Love the location of this park. You are just a few miles from the bridge that takes you to Mt. Desert Island where you have Acadia National Park (NP) and the towns of Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and a few other quaint little towns at your fingertips. But, drive the other way and you will get to explore Ellsworth, Blue Hill, Surry, Schoodic Peninsula and much more.
This area has so much to offer - the highlight being Acadia NP. Here, hundreds of trails and gorgeous views abound. Trails range from easy to strenuous with some taking you on a nice walk around a lake or pond where others guide you along steep ledges and up with ladders and rungs. Be aware that hiking during or after a rain can be quite treacherous because of slippery footing. The island is known for their granite and rock faces that are common on the trails which can be very slippery. I advise walking or biking a carriage road (which is crushed gravel) when the ground is wet to avoid slipping. The carriage roads are amazing for biking and walking and link 46 miles of the park. If you like to kayak, there are plenty of free public boat ramps – Long Pond, Eagle Lake, and Jordan Pond being some of the prettiest. Many of these water bodies are off limits to swimming as they are the public water supply but personal watercraft are allowed. Fishing with a state license is permitted in many of the lakes and ponds. Many were stocked years ago but I never had any luck catching in the few lakes I fished.
The shoulder season here is the best time to come. Preferably in the spring before mid-June or the fall when the leaves are changing color. Not all businesses and restaurants will be open before mid-June but you will have far less crowds than in the busy summer months. During the summer season, there is a free shuttle taking you (and bikes and dogs) to various locations throughout the island and within the park. If you are planning on hiking some of the popular trails (like Precipice, Dorr Mountain, Cadillac Mountain, and the Beehive) definitely take the shuttle. The parking lots are really small and you will not find a spot. Be sure to go to Cadillac Mountain for a sunrise and bring warm clothes as the wind really whips up there. Fall is a beautiful time to visit but be aware that many cruise ships frequent Bar Harbor. Some days will find over 6,000 cruise ship passengers and staff flooded into the downtown. Hiking amongst the fall colors is beautiful but we made sure to go early to avoid the crowds.
The smaller island towns of Northwest Harbor and Southwest Harbor were more our style than the touristy Bar Harbor. Check out the farmers market in Northwest Harbor and the Common Ground Soup Kitchen in Southwest Harbor for hot delicious popovers. C-Ray Lobster offers a good lobster dinner in a casual atmosphere that is much less expensive than lobster pounds downtown Bar Harbor (and it is BYOB). Downeast Lobster Pound is our favorite place to buy lobster. We would buy them live and steam them at our campsite or you can have them cook them (for a nominal fee) and eat there or take them to go.
The campground has some 200 sites for RVs and cabins and cottages for rent but they DO NOT allow tents. Prices range from the $30’s to over $100 depending on where you want to camp. The waterfront sites (“300’s” section) have great views but are very pricey. Some of the “800” and “600” section sites are cheaper than the 300’s and still have partial water views. The cheapest sites (the 100’s and 200’s) are near Route 3 which is a very busy road. Park staff is very accommodating and will let you move sites if you decide you prefer something different. (Be aware the park charges an additional $4/night resort fee on sites that are booked less than 30 days.) All sites have full-hookup and cable. The wifi was hit or miss. All sites and patios are gravel with some grass between them.
There is a swimming pool, horseshoes, volleyball, laundry, and bathrooms. The bathrooms and showers were cleaned daily and in good condition when we were there. (The bathroom nearest the entrance is the newest and gets the least amount of use and was always clean.) There is a kayak/canoe rental in the park which was nice but there is no designated parking there so we had to take the car back to our site. The camp store rents two-person kayaks and canoes for a very reasonable price of ($10/hour and $5 for additional hours). However, you have about a four-hour window to paddle because of the tides. You will be left walking across muddy soft clam flats if you are not mindful of the 10-12 foot tides. There was a free ice cream social when we were there which had four different varieties and toppings and very filling. There is no off-leash dog park but we were told by work campers that we could let our dog off-leash in one of the leach fields to throw a ball for her. Super cool.
The park was clean and staff friendly and very helpful. There are some brochure racks in a community building and laundry and the office has a variety of maps for the island and will let you look through some hiking guide books as well as restaurant menus. We would definitely come back here again. The only downside is that it is a little pricier than other parks but the location is ideal.
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