Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Southwest Harbor? The Dyrt helps you find campsites with tent camping near Southwest Harbor. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Southwest Harbor's most popular destinations.
Some of these sites are clothing optional. Please read below for details:
No frills at all. Camp at the edge of a small brook or close to it. There is a fire ring. Adults over 18 only. No kids allowed. These sites are the furthest from the port o potty and hose and everything else. Invisible to other campers or neighbors, this can be your chance to sit naked by the campfire or see what it is like to sleep with nothing between yourself and the stars but your skin. Very secluded part of our grounds. These are our only Naked sites and if filled on your dates please check out our others in Camping With Wolves, which are slightly less primitive.. or the comfy Cadillac Mt View Loft and Hammock site. Clothing is optional only in the Raw and Rough sites. That means you can also choose to keep it on ! . It is very important that you call two zero seven six six seven three two four four to be certain we know of your reservation and arrival . Call for last minute booking. It can be arranged but YOU MUST CALL. Not use the app method of calling. It does not necessarily reach us immediately. If we are able to answer, you may be in luck if there is a no show . Do not expect luxury. You may need to walk in depending on weather and your vehicle. If the weather is above freezing, the will likely be bugs.
$40 - $100 / night
Come explore real Maine away from the crowds of Mount Desert Island/Acadia National Park/Bar Harbor at our sites at Wildberry Farm (Penobscot), Blueberry Fields Forever (Blue Hill) or Quiet Cove (Stonington)!
Ask the host for tons of local recommendations, including best places to swim, hike, eat, or even have a super local experience and hop the Mail Boat out to Isle au Haut (out of Stonington Harbor 30+min drive) and explore the beautiful trails and beaches of an even more remote island off the Maine coast!
$49 - $69 / night
$40 - $50 / night
Duck Harbor campsites are reservable starting on April 1st at 10:00am ET. Duck Harbor Campground is located on Isle au Haut, a rugged island off the coast of Stonington, Maine. Remote and inaccessible to automobiles, Isle au Haut is linked to the mainland by mailboat.
Isle au Haut offers excellent hiking. The remoteness of the island provides a quiet experience along primitive trails with many great views of rocky cliffs and coastal scenery. Bicycling is allowed but is very rigorous, on loose rock, and unpaved road. No trail biking. You must bring your own mountain bike. Bicycles can only be unloaded at the Town Dock. No bicycles may be loaded or unloaded at Duck Harbor Landing.
Isle au Haut provides opportunities to explore rocky shorelines, wooded uplands, marshes, bogs, and a mile-long freshwater lake. A section of Acadia National Park covers about half of Isle au Haut. The campground is situated on the western side of Isle au Haut. It is just south of the Duck Harbor Boat Landing. The island is approximately six miles long by two miles wide.
There is a small, traditional village near the Isle au Haut Town Landing where one can find a general store, seasonal gift shop, a seasonal food shack, and post office.
No Shows If a camper does not arrive at his/her campsite by 11:00am check-out time the day after the scheduled arrival date, their reservation will be cancelled, the camper will incur a $20.00 service fee, and forfeit the first night's camping fee. Making Changes to Your Reservation A $10.00 service fee will apply if you make any changes to your reservation. Cancelling Your Reservation If you cancel your reservation the day before or on the day of your scheduled arrival date, you will incur a $10 service fee and forfeit your first night's camping fee. If you cancel your reservation 2 or more days before your scheduled arrival date, you will only incur a $10 service fee. _Please review Rules & Reservation Policies below for more information.
$20 / night
Continuous Harmony Farm is located on the north side of Camden Hills State Park. When this area was originally settled, the farm was located on the "highway" from Camden to seasonal pastures in Lincolnville. The trails leading to the park still go by the old foundations that dotted the old Government Road from Camden. The farm has 46 acres of flowing pasture, hardwood forest and flower and vegetable gardens. At the heart of the property is a large farm pond that has been used to water livestock for generations. We hope you can visit us soon!
Our farm abuts Camden Hills State Park, offering dozens of miles of trails for hiking and biking. Farm activities include looking after our flock of Katahdin sheep, laying hens, bee hives and vegetable and flower gardens. Activities nearby include rock climbing, boating, horseback riding, paddle boarding and swimming. Read our reviews HERE
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Continuous Harmony Farm Campsite is located under a great old white ash tree beside a large farm pond on 46 acres of sheep meadow, forest and fields. Our farm abuts Camden Hills State Park, offering dozens of miles of trails for hiking and biking. Farm activities include looking after our flock of Katahdin sheep, laying hens, bee hives and vegetable and flower gardens. Activities nearby include rock climbing, boating,, horseback riding, paddle boarding and swimming.
$40 / night
Traveler
HTR Acadia, located near Mount Desert, Maine, offers a perfect blend of outdoor adventure and peaceful relaxation. Just a short drive from Acadia National Park, the campground provides access to hiking, fishing, and stunning views of Somes Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors rave about the clean facilities, friendly staff, and cozy campfire evenings, with many appreciating the well-maintained bathrooms and affordable firewood. The tranquil atmosphere makes it an ideal spot to unwind, whether you’re fishing by the waterfront, reading a good book, or enjoying some quiet time with your favorite game from the Game Vault. Whether you’re seeking adventure or just looking to relax and recharge, HTR Acadia offers the best of both worlds.
