Searsport Shores Ocean Campground permits pets throughout its waterfront property, offering tent sites, RV spaces, cabins, and glamping accommodations where dogs can stay with their owners. Pumpkin Patch RV Resort features a small fenced dog park where pets can play off-leash, with full hookup sites and pet-friendly cabins available. Most campgrounds in the area require pets to remain on leash at all times, with Moorings Campground specifying a 4-foot or shorter leash requirement and limiting guests to two pets per site. Camden Hills State Park Campground welcomes pets at its wooded sites while providing electric hookups, water access, and fire rings for overnight stays. The Hawnets Nest allows pets at its three primitive tent and cabin sites, providing drinking water, picnic tables, and fire rings in a natural setting. Campgrounds typically enforce quiet hours between 10 PM and 7 AM, which helps prevent excessive barking and disturbances.
Nearby Moose Point State Park offers pet-friendly hiking trails within two miles of several campgrounds, providing exercise opportunities for dogs beyond campsite boundaries. Many campgrounds restrict where pets can relieve themselves, designating specific pet areas rather than allowing use of all grassy spaces. The ocean access at Moorings Campground allows dogs to play in the water and on the beach during low tide, providing valuable off-leash exercise opportunities. Belfast's 1.4-acre fenced dog park with water stations and benches is accessible from several nearby campgrounds. Campers report the Bar Harbor area is exceptionally dog-friendly, with many restaurants allowing pets in outdoor seating areas. Some campgrounds enforce strict policies prohibiting pets from being left alone in RVs or vehicles, requiring owners to take their dogs with them during all activities. The Island Explorer shuttle service that connects to many campgrounds is pet-friendly, allowing leashed dogs to ride along to various destinations.
$14 - $168 / night
"Pet friendly BUT must be in leak at all times. Cannot be left alone in RV or vehicle. No sewer. Friendly atmosphere"
"beautiful campground with a lot of space for kids and/or dogs to run around, including a jungle gym, basketball court, volley ball, and a dog run. they have a garden of veggies, and flowers, a stage for"
$50 / night
"Stayed Here for one night after picking up a new travel trailer nearby. The staff and campers were all very friendly and welcoming."
"Snowmobile trails behind the campground lead to a walking path that connects the high school and elementary school for a pleasant walk in the woods."
$25 - $45 / night
"Camden Hills SP is a no contest campground if you are visiting Camden and surrounding MidCoast areas. 9 out of 10 times I visit Camden (one of my favorite places in Maine), I stay at this campground."
"As with all real estate, location, location ! The camp is well situated amongst many Maine towns all of which are worth a visit to."
"Overall, this is a great little private RV park with awesome views (from some sites) and great access to the ocean. "
"This is a great location from which to explore Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor and towns of Belfast, Rockland and Camden."
$30 - $60 / night
"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."
"Close proximity to Bar Harbor and a lot of the main attractions of the national park. Showers are just outside of the entrance to the campground, coin operated."
"This is a great little private RV park with awesome views (from some sites) and great access to the ocean."
"Beautiful campground close to all the attractions"
"Close to the cross center and the waterfront concerts. Quite"
ScoutStayed 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!
Legend**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.
GuideWe 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!
LegendOverall, 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.
GuideMy family and I stayed at this KOA this past week. It was agreat experience! That staff was awesome and over the top accommodating. We had a pull through site with full hook up right across from the on site Lobster Trap Cafe. The site was spacious and comfortable. The whole campground was neat and clean. Staff members pick up trash throughout the day at all of the sites. The Lobster Trap had a good menu, and great customer service. They are mainly open in the evenings but also appear to serve lunch and breakfast on the weekends.
The camp store was well stocked also. There is also an island shuttle bus stop right at the entrance to the campground. There is a gas station and take out restaurant ( Island Take Out) right across from the entrance as well. There was a nice dog park as well. Cell service with AT&T was great. Cell service with T-Mobile was spotty. We did not try the campground wifi. The only down side to the trip was gnats and mosquitos, but that was all over the island and no fault of the KOA. This was one of the best KOA's we have visited and we will definitely stay there again when we visit Acadia.
GuideWe camped for years and years at Mount Desert Campground with our four children and my Sister-in-Law and her two sons. The kids are all grown now and are taking their own camping trips to this amazing place. It is a family run campground with immaculate grounds and bathroom facilities on Somes Sound in Mt. Desert, Maine which is right next to the fabulous town of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Forest. There are so many activities and amenities just minutes from this lovely campground but, if you choose to stay put...you will not be disappointed. There are lovely camp roads to walk, run, or bike. Fresh air to breathe, an epic long dock to catch and release crabs near, kayak or canoe rentals, and so much more. The Camp store has wonderful provisions including homemade bear claws in the am to enjoy with coffee or tea. It is above and beyond a family favorite place to camp in Maine.
GuideHadley'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
TravelerPerfect 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!!
GuideGreat place to camp outside the crazy tourist packed Acadia but only a 25 minute drive to the park. Very nice sites, flush toilets and showers. I got a lake view site but also forested sites available. Pet friendly camping. Would definitely go back!
