Best Campgrounds near Seal Cove, ME

Campgrounds near Seal Cove on Mount Desert Island offer convenient access to Acadia National Park with a range of accommodation options. Several established campgrounds in the area feature tent sites, RV hookups, and rustic cabins, including Seawall Campground and Smuggler's Den Campground on the island's quieter western side. Blackwoods Campground, located on the eastern side of the island, provides additional camping opportunities with standard amenities like picnic tables, fire rings, and drinking water. Most campgrounds in the region maintain facilities for both tent and RV camping, with some offering cabin rentals for those seeking more shelter.

The camping season throughout the Mount Desert Island area typically runs from May through October, with most facilities closing during the winter months. Advance reservations are strongly recommended, particularly for summer weekends and holiday periods when campgrounds regularly reach capacity. "The campground was older but very comfortable. The pool was clean, as was the entire place. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Bathroom facilities were dated but clean and adequate," noted one visitor about Smuggler's Den. Road access is generally good throughout the island, though some camping areas may have limited parking for larger RVs. Weather conditions vary significantly by season, with summer temperatures typically moderate and comfortable for camping, while spring and fall bring cooler temperatures and occasionally wet conditions.

Campsites on the western "quiet side" of Mount Desert Island provide a more peaceful alternative to the busier eastern areas near Bar Harbor. Several visitors mentioned the privacy of tent sites at Smuggler's Den Campground, with one camper sharing that "the tent sites are very private. We felt safe and secure. It's quiet and the staff was very friendly." Quietside Campground receives consistent praise for its affordable rates and rustic cabin options. Most campgrounds in the region provide basic amenities including restrooms, showers, and drinking water, while some offer additional features such as swimming pools, camp stores, and sanitary dump stations. Proximity to hiking trails within Acadia National Park represents a significant draw for many campers, with several campgrounds providing direct trail access or connections to the park's carriage roads.

Best Camping Sites Near Seal Cove, Maine (114)

    1. Blackwoods Campground — Acadia National Park

    98 Reviews
    Seal Harbor, ME
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 288-3274

    $30 - $60 / night

    "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."

    "quiet, wooded, relatively secluded. good spot at 111 where we stayed. nice places for tents. private showers outside main camping area were a positive since none in camping area itself."

    2. Seawall Campground — Acadia National Park

    53 Reviews
    Bass Harbor, ME
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 244-3600

    $22 - $60 / night

    "This campground is quiet, walking distance to the ocean. Family oriented. There are however, no showers. Most of the walk in campsites are only steps away from the parking lot."

    "We stayed at the tent walk in sites (D25) The sites are close together but otherwise, well maintained."

    3. Mount Desert Campground

    37 Reviews
    Mount Desert, ME
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 244-3710

    "Desert, Maine which is right next to the fabulous town of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Forest."

    "Our site was right next to a potable water spigot, and within easy walking distance to a bathroom building which includes full plumbing and metered showers (4 quarters for 5 minutes)."

    4. Bar Harbor/Oceanside KOA

    37 Reviews
    Salsbury Cove, ME
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 288-3520

    "This campground has beautiful tent sites along the waters edge."

    "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."

    5. Smuggler's Den Campground

    21 Reviews
    Southwest Harbor, ME
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (877) 244-9033

    "Multiple sights with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. This campground has every possible kind of sight, RV, pop-up, tent, Cabin, Rustic Cabin, and tents on platforms."

    "It has all the things is usually stay away from because I like a little bit more primitive accomadations- less family style."

    6. Bar Harbor Campground

    32 Reviews
    Salsbury Cove, ME
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 288-5185

    $60 - $81 / night

    "We love the state parks and unorganized, off the beaten path camping. This is definitely not that!"

    "This is a nice campground located close to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park."

    7. Hadley's Point Campground

    29 Reviews
    Salsbury Cove, ME
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 288-4808

    $29 - $90 / night

    "**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."

