Best Tent Camping near Southwest Harbor, ME

Tent campsites near Southwest Harbor, Maine offer a mix of established campgrounds and island-based backcountry experiences. Duck Harbor Campground in Acadia National Park provides five lean-to shelters on Isle au Haut, accessible primarily by mailboat from Stonington. The Maine Island Trail Association maintains several tent camping islands in the Deer Isle Archipelago, including Nathan Island and Saddleback Island, which require sea kayaks or small boats to access.

Most tent-only sites in the region have minimal amenities, with varying levels of accessibility. Donnell Pond Public Reserved Land offers walk-in tent sites approximately half a mile from the parking area, with fire rings and picnic tables but no drinking water. A camper noted, "The hike in is only about 1/2 mile so it's totally doable even if you need to make two trips." Many island campsites require visitors to pack out all waste using wag bags rather than digging cat holes. Tent campers should prepare for significant tidal changes (9-14 vertical feet) that can affect landing and launching from island sites, and fog that can roll in quickly, necessitating navigation equipment.

Areas farther from Mount Desert Island provide deeper seclusion and fewer crowds than the main sections of Acadia National Park. Maine Wild Blueberry Bliss offers private land camping with tent sites set among blueberry fields, providing a unique tent camping experience. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, island camping requires careful planning: "The fog can roll in at any minute so come prepared with a chart, compass, bearings between islands/markers and a marine radio." Backcountry tent campers should note that most island sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservation system, making backup plans essential. Early morning lobster boat noise is common near coastal tent sites, so light sleepers may want to bring earplugs.

Best Tent Sites Near Southwest Harbor, Maine (13)

    1. Rough and Raw

    2 Reviews
    Lamoine, ME
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 667-3244

    $40 - $100 / night

    "We had no idea there was a clothing optional site near Acadia and stumbled across this with hipcamp. A safe and lovely primitive site. We will be back!"

    2. Saddleback Island

    2 Reviews
    Stonington, ME
    15 miles
    Website

    "The Maine Island Trail offers 200 islands in which to sea kayak camp and Saddleback Island is one of the many gorgeous options in the Deer Isle Archipelago. "

    3. Shivers Island — Settlement Quarry Preserve

    2 Reviews
    Stonington, ME
    16 miles
    Website

    "You must heat the water up in another pot already, so why not just chuck in the coffee filter bag directly into the pot? Save a step."

    4. Four Acre Woods Campground

    2 Reviews
    Stonington, ME
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (617) 314-1587

    $40 - $50 / night

    "All the things you need are there - firewood, water, bathrooms and showers, and even electricity at the site. Only thing is the sites are small and close together."

    5. Maine Wild Blueberry Bliss

    3 Reviews
    Brooksville, ME
    21 miles
    +1 (207) 469-8523

    $49 - $69 / night

    "There are 4 total campsites, and each  offers a slightly different view and sense of privacy.  The owner met us when we arrived.  Dogs are allowed.  "

    "This location offers level sites, views of rolling blueberry fields, a picnic table, and other goodies from your host. Lakeisha really takes pride in this property, and it shows."

    6. Nathan Island

    1 Review
    Isle au Haut, ME
    20 miles
    Website

    "As a nature and wildlife photographer, I’m outside shooting pictures in every type of weather, both on land and sea."

    7. Donnell Pond — Donnel Pond

    3 Reviews
    Franklin, ME
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 941-4412

    "This lake is huge so keep that in mind. We parked at the public dock that has public parking and boated over to the beach."

    "This was really a beautiful spot to set up camp. I stayed here for only 1 night as I had reservations in Acadia (about 45 minutes outside Acadia) but I will absolutely come back in the future."

    8. Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park

    2 Reviews
    Isle au Haut, ME
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 335-5551

    $20 / night

    "Camping on in the Duck Harbor Campground is nearly the stuff of legends. "

    "I describe this as "backpacking light". You need to bring everything with you (except water) on the mailboat and then walk on a short distance to one of 5 campsites."

