Best Tent Camping near Machias, ME

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!

General: 31 RV sites with w/e plus six tent sites with no hookups. 

Site Quality: Our site was on grass and level enough that we could make it work without much difficulty. Sites 12A and 12B are the best IMO as they have an unobstructed view of the bay and more space between them than other sites. The lettered tent sites are also good, IMO, especially A, E, and F. Sites 1-29 are very close together with no physical separation between them in typical RV park fashion. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, however, sites 1-4 share a fire ring, making it a good choice for people traveling together 

Bath/Shower house: Clean. Toilet stalls are a bit tight. The shower was also a little tight. One stall had plenty of hooks, but I could not get the faucets to work; the other stall only had one hook, but I could get the faucets to work! Plenty of hot water. 

Activities/Amenities: Dishwashing sink, laundry (three washers/three dryers, $1.50 each) Free WiFi, and morning coffee on the porch. Firewood and ice are available for purchase for a reasonable amount (after-hours wood is available on the honor system). You can sign up in the office for a lobster set-up which includes a pot, burner, and propane to cook lobsters, clams, or crabs at your site. There are no activities at the campground, but you are encouraged to explore the town of Lubec, especially the West Quoddy lighthouse at sunrise. In the afternoon, we enjoyed watching the tide come in and out in the bay and I could do yoga on the grassy area. There was also a shared swing where you can enjoy the tide and sunsets.

Cindy and her husband manage this campground, and we received a hearty welcome from Cindy when we checked in. After we paid (Cash or check only, no credit cards), she gave us the lowdown on what we should see and do in the small town of Lubec, especially the West Quoddy house lighthouse (which despite its name, is the easternmost point where you can see the sunrise in the US). Very quiet campground that was about half full when we were there. And yes, if the weather cooperates, the sunsets are beautiful.

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.

This campground is a gem! It is located on the Schoodic Peninsula which is the quieter side section of Acadia National Park but no less breathtaking. Here you get to enjoy the hiking and biking trails, amazing coastal scenery, quaint towns, and a peaceful campground in one of America’s top 10 parks without the crowds and craziness of Bar Harbor and Acadia NP located on Mt. Desert Island (which is only an hour away). I absolutely love the Schoodic Peninsula and the town of Winter Harbor which has such a “Downeast” Maine feel.

The campground opened in 2015 and has 200 sites all within a 15-minute walk to the ocean. Although most of the campsites are designated for tents, there are some available for RV’s. Sites have a decent amount of privacy so you don’t feel like you are right on top of your neighbor. Since the campground is is relatively new not all the trees have filled in from construction but they did a great job preserving trees and shrubs. It is best to reserve online as this park fills up and very rarely has a walk-up site. The ranger station will not make reservations over the phone so don’t bother calling. (Acadia NP is a “fee” park so you will need to buy a park pass.)  All sites have electric (20/30/50) and some have electric and water only reflected in cheaper prices

Fee (per site, per night):

$22 hike-in tent sites (primitive)

$30 drive up tent/small RV (20 amp)

$36 RV with electric only sites (20/30/50 amp)

$40 RV with electric and water (20/30/50 amp)

$60 group tent sites

Picnic tables are at every site but fire pits are only at RV sites as no open fires are allowed in the tent section. Tent sites are allowed to use portable camp stoves such as white gas or iso-butane cartridges. The bathrooms have flush toilets and potable water but there are no showers or laundry facilities. There are some places in the nearby town of Winter Harbor that have shower facilities of which the ranger station has information on.   A dish-washing station if located at the bathrooms which is really handy and kept clean.  There is a dump station located towards the exit of the park if you have an RV. 

Surrounding the campground are miles of biking and hiking trails that are easily accessible from your campsite. There is a six-mile loop that takes you along the beautiful rocky coast with views of lighthouses, islands, forests, and wetlands. An additional eight miles of carriage roads and four miles of hiking trails wind through the park.

The town of Winter Harbor is located two miles from the park and a ferry dock which takes you to Mt. Desert Island. The Acadia Island Explorer shuttle provides free transportation between various locations, island attractions, and towns (and is dog-friendly and can accommodate bikes). The shuttle operates from late June to mid-October and is a great way to get around if you don’t have a car or want the hassle of parking.

Located at the Schoodic Institute is the Education and Research Center which offers interesting programs and has a visitor center. The town of Corea has a great waterside restaurant where you can sit outside and eat lobster while watching the boats go in and out. J. M. Garrish Café in Winter Harbor is a great place to get a bite to eat and an ice cream Sunday.

3 secluded spots on a dead-end road. Wooded, path to the lake. Each site includes fire ring and picnic table, and share a pit toilet. Strictly carry-in, carry-out. Road into camp is dirt and some of it can be rough. Cars can make it just go slow. Atv trail access from camp - can ride to Lincoln, Ellsworth, Grand Lake Stream, Machias and all points downeast from here.

No fee, first-come first served. I have never seen all 3 sites in use at one time.

Over 20 miles from paved road. Designated cell reception about few miles away. Accessible to Jack’s Snack Shack (seasonal food and firewood).

This cluster is a well-kept secret. It’s a great backup plan if the Unknown Lake sites are full. Being wooded, it’s a tad cooler here, but the bugs are still obnoxious. If you enjoy listening to Loons, they put on quite a symphony. The lake would be great for kayaking or SUPs and fishing.

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!

Schoodic Woods NPS campground is state of the art for the Park Service. Not only is this new Acadia campground wired for wifi and electric boxes, but the bathrooms are shockingly well-conceived. No showers, but excellent dish washing set-up. 

Sites are generally private and well-cared for. Rangers here seem more engaged & experienced than at Seawall on Mount Desert Island and actually circulate in this section of the park. Driving the one way loop is a joy compared to the loop road on Mount Desert … one feels that you almost have the park to yourself. This branch of Acadia requires a full hour's journey from the Mount Desert side by car. Sometimes there is a ferry that goes between Bar Harbor and Winter Harbor, but it was disabled by motor failure when I visited and wanted to ride to Bar Harbor.

I stayed in site A-49 on the edge of loop A. It was a good site with a large fire ring and was level but directly faces site A-50 where a halogen light was left burning all night long spoiling the dark sky effect. 

Most of Loop A seems to be for RV's with sites A-24 to A-36 and the A-50 section being more suitable for tents. Sites A-40 to A-50 seem to have more shade than sun but it's variable. I would include A-31;A-32; A 34 as shaded sites. My impression is that A-27; A-37; A-43 are mostly sunny. A-39 was small, sloped- not level.