    "There was a fire ring outside of the cabin and a picnic table. We purchased firewood at a stand close to the campground."

    8. Bass Harbor Campground

    19 Reviews
    Bass Harbor, ME
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (800) 327-5857

    "Tent campers have a much prettier space than RV, as with most campgrounds, and they have a lot across the main road which is perfect for tent camping. if you have multiple sites for large gatherings you"

    "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."

    9. HTR Acadia

    17 Reviews
    Mount Desert, ME
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 244-3890

    "My wife and I stayed at Somes Sound for 4 nights on our Maine honeymoon trip in July. We absolutely loved our stay. We set up at camp site 9. Incredible view of the sound/water."

    "I showed up to Maine unprepared with a place to stay. Somes Sound View Campground was the only campground I could find in the area with availability."

    10. Mt Desert Narrows Camping Resort

    22 Reviews
    Salsbury Cove, ME
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "Some of the sites are very close to one another...we happened to get lucky with a site with more space. The proximity to Acadia and Bar Harbor was fantastic."

    "Showers rooms are every other for social distance are clean and like bathrooms cleaned daily. It is a great convenience to Acadia Nat’l Park."

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Recent Reviews near Seal Cove, ME

699 Reviews of 114 Seal Cove Campgrounds


  • Missy R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 10, 2025

    Camden Hills State Park Campground

    Autumn in Maine

    Camden Hills is an ideal camping location. Sites are spacious, they have a variety of trails, and the town of Camden is charming.

    Beware of weekend campers. I had no problem getting a first come first serve spot on Wednesday, but by Friday, it was busy.

  • R
    Oct. 10, 2025

    Pumpkin Patch RV Resort

    Fun Fall Stay

    Stayed here in October, the week before they shut down for the season. Staff was friendly and super helpful. 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.

  • Missy R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 8, 2025

    Camden Hills State Park Campground

    Fall at Camden Hills State Park Campground

    I was worried when I decided to come to this part of Maine in the fall without reservations. It’s early October, and I learned that Maine State Parks are first come first serve at this point. I was pleasantly surprised to arrive and find plenty of vacant spots.

    The campground is large, and most of the sites are on the larger side. They tend to be nestled into the woods with plenty of trees, dividing the sites. Though some of the smaller RV sites are more compact.

    It’s a great location, close to Camden, Maine, and not far from other attractions.

    I’m here in 2025 and they are doing work on their water system so none of their water is potable

  • Yung H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 6, 2025

    Blackwoods Campground — Acadia National Park

    Good spot but wood is rough

    I love the spot but all the wood is from outside the campgrounds. Its not so “dry” more like just chopped and bundled had to tend to it for over a hour+ just to get enough dry to keep the fire going. But overall a very nice quite camprground.

  • Aly E.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 30, 2025

    Megunticook Campground

    Watch out for their prices

    Online the prices was 40$ for a tent site. We didn’t need water or electric just a spot to sleep for the night. I called to reserve cause the website wasn’t very easy to work with and the man on the phone said 76$ but couldn’t explain costs and was rude with the “you’ll not find another spot for this cheap!” Which we did. For less than half that cost. So watch out on prices and the extra charges.

  • Aly E.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 30, 2025

    Blackwoods Campground — Acadia National Park

    So lucky!

    We tried staying here in the summer a few years back and it filled up weeks ahead of time. We got lucky this trip and got one spot open same day. Got here super late and was surrounded by other campers but the trees all around gave us privacy and everyone was super quiet so no disruptive folks like so many campgrounds. The bathrooms don’t have showers of course but they are so clean it was a great thing from other sites pit toilets. If you’re in Acadia this is the spot!