Ranger
Campground is large but very well designed. About half of the sites are spacious but others are more crowded. Very well maintained with cleaning crew in everyday to maintain restrooms and trash receptacles. The campground has access to ocean trails and Cadillac Mountain. No showers in the campground but private showers are available right outside the campground. The park shuttle has a stop at the campground and I never had to drive out of the campground. It was awesome since I visited at the busiest time of the year.
Scout
We thought our camp site was perfect . There was just enough privacy for us. Plenty of trees between us and our neighbors. The showers were easy to use and got hot fast, 5 minutes was honestly long enough. The area was nice and clean. There was even a great view when walking my dog. Acadia was about 16-20 minutes away depending on where you wanted to go. Would definitely stay again.
Legend
We spent 3 nights in Acadia National Park. Our first night was at the Blackwoods Campground and the last 2 were at the Schoodic Woods Campground. This review is for Schoodic Woods.
Before visiting Acadia I didn't realize that the 2 areas of Acadia National Park are pretty far from each other. Blackwoods Campground is on Mount Desert Island and is only about a 10 minute drive to Bar Harbor whereas Schoodic Woods Campground is on the Schoodic Peninsula and is closer to an hour away. I found Schoodic Woods to be more peaceful and more spaced out than Blackwoods. It felt further removed from the usual action of a national park. The sites were large and private. We stayed in a long, pull through site which I honestly tend to avoid because they sometimes feel less private but that was definitely not the case here. Our site had electricity, water hook ups and a fire ring.
The bathroom (no showers) was probably the nicest and cleanest I've ever been to at a campground.
There are several hiking paths from the campground including one that takes you down to the bay which is about a mile away. The Schoodic Peninsula has a ring road which you can drive around and we stopped at Schoodic Point which was spectacular- huge waves crashing against the rocks. The small town of Winter Harbor is also only about a 5 minute drive from the campground.
All in all, I really loved this campground. We had a very peaceful time!
Guide
Quiet and private sites in tent only - some extremely private! Simple clean facilities - no hot water or dish cleaning area. A few nice hikes on this part of ANP (visit the lighthouse but don’t wait for a parking spot…park and walk down .5 mile road!) while farther from most of ANP, all is very easy to get to, not more than 30 min to Bar Harbor. We also stayed 2 nights in Blackwoods and while nice, this campground was more private.
GuideBusy but nice sites-all are pull through- fairly flat and wide for some privacy. Facilities clean-no cleaning station or hot water. Busier part of the park but very central to all - stayed here 2 nights in the RV/non-electric loop and then had a spot at Seawall which was much quieter and private (stayed in tent only on seawall…) short walk from campground to small ocean vista. Also left from the campground to hike Cadillac Mtn South Trail (no pass needed!)
LegendMost private national park camping sites I’ve ever experienced
Ranger
I really like that the campground has easy access to the hiking trails. Clean bathroom facilities and the free showers were nice and hot. Unfortunately, you can hear quite a bit of road noise.
Traveler
This campground is beautiful, in a great location and perfect for tent, camper van or very small trailer camping.
We stayed on two sites due to the availability of the waterfront site we wanted.
The first night we were on site C29. This site was OK, it had water and electric, was level and easy to park a small camper on. The site also had a view of the ocean across the street and down the boat ramp. With that said, the site wasn't as private as others as it was on a corner
The next two nights we stayed on site B7. this site also had water and electric, the site was private and had a tent platform. There was a nice view of the water and direct water frontage, the water access was pretty steep so you probably wouldn't be launching a kayak or swimming from it, but probably could cast a fishing line if you wanted. Most of the waterfront sites can not accommodate a trailer so we lucked out with this site. It appears sites B5 and B6 could also accommodate a small trailer.
As for the rest of the campground, it was very well maintained, bathrooms and showers were always clean, campers were quiet and respectful.
The gathering spot is a good place to grab a coffee or pastry, I just wish they had a small camp store for supplies.
Proximity to the main attractions at the park and Bar Harbor was also great.
Ranger
Nice and quiet during our stay. Friendly staff and clean facilities.
Ranger
The KOA staff were very friendly and helpful, the facilities were very clean, and the store was well-stocked. The sites were a bit close, but the neighbors I had during my stay would be out and about during the day if I didn't happen to be out and about in Acadia NP or Bar Harbor myself... so that kind of made up for it. The first few nights of my stay was spent in the "Premium" section where we were on the other side of the road from the "Oceanfront" sites--it almost felt like Oceanfront sites when Big Rigs weren't blocking the view. The next 5 nights we were at an "Oceanfront" site, which was really great and worth the extra money to watch the seals, birds, and easy access for kayaking. HOWEVER--despite knowing privacy isn't really something you can find at most KOAs, it was SHOCKING to me the lack of social awareness some people have at sunset. Despite being next to the public oceanfront area (where lovely chairs and tables are provided) people would literally walk to the Oceanfront campsites and stand there snapping photos or just hanging around at sunset, even if my husband and I were sitting down at our picnic table eating our dinners and trying to enjoy the sunset together. (Picture provided [with blocked faces) of just one of the couples one evening standing right next to our firepit... maybe 10ft from where we were setting up dinner on our picnic table.) So... be prepared with how to handle that if it's something you think may bother you, too.