    10. Continuous Harmony Farm

    2 Reviews
    Lincolnville Center, ME
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (207) 763-3891

    $40 / night

    "We're so excited to have this property, hosted by Doug, on our platform. Park your van, or pop your tent, next to the pond."

    "The space is gorgeous, right next to a pond. Important to know though, there are several campsites. It's unclear how many campers could be there on any given night but it could be many."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Southwest Harbor, ME

635 Reviews of 13 Southwest Harbor Campgrounds


  • Melissa N.
    Jul. 17, 2018

    Seawall Campground — Acadia National Park

    Laid Back National Park Camping

    if the tide is right, Seawall has amazing sights! I’ve taken some amazing photos here. the Campgound is directly across from the public boat landing/picnic area. it’s a really nice area. the campground itself is very laid back for a National Park. the rangers almost act as though camping is your business and they only get involved if needed. whereas at blackwoods the rangers seem to try to be as accommodating as possible. it’s cute that they compete, and definitely are different. the sites are not usually as clean as blackwoods, they leave the “leave no trace” responsibility to the campers and if the person before you didn’t clean up, you might have to. other than that it’s QUIET! you can see the stars because there are no city lights. you don’t hear cars, AND the tent sites are very private. there are fresh water spouts everywhere, and plenty of trash/recycling areas. no electrIcity on the sItes, and rv can onlybIse geberators dIrIng lImItes hours. the bathrooms flush and have running water, but there are no showers. Echo Lake is right down the road, a great place to swim in fresh water.

  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 11, 2018

    Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park

    Hard to get to, difficult to get a reservation, but so worth the time!

    Camping on in the Duck Harbor Campground is nearly the stuff of legends. This remote island off the coast of Maine only has 5 campsites in this part of Acadia National Park, and reservations are required. The Park’s website describes this in classic Park Service understatement, “Duck Harbor Campground is very popular. Please plan your trip in advance.” What they mean is if you don’t go online within 10 minutes of opening day, April 1st, at 10 am EST, you will miss your chance to stay here for the whole year. You won’t be the first to get denied and certainly not the last. You might however, get lucky if you’re in the area for long enough and there is a sudden cancellation. 

    I believe I’m right in saying that the hype is worth it here, more than just because it’s difficult to get here and difficult to get a reservation. This is a beautiful place to camp and an amazing island to explore by bike, by kayak, and on foot.

    Each of the 5 sites offers a classic lean-to structure with a campfire ring and a picnic table. But it’s not the site which makes this place so special. Sticking out into the Gulf of Maine, this is one of the most remote islands with established camping and recreational trails on the coast. It feels like another world entirely than Mount Dessert Island, where the rest of Acadia National Park is located. By comparison, MDI feels like Central Park.

    There is fresh water a short walk away from the campground, and a bear proof food storage locker at each lean-to. Mosquitoes can be bad during the summer, so I would recommend bringing a bug net or small backpacking tent which you could set up in the lean-to for more protection and privacy. 

    Getting to the island is possible through the daily mailboat which goes directly to Duck Harbor from Stonington, but the best way to get there is to paddle up in a sea kayak as we did!

  • Kevin D.
    Jul. 25, 2018

    Seawall Campground — Acadia National Park

    Crowded but Nice!

    We stayed at the tent walk in sites (D25) The sites are close together but otherwise, well maintained. There are two wheelbarrows usually loated near the bathroom to help move gear as many of the sites are walk in.

    Back behind D25 area there is a path that leads to the RV sites (which are even closer together). On that path is a mound o free firewood to take an armfull each day. But I would bring firewood as a backup as it sometimes is empty.

    No showers at the campground, but there is a store just up the road towards Southwest Harbor. They have hot showers *bring quarters) and most camping items you may have forgotten or broken.

    The seawall area also gets very good sunrise and sunset views out on the rocks. There are a bunch of day use sites out there with fire rings, so you can cook on the wall at sunset.

    There's also a lot of good hiking you can get to on that side of the island without going all the way back to the main park.

