Best Tent Camping near Isle au Haut, ME

if the tide is right, Seawall has amazing sights! I’ve taken some amazing photos here. the Campgound is directly across from the public boat landing/picnic area. it’s a really nice area. the campground itself is very laid back for a National Park. the rangers almost act as though camping is your business and they only get involved if needed. whereas at blackwoods the rangers seem to try to be as accommodating as possible. it’s cute that they compete, and definitely are different. the sites are not usually as clean as blackwoods, they leave the “leave no trace” responsibility to the campers and if the person before you didn’t clean up, you might have to. other than that it’s QUIET! you can see the stars because there are no city lights. you don’t hear cars, AND the tent sites are very private. there are fresh water spouts everywhere, and plenty of trash/recycling areas. no electrIcity on the sItes, and rv can onlybIse geberators dIrIng lImItes hours. the bathrooms flush and have running water, but there are no showers. Echo Lake is right down the road, a great place to swim in fresh water.

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!

Blackwoods is one of only a couple of campgrounds in Acadia National Park, which doesn't allow backpacking. It's connected to the South Ridge Trail, which gives you the opportunity to hike to Cadillac Mountain directly from the campground; we did this for the sunrise on our last day, and HIGHLY recommend it! (See the last picture.)

Rangers consistently patrol the campground, even driving through a couple of times after quiet hours begin; I found this really helped keep the noise down, despite the number of campers. (The campground was sold out for the duration of our stay!)

Each campsite has a fire ring and a picnic table, and sites are spaced decently; I would've appreciated a bit more privacy and space, but I'm sure the tree cover varies based on the site. My friend, who stayed at B121, seemed to have a bit more vegetation between her site and the surrounding sites.

There are plenty of bathrooms throughout the campground, as well as taps with potable water. There is an ampitheatre which is used for nightly activities; I think it can be rented by groups, too. There are showers just outside the campground (8 quarters for 4 minutes; the water isn't always hot, though!) and you can also purchase wood at the shower facility.

One of the routes run by the FREE shuttle bus stops at Blackwoods every hour during the summer; using this shuttle, you can get to Sieur de Monts, Otter Cliff, and the Village Green, where you can connect to any other bus. This is awesome, because it means you don't have to waste half the day jockeying for parking!

Overall, I think Blackwoods Campground is a great value and a great place to camp while visiting Acadia.

We stayed for a week at one of the hike in sites, specifically the one furthest from the car/RV camping area. The sites are newer looking with nice tent pads, a bear box, and a picnic table. It’s a few minutes’ walk from the campsite to an immaculately clean vault toilet. The bathroom for the car camping area with running water, the dishwashing area, and WiFi were maybe a 2 minute walk beyond that. We had such an amazing time and spent the majority of our time on the Schoodic peninsula. We only went to the main part of the park twice the whole week. Plenty of trails, scenic views, and things to do just in Schoodic Woods. It’s also WAY less crowded than the main part of the park. Winter Harbor has a few restaurants and little shops but no big grocery/big box stores that I saw so stop on the way if you need stuff. The rangers were all very nice and helpful. I can’t wait to go back!

Gear Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I’m one of the lucky ones that gets to review new outdoor products from time to time. As a nature and wildlife photographer, I’m outside shooting pictures in every type of weather, both on land and sea. I needed something to protect my camera from the elements, but also need it to be lightweight and easy to put on/remove. I ordered the camera base layer and an additional lens base layer and have been using these products for the past few weeks while working at a campground and serving as a Naturalist Educator on a charter boat on the coast of Maine. This weekend, we did some sea kayak camping and hiking on the islands in the Gulf of Maine.

What I like about these products:

• Very lightweight and well made.
• Simple design, relatively easy to use in the field.
• Provides some padding so my camera and lenses won’t break when jostled around in my backpack.
• Water resistant with integrated rain cover.
• Keeps lenses warmer so that they don’t get too cold and fog up.

