Bar Harbor. So happy I stumbled across this campground by accident. I would highly recommend and will definitely return!

Hadley's Point is a private campground just outside Acadia National Park. This campground prides itself on being family-friendly and welcoming to pets.

Children are allowed to bike throughout the campground until dusk. While we stayed, there was a campground-wide Fourth of July bike parade. The kids loved it. 

Pets are welcome but cannot be abandoned in the motorhome when you leave. Plan to take your pet with you everywhere.

Hadley's Point offers laundry facilities, showers, a heated pool, cornhole, and shuffleboard. While the pool is heated, it is not hot -- or even very warm. But this is Maine we are talking about, and I'm sure that the water was warmer than it would otherwise have been. 

The campground is primarily designed to accommodate RVs and motorhomes. The large fields and open lots for RVs provide ample parking and the campground offered electricity as well as other hookups. 

Cute cabins offer cozy sleeping (but no running water) for visitors without tents or RVs. 

We brought our tent and felt a little like second-class citizens at this RV-focused campground. The tent sites were tiny. Our large van, tent, and screened-in pavilion covered the entire site, leaving very little walking space. Our site also lacked trees for shade and hammocks. 

Worse yet, the campground has an infestation of Black-Legged Deer Ticks -- the ticks responsible for Lyme disease. We found two on our son during our stay. I hope they treat for these ticks soon because it poses a huge risk to their campers. 

There is a lot of potential for this campground but they need to spray the grounds for ticks and create more comfortable sites. They could be awesome if they shifted their focus from trying to fit as many people as possible to creating a comfortable camping experience for all. 

Pros:

- Heated pool

- Bathrooms cleaned regularly

- Laundry

- Good price

- Good location

- Playground

- Kid and pet friendly

- Island Explorer Bus stops at the campground

Cons:

- Cramped sites

- Ticks

- Crowded

Perfect pet friendly campground near Acadia but far enough away from it all. Friendly staff, peaceful nature setting on the water, and starry nights. Clean bathrooms and large campsites. Couldn’t have asked for more. Great also if you love kayaking or paddling!!

Gear Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get gear to review and this time it’s something that I always start my day with, wherever I am. Nature’s Coffee Kettle is a lightweight and reusable coffee brewing system suitable for a variety of situations.

What I like about this product:

• The coffee is tasty and NCK offers a variety of blends. I prefer the Columbian and French Roast – the darker blends have a richer flavor.
• The kettle takes up almost no space, is extremely lightweight and reusable.
• The kettle replaces a French Press or other dedicated coffee pot.
• The coffee filter pack means no messy grounds to dispose which always seems to be a problem when making coffee in the backcountry.

What could be improved:

• To make a stronger tasting brew the coffee needs to be poured through more than 1 time, for my taste. This means transferring the brewed coffee into another vessel and then back into the kettle which really cools the coffee, especially on a chilly morning. In summer though, 2 times through left us with a nice drinkable coffee temperature.
• Each coffee filter bag is individually wrapped, keeping it fresh, but leaving you with more trash.
• The kettle seems a little redundant when you think about it. You must heat the water up in another pot already, so why not just chuck in the coffee filter bag directly into the pot? Save a step.

Product Link: https://nckstore.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/100-colombian-nature-s-coffee-kettle-with-1-colombian-refills

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3rrqZJIsbE&t=3s

Campground Review:

The Maine Island Trail offers 200 islands in which to sea kayak camp and Shivers Island is one of the many gorgeous options in the Deer Isle Archipelago. The free camping spots and beaches are maintained by the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA), a non-profit membership organization. This island is perfect for just 2 people, known locally as Honeymoon Island.

The camping spot is simple and similar to most backcountry sites: a flat space to pitch your small tent, no toilet, no drinking water, no picnic table, and no reservations possible. But, what this island lacks in “amenities” is made up for in beauty all around! With a deep, rocky shore, it’s the perfect place to make dinner, watch the sunrise or set, and star gaze with no city lights or trees to obstruct your view.

