Best Glamping near Mount Desert, ME

My cousins, my husband and our dog rented a deluxe cabin in September, and it was perfect. The cabin provided all of the amenities of a home including linens, dishes, cookware, heat, a/c and even cable tv. Outside we had a small deck with a grill and a fire pit on the ground. It was the perfect place for our group of six to retire at the end of a day of hiking.

The cabin we stayed in was not secluded in any way. Our neighbors were right next to us on all sides, but it wasn't a problem for us at all. Just something to keep in mind if you're looking for a more rustic experience.

This is a nice campground located close to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. The campground does not take reservations so you can pick whatever open site you want and if you want to extend your stay, you can. When you arrive, you get a map, find an empty site, get set-up and then go back to the office to register. Once you’re in the park if you want a different site that has a better view or FHU’s, the best thing to do is drive or walk around the section you are interested in and if you see someone packing up put a personal item (chair, table cloth, etc.). Then head to the office and let them know what site you are moving to. Weird system but it seems to work as this is how things have always been done. All different types of sites are available from FHU, electric/water, or privative sites. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. There are some sections that are nicely wooded which is great for the shade in the summer and to add a little privacy. Other sites are right on the ocean with great views but these sites are pretty close together and hard to get since the campground is first come, first served. Roads in the park are paved but some corners can be a little tight for big-rigs, best to unhitch your tow car up front in case you have to back up. The camp hosts do a great job of keeping the campground clean and were always out and about cleaning sites, fire pits, and the bathrooms.

This campground is in a good location right off Route 3 and a short drive to Bar Harbor. There is the Island Explorer (free) shuttle that have various routes and stops on Mount Desert Island and Acadia NP. The shuttle stops at the campground so you can hitch a ride downtown or to the park and not have to worry about parking.  The shuttle has a bike rack so you can bring your bike and pets are allowed.  The campground is very clean with no litter and well-maintained. The bathrooms were very clean showers are 25 cents/5 minutes. There is a really nice large swimming pool perched right along the water, nice little nature trails/dog walking areas, laundry, game room, shuffleboard, playground, water access, arcade, and more. 

Just outside the campground (within walking distance) is Utter Heaven an ice cream shop and Mainely Meat a BBQ joint. Across the street is a Pirates Cove– a mini golf course on steroids. During the summer season this place is really busy but calms down when kids go back to school.

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

Clean, orderly and peaceful. Great campground for small rigs, pull behinds, vans and tents. Water view sites are very limited so book ahead. Sites 12 and 10 offer good water views. Other sites range from secluded to close. A very quiet and peaceful rocky beach is found down a nice path with two metal bridges. Sunset views were great. The CG showers are located at the office with two enclosed outdoor showers and one indoor shower. Hubby used the outdoor shower and thought it was great. Rather than toilets, the CG provides “privies” - basically permanent porta-potties in nice large wood sheds. All were exceptionally clean, but flies can be bothersome to some. The location is very rural so little nearby things to do or places to eat. But that was part of the charm.

Great campground. Bigger than we expected. Our site looked right over the water. Direct access to Maine's rocky shore. Everything you need to be comfortable including hot showers and bathrooms cleaned three times a day. A basic rec room, playground, beautiful gardens, clean sites. Rvs are so close together and some seasonal snobs, but also tent sites some drive up and some walk to more private/dispersed. Small store friendly staff. Some sites have a wooden deck for picnic area overlooking water. Laundry, wifi, made it an easy week. We had rain and wind a couple nights, tarp went over tent as not permitted in trees. Just fine. We will definitely be coming back.

Bass Harbour Campground is on the “quiet” side of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. It is only a 10-15 minute walk to the Bass Harbour Lighthouse which is still a US Coast Guard facility.

When we were there this summer, the campsites were not mowed and weeds waist high surrounded our sit and there was a small swamp behind us. Thank goodness the Thermocells worked well.

The site does have a heated pool and decent showers and toilet facilities. There are sections for RV’s as well as tents, pop ups and trailers.

There is an island shuttle that comes and stops at the campground to take you to different places on the island including the National Park.

Southwest Harbour is the closest “town” and is quaint with some shopping, gas, food, etc.

Since it is on the quiet side of the island, nothing is close so prepare to drive 25-30 min to get anywhere.

However the park and island is absolutely beautiful. The rugged coastline is something to behold. Lots of trails to hike, along with the carriage trails which are kept immaculate.

This is the first campground you can reach once you arrive in Mount Desert island. It 11 miles to Bar Harbor town proper and only 8.7 miles to the Hulls Cove Acadia National Park visitors center and the entrance to the Cadillac Mountain Summit Road.

The campground has a lobster cafe on premises with lobster rolls and lunch and breakfast items as well as lobster dinner and beer and wine. Our site was 225 just a stones throw from the beach and waterfront patio. Facing a western exposure over the water for a fabulous sunset view. There are several waterfront spots of you are luck enough to get one. I loved walking along the small beachfront looking for shells and beach glass (hard to find).

We visited in early October 2020 and the fall foliage was just beginning. A week later might have yielded even more fall colors. The weather was in the 60’s in daytime and 50’s at night. Mornings were crisp and sleep was pleasant if you have a good sleeping bag or wool blanket. There was heavy rain when we arrived. 2 days later there was light rain. Bring lots of layers and rain gear just in case.

People in Maine and visitors were very respectful wearing masks and social distancing even while hiking. Everyone was quiet and family oriented.

Koa store allows purchase of propane and camp wood bundles. Some sites have gray water disposal.

This campground is absolutely adorable. RV, tent , Treehouse camping to camping out in a Teepee! I surprised my husband with the Teepee- we were not disappointed! A huge Teepee with a very comfortable queen size bed- a couch, table, area animal rugs , coffee maker and a fan if needed. We were asked to bring our own bedding due to Covid regulations - which we did not mind at all. The very clean restrooms were located nearby , which was convient. The staff was so friendly and very accommodating. Sleeping in the TeePee was an incredible experience and we would definitely do it again - so fun! All we needed was a horse- haha! The owner also offers horseback riding lessons and trail rides.

We stayed here for 5 nights in August, and loved it for so many reasons. Our campsite had a fire ring and picnic table and room for our car. It felt a bit secluded from our neighbors thanks to the trees, but we could sometimes easily hear the neighbors to the back of us. There is firewood and ice available (even block ice!), laundry, showers, bathrooms (all of which were clean and nice), as well as a pool! The campground is on the Island Explorer bus loop, which is the bus that takes you all around Mount Desert Island, to Acadia, and Bar Harbor. We used the bus almost every day, and it was super helpful because you do not want to try and find parking in Acadia in the peak season. Two days in a row our car battery didn't start, so one of the staff came with a battery pack to help us. They were super helpful and nice, and got us on our way! We would definitely stay here again.