What could be improved:

• When I have my telephoto lens on my camera body, it barely fits into the camera base layer. I wish the pocket were just a bit deeper to accommodate this longer lens a bit better.
• The padding could be a bit thicker on the camera base layer and still be lightweight, giving my camera even more protection.
• The rain cover for the camera base layer should be fully integrated, rather than it being a separate feature. As is, it’s a bit fiddly and doesn’t always stay put when rolled down with the rest of the cover. I prefer how the lens base layer has the rain cover full integrated inside; I plan to stitch the rain cover into the camera base layer.
• I’ve added a carabiner to my camera base layer so that I can hang it from my camera strap while shooting. This way, I won’t put it down and forget about it, or have the wind carry it away when I have my back turned.
• Matador should consider making a fully waterproof product with padding, rather than just water resistant.

Product Links:

Camera Base Layer https://matadorup.com/collections/matador-products/products/camera-base-layer?variant=16831186502

Lens Base Layer [https://matadorup.com/collections/matador-products/products/lens-base-layer?variant=16831195590](http://](https://matadorup.com/collections/matador-products/products/lens-base-layer?variant=16831195590](http://)

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggjtW4p4-zY

Campground Review:

The Maine Island Trail offers 200 islands in which to sea kayak camp and Nathan Island is one of the many gorgeous options in the Deer Isle Archipelago. The free camping spots and beaches are maintained by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. This island is perfect for 1-2 small tents and is just a stone’s throw away from the famous and beautiful Isle au Haut (part of Acadia National Park). We stayed 2 nights on Nathan and paddled to Duck Harbor for some day hiking on Isle au Haut.

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 everything you may need for your island camping adventure. You can even rent kayaks and most of your gear 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 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), so landing at high tide is tricky/impossible on Nathan (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).

Acadia, especially in the shoulder seasons, is a paradise. Although it is one of the most densely-visited parks during the summer and fall colors seasons, if you time things right, the whole park can be yours to explore.

Blackwoods Campground was our only camping option inside the park during our visit in late October. As some of the campground is closed at this time of year, we were surprised to learn it was almost full to capacity when we arrived for four nights. Definitely book in advance. It is one of the priciest NPS campgrounds at $30/night for a bare tent site, but as our only option for camping inside the park, we swallowed the cost and made the most of it. If we had visited during the summer, we would have stayed elsewhere, like on Isle Au Haut or Seawall Campground.

The campground itself is what you’d expect at most national parks. Bathrooms with flush toilets, sites with picnic tables. Easy access to the wonders of Acadia.

During our five days in the park, our favorite activities included hiking the Precipice Trail (closed during certain months because of nesting), seeing the quieter side of Acadia and walking to Wonderland Point, joining the crowds to watch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, and exploring the town of Bar Harbor (highly recommend seeing a movie at Reel Pizza!).

You can read much more about our five days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Acadia)

We loved our stay at the blueberry fields!   This is private land that the owner rents to campers.  We stayed in campsite 2, where the land is open and flat, and there was plenty of room for our rv.  There are 4 total campsites, and each  offers a slightly different view and sense of privacy.  The owner met us when we arrived.  Dogs are allowed.  It is dry camping, with no hookups, and generators are not allowed.   The owner had a picnic table set up with flower boxes in it, and there was a nice fire ring. They will sell you wood if you need it.  There was one other camper at site 1, and we could also see the owners house, but both were far enough away that we had a great sense of privacy. There was a shared porta potty available for use for all of the campsites.  The land was quiet and peaceful - it is acres of blueberry fields, which create a special sense of being in nature. The site we were at had a nice tree, which framed the site. The owner was very responsive to questions we had, and responded quickly.   The area was very quiet - at night we only heard the crickets and the wind.

You are close to Castine, Ellsworth, Blue Hill, Deer Isle and Stonington.  There are numerous hiking trails in the area that can be found on All Trails, as well as easy places to kayak from, the closest of which are the Brooksville Town Landing, or Bucks Harbor public boat launch.

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.