    You can buy your park pass at the ranger station when you check in so you don't need to go to the main gate or visitor center to get one.

  • Sable W.
    Jul. 17, 2018

    Blackwoods Campground — Acadia National Park

    Super convenient camping in Acadia National Park

    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.

  • L
    Sep. 3, 2021

    Seawall Campground — Acadia National Park

    Spectacular Seawall - Known & loved throughout the NPS system

    Famous Seawall Campground is divided into four loops. I can only review loops A & B where I have stayed…although I did look quickly at loop C which has a parking lot configuration and doesn’t have the character of loops A & B which are in the woods. Stay at Seawall if you can possibly do so. It’s unique. 

    Loop A has a few sites that have been closed this season and hopefully they will open next year. Site A-1 is hands down the closest to the ocean by just a bit…a very easy walk and a good level site medium size. I would vouch for sites A-4 ADA; A-18; A-20; A-28; A-33; A-36; A-37; A-38 which seem nicer and flatter than others. Sites 24 & 25 are configured for adjoining families or friends without being group sites. A-10 & A-12 are very small sites.  Firepits are generous in size.

    In loop B the best sites are generally on the outer, not the inside of the ring. Firepits are also large in this loop.There is one bathroom without showers, but it has been rebuilt or remodeled. There is no soap or hand dryer but the main thing is that the bathroom is very clean and modern as well as easily accessible from al points in the loop. Some of the sites inside the roadbed are adjacent to standing water which surely is a mosquito hazard. It gets swampy on the inside of the ring during rains…B-2, B-4, B-6 might flood. Best sites in loop B are: B-1 highest in elevation;  B-8 excellent privacy; B-13; B-26 & B-27. Spacious sites B-8; B-26; B-27 have the most privacy. B-15 & B-16 are meant to work well for adjoining parties. Site 22 is well set into the woods. Sites B-5, B-4, B-6; B-24 are small - of these B-24 is the best. Site B-2 is not private at all.

    Southwest Harbor and Bass Harbor are the closest villages. Don’t forget to scout out the view from the upper town dock on Clark Point Road on the way to Beal’s restaurant. Look for a narrow lane to the dock--- great harbor view there…of the working harbor.

    The most reliable area wifi is in Southwest Harbor village behind the town’s library (near the village public restrooms which are badly maintained.) On any given afternoon one can find the vehicles of Seawall campers parked behind the library using the wifi…this continues into the night, at least in summer.

    Seawall has no wifi reception at all and no shower facilities. Nor any soap dispensers in the bathrooms. 

    What it does have is location, location, location--- steps from the ocean. It’s a stone beach as with so many in Maine, not a sand beach; but, there are plenty of picnic tables and endless tide pools to explore.

  • Amanda G.
    May. 23, 2020

    Schoodic Woods Campground — Acadia National Park

    All around great

    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!

  • G
    Jun. 9, 2021

    Seawall Campground — Acadia National Park

    Overall, a great choice!

    This is a national park campsite. First impressions, really good!

    When you enter you pass by a ranger booth to register, etc. Definitely grab the campground map! Why? Because you are given a free handful of wood and the map will show you where to pick it up. We didn’t realize until later and bought some on the way in. Don’t be us.

    We stayed in D loop, which are all walk-up. Some are closer to the parking lot than others. Ours was D84. It had a pretty good sized space, and plenty of good area for our tent. Had a picnic table and a fire ring with a grate you could place over for cooking, if so inclined.

    The bathrooms. We noticed they were cleaned every morning, and we stayed during the weekend. During the day of course they can get somewhat dirty but nothing crazy. No showers. Water spouts were ample and spread across the campground. They also had a dish washing station in the bathroom building, in a separate room. Trash bins were also right in the parking lot.

    The space itself was kind of close to our neighbors but not like we were on top of each other. Everyone was courteous and the noise level was fine. Seemed like around 10/11, everyone went to bed and it was very quiet.

