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

Last weekend, our family stayed at White Lake State Park for four days. While initially drawn to the campground because of its proximity to Chocorua, one of the most rewarding hikes in the Whites, we barely left the campground. We spend our days enjoying the park's pleasant beach and clear water.

Our kids loved padding their kayak around the small lake. The shallow water allowed them to explore safely.  We set up a hammock on the beach and enjoyed resting while watching them play.

A 2-mile walking path surrounds the lake and can be easily accessed from the campground.  Here we spotted a family of ducks, some wild lilies, and lots of interesting conifers. 

Pros:

• Beautiful beach within an easy walk
• Gorgeous mountain views
• Near some incredible hiking trails up Chocorua 
• Easy spots to launch kayaks, canoes, and other small boats
• Well-shaded sites with lots of hammock-prefect trees.
• Grills and picnic tables available at the beach. Trash is carry-in, carry-out.
• Two large playgrounds entertained the kids when they needed a break from swimming.
• "Camp clean" bathrooms. Yes, they did get dirty on the busy weekends, and I would not consider them clean if they were in my home. But they were cleaned frequently and at a high standard for most campgrounds.
• The dishwashing area was clean and very easy to use. 
• A large field provided opportunities to play soccer, frisbee, and tag. 

Cons:

• Very crowded on the weekend. All of the sites were booked on the weekend and the campground became loud and smokey. By Sunday night, we had the campground to ourselves and enjoyed it much more.
• Rodents rummaged sites for food. Make sure you store all your food and trash in your car and not in your tent! The resident raccoon knows how to open tents and knock over food bins. The chipmunks will nibble holes in your trash bags to get interesting scraps.
• Our site was near the bathhouse. The lights from the bathhouse were very bright at night and some traffic to and from disturbed our sleep. 
• There were no lifeguards on duty.