Pet-friendly camping options surround Jackson, Maine, with many campgrounds set within 30 miles of this inland Waldo County town. The area combines rural farmland with forested landscapes at around 400 feet above sea level, making it accessible year-round except during spring mud season when some unpaved roads become difficult to navigate. Most campgrounds in the region stay open from May through mid-October, with peak season from July through Labor Day weekend.
Hiking at Moose Point State Park: Located within 5 miles of several dog-friendly campgrounds near Jackson, this state park offers scenic coastal views. "There are nice hiking trails around the property that our dog just loves," writes Dan G. about Searsport Shores Ocean Campground.
Seasonal festivals: Many campgrounds host special events throughout the summer. "We got lucky and stayed on a lovely weekend in September that featured a small, intimate festival and workshop of fiddlers, banjos, ukuleles, mandolins, and guitars jamming with old time and blue grass music," reports Kathy L. from Searsport Shores.
Shoreline exploration: At low tide, the rocky Maine coast becomes an outdoor laboratory. "At low tide you can do fun rock designs on the shore," notes Stacy M. from Searsport Shores, while visitors to Camden Hills State Park Campground can access hiking "along the ocean" which "makes the entire thing more than worth it," according to Stephanie S.
Art and crafts: Several campgrounds feature creative activities. Denise W. notes that Sebasticook Lake Campground "offers handmade craft items with awesome prices" in their store, while Searsport Shores is described as "a treasure trove of arts of all kinds - fiber arts, metal sculptures, carvings, paintings, and music."
Ocean views: Waterfront campsites are consistently the most popular. "The ocean view sites are spectacular with some offering a deck facing the water," writes Stacy M. about Moorings Campground, which features "beautiful ocean front sites that book up fast," according to Angie K.
Quiet atmosphere: Many campers appreciate the peaceful setting of area campgrounds. Grace M. calls Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort "a great little private RV park" where "the atmosphere is the epitome of laidback and the scenery was breathtaking."
Community activities: Campgrounds often foster social connections through events. Nancy W. notes that Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort "organizes a lot of group activities including pot lucks, lobster shore dinners, BBQ feast, and cold beverages offered during Friday Happy Hours."
Garden features: Several campgrounds maintain gardens that enhance the camping experience. Ashley L. from Searsport Shores mentions "gardens and secret nooks where you can sit and make a fire," while another reviewer notes the campground has "gorgeous flowers, heirloom tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers."
Site privacy varies: Some campgrounds offer more secluded sites than others. April W. says of Searsport Shores, "The tent sites are completely separate from the RVs and are in the woods, beautifully maintained. Only con is the sites are very close together so privacy is an issue sometimes."
Reservation requirements: For peak season, book well ahead. "We tried staying here in the summer a few years back and it filled up weeks ahead of time," mentions Aly E. about Blackwoods Campground in Acadia National Park.
Tent limitations: Some campgrounds restrict tent sizes or placement. One camper at Searsport Shores reported being told "there was a maximum 10x10 for tents," which created complications during their arrival.
Cleanliness standards: Facilities are generally well-maintained. Dana S. from Blackwoods notes, "The bathrooms are dated but clean," while Rick G. says sites at Pumpkin Patch RV Resort are "very clean, good space, well laid out and pretty level."
Child-friendly amenities: Look for campgrounds with dedicated play spaces. "There's a jungle gym, basketball court, volley ball, and a dog run," mentions peach L. about Searsport Shores, which also has "a play room and play ground that kept my children entertained for hours so I could read."
Beach access considerations: Rocky shorelines dominate but provide exploration opportunities. Marilyn S. describes Moorings Campground's "tiny very rocky beach, not really somewhere to swim, just to enjoy the scenery and look for cool rocks."
Age-appropriate activities: Some campgrounds organize events for different age groups. Searsport Shores "makes it great for any age kid, there are always tons of kids around," according to April W.
Pet policies: Most dog-friendly campgrounds near Jackson have specific regulations. Moorings Oceanfront RV Resort specifies that pets "must do their business in one small area and are not allowed on most grassy areas throughout the park," which some visitors find "very restrictive."
Site selection: Choose based on hookup needs and layout preferences. Nancy W. says of Paul Bunyan Campground, "Easy sites to get into. Close to the cross center and the waterfront concerts. Quiet."
Seasonal considerations: Be aware of opening and closing dates. Most campgrounds operate from May through October, with Camden Hills State Park offering "walk-in only starting early September," which can affect availability and services.
Hookup availability: Check for your specific requirements. Becca H. notes that Pumpkin Patch RV Resort offers "super clean" facilities and is "very adult oriented," adding that "much of the population consists of seasonal campers with huge RVs and Motor Homes."
Wi-Fi and connectivity: Internet access varies by location. Rick G. reports that at Pumpkin Patch RV Resort, "Good cellular and wi-fi coverage if that is important to you," while Nancy W. notes that at Moorings, "Our Verizon 4G phone and Hotspot worked great but we mostly used their free wifi which worked very well."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Jackson, ME?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Jackson, ME is Searsport Shores Ocean Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Jackson, ME?
TheDyrt.com has all 94 dog-friendly camping locations near Jackson, ME, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
