Bar Harbor, Maine is a unique travel destination filled with lots of charm, outdoor recreation, and amazing seafood. It’s the gateway town to Acadia National Park too, which is a great place to hike and camp. Additionally, there are some excellent private RV resorts where you can live life in the great outdoors as you explore the region. Here are some of the best campgrounds near Bar Harbor, Maine to plan your trip.
Mt. Desert Narrows Camping Resort
Mt. Desert Narrows Camping Resort is an Encore RV Resorts/Thousand Trails park in Bar Harbor and along the coast. At this resort, you can park your RV or pitch your tent right by the water and enjoy panoramic views. The campground has lots of amenities to make your stay comfortable, including a clubhouse, showers, playground, Wi-Fi (free in the common area but available at the campsite for a fee), laundry facilities, and a small store. It’s a pet-friendly RV resort with a game room too. Guests can rent a resort cottage for up to six people here as well. You can meet other campers here at planned events, such as ice cream socials and magic shows.
Narrows Too Camping Resort
Bar Harbor visitors can stay at the Narrows Too Camping Resort, which is also an Encore RV Resorts/Thousand Trails property. This all-inclusive RV resort is in Bar Harbor and has 200 full-service RV sites and great ocean views. The resort has a central location that overlooks Mt. Desert Island and gives you easy access to experience a lobster hatchery, living salt marsh, and more at the Mt. Desert Oceanarium. There are special rates at the campground if you’re traveling with a big group of 25 or more people. Amenities offered include Wi-Fi, laundry facilities, showers, a picnic area, swimming pool, store, and dog park.
Bar Harbor / Oceanside KOA Holiday
There’s a KOA campground in Bar Harbor worth considering for your next trip to the area, and it’s the only campground on the west side of the island. The Bar Harbor / Oceanside KOA Holiday has a free shuttle that takes you to Acadia National Park. This campground offers numerous activities for families, such as making s’mores. The camp store onsite has basic food items and local beer and wine too. The KOA can accommodate RVs up to 70 feet long and has 50-amp sites. It also offers Wi-Fi and a dog park. Bike rentals, propane, and firewood are available for extra fees. Tent sites and cabins are also options when you stay here.
Smuggler’s Den Campground
Here’s a third-generation, family-owned campground with more than 100 sites for RVs and tents. The Smuggler’s Den Campground is nestled among the trees and has lots of family-friendly activities to enjoy. The RV sites have full hookups, while tent campers and pop-up campers appreciate the hot showers on site. Rustic and deluxe cabin rentals are also offered here for a glamping experience. The campground has a heated pool, kiddie pool, and great location near Acadia National Park, Sand Beach, and Eco Lake Beach. It’s a 20-minute drive to Bar Harbor from here.
Acadia East Campground
A popular place to set up camp is the Acadia East Campground, which is a backcountry-style tent campground near Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. It’s a commercial campground that lets you really get back to nature in a peaceful and rustic way. This is a dog-friendly campground that’s away from crowds and that you can book online. You’ll be all the scenic beauty when you’re here, but know that this campground cannot accommodate RVs or camper vans. You also cannot drive to your campsite with your tent gear, so be prepared to hike in.
Schoodic Woods Campground, Acadia National Park
There are several campgrounds at Acadia National Park that accommodate both tents and RVs, which gives you excellent opportunities to enjoy views like the one pictured here. It’s fun to camp right inside the national park for easy access to the popular attractions and to be surrounded by nature. The Schoodic Woods Campground has 89 total campsites – 78 with electric hookups, 41 for RVs only, 13 for tents only, and nine that are walk-to or boat-to only. This is the newest campground in the park and 1.5 miles southeast of Winter Harbor. You can camp here between May and October, and the cost per night ranges from $22 to $40 for individual sites.