    The campground location itself. It’s actually kind of great. It is not right next to the actual park, in a not heavily trafficked area. As a result, it’s peaceful. And you have the town of Southwest Harbor right next to it. You actually have to drive through it to get here. It’s got some shops and restaurants but a lot less people than Bar Harbor. It took us ~25 min to get to the other side and to the park itself.

    The only con. Mosquitoes. Everywhere. All the time. The fire will scare them off or fry em, but no fire = you become a delicious blood flavored snack bar. Bring bug spray!

  • R
    Oct. 14, 2020

    Pushaw Lake Campground

    Quick Trip

    I’ll preface this by saying that we got in after dark and left by 10am so this review is limited. First, while being very nice the front desk worker was not very helpful in helping us understand the layout and our best choice for tent camping that night. She was just not very communicative. After some prodding questions that felt like I was pulling teeth, we chose site 1 which was by the beach and the only tent site in that area of the campground. It was mid Sept on a particularly windy and unseasonably cold night. The wind was coming right off the lake which made it particularly hard to set up. Blocking the wind with our car was our only choice. After we got settled in, a nice fire and a little bourbon made it all worthwhile. While not very private because we were right next to an RV (all the RVs were lined up on the waterfront with little space between), it was still quite a lakefront spot. The site included a picnic table, a fire ring and a charcoal grill. Buckets of well seasoned wood were available at the camp store right next to us. It had a nice porch to sit on for the morning sun but unfortunately, that looked the opposite way from the lake toward the dense central campground. The camp store had a nice indoor dining area with views toward the lake that I believe was also closed for the season. All in all, I would recommend this if you’re not very concerned with privacy and want a beautiful lake to camp by.

  • HThe Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 1, 2025

    Maine Wild Blueberry Bliss

    Bucolic bliss!

    We loved our stay at the blueberry fields!   This is private land that the owner rents to campers.  We stayed in campsite 2, where the land is open and flat, and there was plenty of room for our rv.  There are 4 total campsites, and each  offers a slightly different view and sense of privacy.  The owner met us when we arrived.  Dogs are allowed.  It is dry camping, with no hookups, and generators are not allowed.   The owner had a picnic table set up with flower boxes in it, and there was a nice fire ring. They will sell you wood if you need it.  There was one other camper at site 1, and we could also see the owners house, but both were far enough away that we had a great sense of privacy. There was a shared porta potty available for use for all of the campsites.  The land was quiet and peaceful - it is acres of blueberry fields, which create a special sense of being in nature. The site we were at had a nice tree, which framed the site. The owner was very responsive to questions we had, and responded quickly.   The area was very quiet - at night we only heard the crickets and the wind.

    You are close to Castine, Ellsworth, Blue Hill, Deer Isle and Stonington.  There are numerous hiking trails in the area that can be found on All Trails, as well as easy places to kayak from, the closest of which are the Brooksville Town Landing, or Bucks Harbor public boat launch.


Guide to Southwest Harbor

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.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • Enjoy a scenic hike to stunning views at Donnell Pond — Donnel Pond, where the half-mile trek leads to secluded camping spots and a beautiful lake.
  • Experience the thrill of fishing and swimming at Saddleback Island, accessible by boat, where you can set up camp on the beach and enjoy breathtaking views.
  • Explore the remote trails of Duck Harbor Campground — Acadia National Park, which offers a unique island camping experience with opportunities for biking and kayaking.

Tent campers should check out local attractions

Unique features of these camping spots

  • At Rough and Raw, campers can enjoy a clothing-optional experience in a safe and welcoming environment, complete with essential amenities.
  • Nathan Island offers a backcountry camping experience with no amenities, perfect for those looking to disconnect and immerse themselves in nature.
  • The well-reviewed Four Acre Woods Campground provides electric hookups and other conveniences, making it a comfortable choice for tent campers.

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 Rough and Raw with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Southwest Harbor, ME?

TheDyrt.com has all 13 tent camping locations near Southwest Harbor, ME, with real photos and reviews from campers.