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 27, 2025

    Forest Ridge Campground

    Clean, quiet and affordable

    Stayed here while visiting friends and Acadia NP. Facilities very clean every time I saw them. Showers were nice but you need to wait for the hot water. Run it all hot and it will get there in a little while. Wood available on site. Open spaces in the middle with no trees or shrubs. Campers can be very close. Sides have more wooded sites. Not too many seasonal looking sites. 1 issue: our clean out was a bit high so had to lift sewer hose to clear it out. Didn’t use pool , laundry area worked good , screen porch at facility building. Fire ring worked out well, kept lots of heat in. We were off-season mid September. Reservation system forced us into our site, wants to charge a site selection fee.

  • B
    Sep. 25, 2025

    Blackwoods Campground — Acadia National Park

    Great campground

    quiet, wooded, relatively secluded. good spot at 111 where we stayed. nice places for tents. private showers outside main camping area were a positive since none in camping area itself.


Guide to Seal Cove

Camping near Seal Cove, Maine, offers a fantastic mix of natural beauty and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

  • Hiking: Explore the numerous trails in Acadia National Park. One camper mentioned, "I love that the southern ridge trailhead for Cadillac mountain leaves from the campgrounds and connects to a bunch of other trails" at Blackwoods Campground.
  • Wildlife Watching: Keep an eye out for local wildlife. A visitor at Seawall Campground noted, "We did see dozens of deer... by far the most wildlife of any of the three Acadia campgrounds."
  • Beach Access: Enjoy the rocky beaches nearby. One reviewer at Mount Desert Campground said, "There are lovely camp roads to walk, run, or bike. Fresh air to breathe, an epic long dock to catch and release crabs near."

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained restrooms. A visitor at Schoodic Woods Campground mentioned, "The bathrooms are clean and look nice inside."
  • Quiet Atmosphere: Many enjoy the peaceful environment. One camper at Seawall Campground said, "The best thing about this campground is the total darkness and silence at night."
  • Friendly Staff: Campers often rave about the helpfulness of the staff. A reviewer at Hadley's Point Campground noted, "Nice staff. Nice size lot clean."

What you should know:

  • Reservations: Some campgrounds require reservations, while others operate on a first-come, first-served basis. A camper at Bar Harbor Campground explained, "This campground is huge, and takes no reservations, so it works great for us who don’t like to plan ahead."
  • Limited Amenities: Not all campgrounds have showers or hookups. A visitor at Schoodic Woods Campground mentioned, "There are no showers onsite so come prepared."
  • Site Privacy: Some campgrounds have sites that are close together. A reviewer at Seawall Campground stated, "While campsites are deep and set off the road, some of them open up to each other at the rear points of each site."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Kid-Friendly Activities: Look for campgrounds with pools and playgrounds. A family at Smuggler's Den Campground said, "The playground was great for the kids. The swimming pool was a highlight as well."
  • Nature Exploration: Encourage kids to explore the outdoors. One camper at Mount Desert Campground shared, "There are so many activities and amenities just minutes from this lovely campground."
  • Quiet Hours: Be mindful of quiet hours to ensure everyone has a good experience. A visitor at Hadley's Point Campground noted, "The only problem was kids running around during quiet hour."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Size: Make sure your RV fits the site. A camper at Schoodic Woods Campground advised, "Choose your site carefully if you have a large rig."
  • Dump Stations: Know where the nearest dump stations are located. A reviewer at Bar Harbor Campground mentioned, "There’s a dump station. Water at the dump is non-potable but you can fill your tanks at one of the many drinking water spigots."
  • Wi-Fi Availability: Be aware that Wi-Fi can be spotty. A visitor at Mt Desert Narrows Camping Resort said, "Wifi seemed pretty strong but we kept turning it off."

Camping near Seal Cove, Maine, provides a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. With a variety of campgrounds and activities, you're sure to find the perfect spot for your next adventure!

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Seal Cove, ME?

According to TheDyrt.com, Seal Cove, ME offers a wide range of camping options, with 114 campgrounds and RV parks near Seal Cove, ME and 4 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Seal Cove, ME?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Seal Cove, ME is Blackwoods Campground — Acadia National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 98 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Seal Cove, ME?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 4 free dispersed camping spots near Seal Cove, ME.