Somes Sound View Campground
The Somes Sound View Campground is by Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor to offer RV, tent, and cabin camping. It’s a quiet place for families and is located on Mount Desert Island in a peaceful location. You can expect gorgeous views here and bring your pup along because the campground is dog-friendly. Perks of staying here are the heated in-ground swimming pool, free paddle boats to use in the quarry, and opportunities to rent kayaks. There’s a small store at the campground that’s stocked with essentials. Travelers can make reservations online to camp here.
Hadley's Point Campground
Another option is to camp on the northern point of Mt. Desert Island at Hadley’s Point Campground. This campground is just minutes from the national park’s main entrance and downtown Bar Harbor. It welcomes families with cabins and campsites that accommodate both RVs and tents. Amenities provided here include free Wi-Fi, 30/50-amp electrical service, and a heated pool. There’s also a playground here, as well as a camp store, laundry facility, and basketball court. You can make a reservation online for your stay. Sunday church service is offered on the grounds.
Blackwoods Campground, Acadia National Park
Another great place to camp inside Acadia National Park is the Blackwoods Campground. You can book campsites here up to two months in advance on the Reservation.gov online system and have easy access to those rocky cliffs, lighthouses, and much more. Most of the sites at this campground are for tents; however, some sites can accommodate RVs. The Blackwoods facilities include flush toilets, running water, a dump station, picnic table, and fire rings. However, the closest showers are a half-mile away. The entrance to this campground is just six miles south of Bar Harbor, and the ocean is within a 10-minute walk from these wooded campsites.
Timberland Acres RV Park
You’ll be just 14 miles from Bar Harbor and the Acadia National Park entrance when you book a campsite at the Timberland Acres RV Park. This RV park has been welcoming guests since 1985 and is a family-owned park under new management. It’s a Downeast Maine destination with special opening rates in May and closing rates in October. There are over 70 pull-through and full hookup sites here with 50-amp service, and some sites can accommodate rigs over 100 feet long. The park offers free Wi-Fi, propane filling, a playground, pool, laundry, and seasonal activities.
Bass Harbor Campground
The Bass Harbor Campground is in the heart of Acadia National Park and a half-mile from the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. It offers 120 shaded and wooded sites for tents, pop-up campers, and RVs, as well as three yurts and eight cabins. At the campground, you’ll also have a dog run, heated pool, hot showers, cable TV, laundry machines, rec room, and camp store.
Acadia Seashore Camping & Cabins
You’ll have amazing views and easy saltwater access when you book a campsite here for your Bar Harbor trip. Acadia Seashore Camping & Cabins is right off Route 1 and between Mount Desert and the Schoodic Peninsulas of the national park. Donnell Pond Beach is just 12 minutes away from the campground. Washers and dryers are offered here, as well Wi-Fi. Campground season runs from May through October here, as it does with many of the camping areas in this part of Maine. There are different rates depending on the dates of your stay.
Quietside Campground & Cabins
At Quietside Campground & Cabins, you’ll find water and electric sites to accommodate small RVs and pop-up campers up to 22 feet long. These sites do not have sewer service. There are also tent sites here on 12-foot by 12-foot and 12-foot by 18-foot platforms. This campground is on Mount Desert Island, near Bar Harbor. Cabin rentals are available here as well for guests. The camping season here typically runs from June through October. Dogs are allowed here as long as you pick up after them. From this campground, it’s about a half-hour drive to get to Bar Harbor.
MainStay Cottages & RV Park
Since 1979, the MainStay Cottages has provided lodging in Winter Harbor in its waterfront location. This place also welcomes RVs for overnight stays. You can enjoy a traditional Maine fishing village when you stay here and the dining options, art galleries, and gift shops nearby. It’s in the Bar Harbor area and also close to the national park, Frenchman’s Bay Conservancy Trails, and other natural attractions. Perks of staying here are the Wi-Fi, gas fireplaces, free bus services to town and Acadia, and being in a remote pedestrian-friendly fishing village to take a step back in time.