The nearby village of Stonington has all the things you need for an island camping trip. You can even rent kayaks and nearly all the gear you need from Old Quarry Ocean Adventures.

Things to consider when sea kayak camping in this area: 1) the fog can roll in at any minute so come prepared with a chart, compass, bearings between islands/markers and a marine radio, 2) you are required to use Wag Bags instead of digging a cat hole to dispose of human waste, 3) since all of the islands are first-come, first-served, have a back-up plan for camping on another island, 4) there are no docks, so the islands are not accessible to large boats, 5) you may get awakened by the sound of lobster boats motors, as they start their day pretty darn early; bring ear plugs if you are light sleeper, 6) the tide in this area is significant (9-12 vertical feet), and landing at high tide is nearly impossible on Shivers (and many other islands), and 7) leave a float plan before you go out (Old Quarry Ocean Adventures is the perfect spot to do this, as well as launch and park for a small fee).

This is a beautiful campground. Well maintained and right on the water. We loved taking our dogs by the water at low tide. We stayed in site 121. There wasn't any trees, just an open area. This was pull thru, full hook up site. This campground did have the Island Shuttle stop. This is help to get around Bar Harbor or to Acadia when you do not have a car or do not want to take one; however we did not use this amenity. If we were to go back, we would pick the water side sites for the views but they do not have sewer hookups. It was a little bit of a drive to Acadia National Park and the town of Bar Harbor but it was worth the drive. Gorgeous area! Very pet friendly.

Beautiful park with some shady, some sunny, some on the water, all level sites. Nice bathrooms, laundry room, playground and rec area for kids. Pet friendly. They gave us a site under low hanging branches that were too low for our 5th wheel. They had no problem changing us to accommodate our rig! Very kind staff! 🙂

Since the campground is closing this fall to renovate I will focus mostly on what the park has to offer. Our family of four plus one pet was impressed with the transportation system provided by Acadia in partnership with L.L Bean. Free buses are pet-friendly which allowed for maximum exploration. Activities within walking distance from the campground included hiking, beach combing, and picnicking. Waking up to see the beautifully painted sky over the ocean at sunrise is well worth it! Rock climbing and various boat excursions were also available. Southwest Harbor neighbors the campground and has adorable coffee houses and restaurants. Also, be sure to seek out one of Ms. Frances' blueberry pies from the Quietside Cafe. Hoping renovations keep walk-in woodsy sites, but update bathrooms and maybe include showers, although a clean pay facility exists a mile towards Southwest Harbor. All together, the gorgeous geography, National Park Service and kind neighboring towns made tent-camping in Acadia an outstanding and affordable experience. This will not be our last visit!

This is one of the best campgrounds we have visited in many years. This small campground opened in 2021 and has amazing waterfront views and nice full hook-up sites. Rob and Peggy are wonderful campground owners who are super engaging and friendly. They take lots of pride in the campground and have planned group events like lobster and oyster dinners, campfires and music, and are always available or answer your questions or provide information on the local area. Definitely check out their website which has an extensive amount of information about the campground and local activities. West Bay has a great online reservation system that lets you see what sites are available and pictures of each site so you can pick what works best for you. Sites range in price from$125-165/night depending on the season (with possible additional charges for electricity usage). 

There are 26 sites in this terraced campground all of which have full hook-up with a water view. Sites in the Woodlands Section(and#18) have nice tall trees for shade; whereas, the others are in full sun. Most sites have two sewer hook-ups which is convenient because hook ups vary depending on RV type. Roads and campsites are gravel and all sites are level. There is no cable but the Wi-Fi is so awesome that you are given free reign to stream, zoom, or surf without restrictions (in fact they pride themselves on their great Wi-Fi). We love the free community garden which has a wonderful selection of produce including strawberries, tomatillos, fresh herbs, beans, lettuces, etc. Feel free to pick whatever you will eat, just leave some for others. There is no bathhouse so all units must be self-contained. The campground is right on the water and there is a nice path leading to an overlook and down to the water which is tidal. There is a beautiful cleared spot at the waters edge with a swing so you can enjoy the view and watch the tides (and seals come and go). Make sure you wake up early and head down to the point because the sunrises are spectacular. They were super smart and put in an outdoor shower so you can rinse the salt water off. Rental kayaks and paddle boards are available or you can bring your own and leave it down at the waters edge. Just make sure you paddle around high tide or else you will be slogging your watercraft through a soft mucky clam flat. Another great thing about this park is that it is a certified dark sky park. Campers are asked to turn outside lights off so there is no light noise to interfere with the beautiful sky full of stars, planets, and meteor showers. Recently added is a short nature trail and off leash dog park. 

