Guide to Blackwoods Campground in Acadia NP: Our favorite place to camp
We visit nearly every summer, and most of the time we are in Maine, we spend exploring Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. (Though we have spent time in Portland, Portsmouth, and Freeport.)
Blackwoods Campground is located on Mount Desert Island and is an official part of Acadia National Park. This is our favorite campground in the northeast; we started hiking there when our daughter was a baby (at 2 months old) and have returned when she was a toddler.
One of the things we love most is how easy it is to balance outdoor exploration with a little comfort and fun. The campground’s proximity to the town of Bar Harbor means families can hike in the park in the morning, grab lunch and ice-cream in town, and play by the water in the evening.
One of the things we love most is how easy it is to balance outdoor exploration with a little comfort and fun. The campground’s proximity to the charming town of Bar Harbor means families can hike scenic trails in the park in the morning, grab a casual (or well-earned ice cream) in town for lunch, and spend the evening scrambling over rocks or watching the waves crash along the shoreline.
Where is Blackwoods Campground? (And Why Location Matters)
Blackwoods campground is located 5 miles from downtown Bar Harbor and 7 miles from the Sand Beach Entrance Station. The location matters because hiking and recreating in Acadia National park is a competitive sport. The early bird gets the parking lot. You do not want to have to get up and drive 40 minutes every morning just to go for a hike or get parking.
At Blackwoods, you’re never far from the highlights. A short drive brings you to iconic spots like Cadillac Mountain for sunrise or sunset views or Sand Beach where your kids can play on the only sandy beach in Acadia and enjoy splashing in the surf.
Why We Choose Blackwoods Over Other Acadia Campgrounds
There are a handful of campgrounds near Bar Harbor and Acadia. Many are private campgrounds, and they are competing for money from families. therefore, they offer lots of amenities: there are cabins, washers, showers, and sometimes pools. However, these do not have the calm and quiet that Blackwoods Campground offers.
We always choose Blackwoods, which is a more basic campground, for a few reasons.
Blackwoods fits every budget: it’s only $30 per night; we spent 9 days camping last summer for a grand total of $270.
Every campsite is shaded by tall pines. Even on a hot summer day, the campground stays cool.
Blackwoods is near the ocean; you can hear the waves at night. Being close to the ocean also keeps the bugs away!
Blackwoods is CLOSE to Bar Harbor and the entrance stations to Acadia. Many private campgrounds, like the KOA on Mount Desert Island try to use the Acadia name, but they are actually 40 minutes or more away from Bar Harbor
If you stay in loop B, which is tents only, you will feel like you have stepped back in time. There’s very little noise, no light pollution, and you will not have to listen to the sound of generators at night.
Camping with our daughter at 10 weeks old at Blackwoods
What Makes Blackwoods Campground Perfect for Families
Ranger Programs:
Since Blackwoods is part of the National Park system, there are ranger programs at the campground every night. For our 6-year-old, this was the favorite part of her routine. Each night after dinner, our daughter could ride her bike to the amphitheatre, which is conveniently located between loop A and B. The NPS rangers provide different programs each night to help educate children about the animals and plants.
Quiet Hours:
People who camp in Blackwoods are generally people who respect nature and the rules of camping; the campground has quiet hours from 10pm to 6am and rules that everyone must follow.
Shuttle Bus Access:
The LL Bean shuttle bus stops at Blackwoods; you can leave your car at the campground and take the shuttle bus to every part of Acadia. This is helpful for families who do not want to worry about parking and moving their car all day. You can take the shuttle bus to Bar Harbor (the Village Green) or to Sand Beach (and many places in between.)
Fit the entire family in one place:
One summer, we booked 3 campsites for our extended. Each of us had our own campsite. The kids could run back and forth between the campsites by skirting through the tress without having to walk on the road. And, even if the kids did have to walk on the road, everyone in Acadia has kids, so they drive slowly in the camping circles.
Running water and flush toilets:
While Blackwoods does not have showers, there are ample bathrooms that have regular toilets and water to wash your face.
There are also dishwashing stations and lots of trash receptacles.
Ranger Program at Blackwoods Campground
What You Should Know Before You Book
The following information comes directly from Recreation.gov, which is where you will need to book your campsite.
Flush toilets, running water, and a dump station are provided, as are picnic tables and fire rings. Roads are paved.
There are NO showers in Blackwoods; there are showers ½ a mile down the road.
For Blackwoods campsites, 90 percent of campsites are released six months in advance on the first of each month at 10 am EST.
The remaining 10 percent are released at 10 am 14 days ahead of a desired arrival date on a rolling basis.
Visitors are able to make same day reservations if campsites are available.
All reservations must be made through recreation.gov. Reservations cannot be made through the campground office or in-person.
Access Acadia NP right from the Campground
From Blackwoods Campground, which is in Otter Creek, you can do the following:
Walk the campground trail to watch the sunset. From loop B, it’s about 15 minutes to walk across loop A, and across Park Loop Road to see a bit of the coast. (Careful- it’s a bit rocky here- there’s not too much room to spread out!)
Hike Cadillac Mountain:
If you have older kids who are good hikers, you can hike the Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail from the campground; you do have to cross a larger roadway, but it’s manageable. It’s about 7.1 miles roundtrip, and a lot of this trail is exposed to the sun, so be prepared with water and sun protection.
Cadillac Mountain