Scout
Not well known.
Legend
Little bit of noise, but ok
Ranger
We had a pleasant stay. The roomy showers were a great surprise!
RangerNice little campground. $15/night now and is paid through a slot at the office/restroom building (see pictures).
ScoutIt is nice campground quiet
TravelerThe Bar Harbor KOA delivered what it promised, but I am not sure we’d return. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They deliver nicely bagged firewood and have daily garbage pickup. The bathrooms were clean and camp store well stocked. The Island Explorer bus for Acadia stops at the campground. There are rv, tent, and cabin options. Our waterfront site was terrific - gorgeous view, and we could launch our kayaks directly from the site. The fire pit was big and sturdy. There were great sunrises and sunsets. The location is an easy drive for downtown for Bar Harbor, North East Harbor and South West Harbor.
My challenge with the KOA is the sites were so close together. Everyone was really packed in, with no buffer between sites. The 339 - 342 sites were literally bumper to bumper. It is a very busy campground. If you are looking for privacy, this is not the place to go.
ScoutWe just spent 4 wonderful nights here and it is possibly my favorite campground, ever. The campground is relatively new and although they could have fit more sites in here, I am so glad they did not. The sites are carefully designed so that although you might hear your neighbor you likely will not see them. We sleep in our van and also have a tent for storage and changing. Every tent site has electric, and water is available at the bathhouse. There is also a dishwashing station there, as well as trash, recycling, and food scrap bins. There are no showers, but you can wash up in the bathhouse and also heat water at your site for a quick wipe down. That was fine for us for 4 nights. There are some negative reviews on here about the lack of showers but maybe this is just not the campground for them. There are plenty of other campgrounds in the area that have showers. If that's what you're looking for ....
We stayed at A48 and loved it. The driveway is deep, so we felt very secluded, especially at night. The only thing we didn't like about this site is that the fire ring is in the middle of the site. We moved the picnic table to the side and had room, but it did. limit our options for the tent a little bit.
This is a dark sky park so no string lights or anything like that and as a result it is also VERY quiet at night. Very dog friendly and everyone seemed very responsible as far as no barking and picking up after their pets.
At night we drove over to Fraser Point and took amazing photos of the northern lights. Not for the feint of heart, though — it is VERY dark! This is such an amazing campground, I almost don't want to tell you because it feels like a hidden little secret!
GuideWe stayed here for two nights. We had a nice spot on the c-loop.
The spaces are (more or less) private and spacious. The best thing about this camp ground is the total darkness and silence at night. A truly wonderful experience in a world that often is polluted by light.
Close by are two nice hiking trails and a lighthouse. All definitely worth a visit.
We would definitely return.
TravelerWe stayed at Seawall campground for a week. Took me 5 days of being diligently by my computer as the “bank” opened up to get a site. Finally did. Thankfully. However once we arrived, we came in to a 95% at capacity campground with over 50% of the sites having no one on them. And it stayed that way for a week. Booked up, and no one there while others get the shaft. Outside of that, the sites were nice, the rangers were great and the facilities were upkept well. NPS is failing us all with online booking.
Guide
The reception at this campground is very friendly. Pitches are fairly spacious, but still a bit close together. Garbage is picked up in the morning, which is very nice.
The sanitary facilities are quite outdated and, in addition, could definitely be a bit cleaner.
The pool is clean, but everything around it also looks very outdated and worn.
We had a pleasant time here and would definitely recommend this place for a few days.
Traveler
Overall, this was a nice place to stay. The laundromat was helpful. The bathrooms were fairly clean. We had a beautiful view from our campsite! Not all campsites had full hookup and we were told that one of the dump stations worked, but as we were leaving, we realized it didn’t.
Legend
Pros: 30 minutes from Acadia National Park 50 AMP, sewer & water hookup Nice amenities
Cons: Gravel site No shade
Guide
This campground is amazing. Great space, easy hookups, plenty of grass and trees. They have a pool, 2 bathhouses, laundry. Great location. The island is very beautiful.
Legend
Pros: Full hookup (sewer, water, 50 AMP) Lots of Amenities
Cons: Gravel site Not much shade
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!
GuideWell maintained campground with clean bathrooms right the heart of the park. I love that the southern ridge trailhead for Cadillac mountain leaves from the campgrounds and connects to a bunch of other trails. Campsites are close together but that’s on par for all the national parks. And big shoutout to Ferd and the other rangers at the station for helping me clean and dress a wound when I clipped my finger with my hatchet. They were all very kind and patient.
Tent camping near Southwest Harbor, Maine offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Southwest Harbor, ME?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Southwest Harbor, ME is Saddleback Island with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Southwest Harbor, ME, with real photos and reviews from campers.