The campground is approximately 45 minutes from downtown Bar Harbor and the main section of Acadia National Park. Just ten minutes away is the Schoodic Woods section of Acadia– a less busy and equally beautiful area of the National Park. Plus, there are many nearby nature preserves and public lands that have great hiking. There is a wonderful organic farm down the road and a couple of local wineries are nearby. The nearby town of Gouldsboro has a delicious little ice cream stand and the Pickled Wrinkle restaurant serves great food. Live lobster can be bought off the dock at the nearby town of Corea.

This is a wonderful campground with sites with lots of privacy. We stayed for a month and were very happy with our stay. The amenities are all well done, limited in scope. The result is a quiet atmosphere. Troy and his wife (the owners) are very friendly and helpful. Our AT&T reception was fine for streaming, internet access and calls. We did not use the laundry facilities and showers but they were clean and welcoming. And it is pet friendly. Located near Stonington, it is near the harbor, restaurants, a sand beach and the ferry to Isle au Haut. Opportunities for Kayaking, SUP’s and hiking abound here on a quiet island. Stonington has some great restaurants and is a quaint fishing village. The harbor is beautiful. And it is not far from busier areas like Blue Hill, Brooklin, Castine and a one hour ride from Mount Desert Island. What we enjoyed most was the lack of crowds and many places to just sit and enjoy the views.

We were at Blackwoods for two weeks - from October 3rd to October 17th in 2016. Perfect timing for fall color. It was beautiful. The campsites are primitive (no electricity, water or sewer) and there are no showers on site - there is a pay shower close by outside the park. But it was worth it to be in this beautiful pristine environment. The campsite is a short walk to an ocean overlook where you can watch the sunrise and the park has lots to do. We enjoyed great ranger talks before they ended for the season and I loved bicycling on the carriage trails. Don't forget your hiking boots! We had the trails to ourselves most of the time we were there.

The campground is pet-friendly. Most of the trailer sites are pull-through. The sites are not too close together and there are a lot of trees and shrubs between sites. Each site has a fire ring. They run a bus service around the park and there is a stop at the campground.

I cant wait to go back!

We just spent 4 wonderful nights here and it is possibly my favorite campground, ever. The campground is relatively new and although they could have fit more sites in here, I am so glad they did not. The sites are carefully designed so that although you might hear your neighbor you likely will not see them. We sleep in our van and also have a tent for storage and changing. Every tent site has electric, and water is available at the bathhouse. There is also a dishwashing station there, as well as trash, recycling, and food scrap bins. There are no showers, but you can wash up in the bathhouse and also heat water at your site for a quick wipe down. That was fine for us for 4 nights. There are some negative reviews on here about the lack of showers but maybe this is just not the campground for them. There are plenty of other campgrounds in the area that have showers. If that's what you're looking for ....

We stayed at A48 and loved it.  The driveway is deep, so we felt very secluded, especially at night. The only thing we didn't like about this site is that the fire ring is in the middle of the site.  We moved the picnic table to the side and had room, but it did. limit our options for the tent a little bit. 

This is a dark sky park so no string lights or anything like that and as a result it is also VERY quiet at night. Very dog friendly and everyone seemed very responsible as far as no barking and picking up after their pets.

At night we drove over to Fraser Point and took amazing photos of the northern lights. Not for the feint of heart, though — it is VERY dark! This is such an amazing campground, I almost don't want to tell you because it feels like a hidden little secret!