ACADIA NATIONAL PARK | Blackwoods Campground

We arrived at Acadia National Park in the late afternoon and were assigned “a quiet site” in the B loop at Blackwoods campground. It didn’t take us long to set up camp — less than 10 minutes for our tent and another couple of minutes for our hammock. After being cooped up for hours in the car we welcomed the chance to mill about the campsite, sway in our hammock, and eat a snack or two. It just so happened that we arrived on the longest day of the year — the summer solstice. Golden dappled light peered through the tall trees and it felt as if the entirety of summer was stretched out in front of us: sunny warm days, sleeping beneath the trees, lazy naps in hammocks, the smell of pine trees, campgrounds and campfires. And lots and lots of exploring yet to do.

DETAILS

STAY
Blackwoods Campground / $20/night, reservable online though actual spaces are assigned when checking in // Flush toilets (very clean), potable water pump, no showers but there is a place just outside the boundaries of the campground that offer coin-operated showers. The best thing about Blackwoods Campground is its proximity to Bar Harbor and Park Loop Road — where the majority of the park’s featured sights are located. In that regard its location cannot be beat. If, however, you are like us and prefer a more remote campground with less people, then this would not be it. Many of the sites are very close together and so interaction — whether wanted or not — with neighbors is more than likely to occur.  It is a somewhat noisy campground due to the popularity/location/amount of people, dare I say a “family campground?” Luckily for us the site directly to the right of ours remained unoccupied for the time we were at Blackwoods so we had a bit more privacy. The drive-in tent only non-electric sites were large (could easily fit multiple tents), nestled in trees, and had their own picnic table and fire pit. You can only pitch your tent in the designated graveled site area so bring sleeping pads of some sort. Quite a few trails can be reached from the campgrounds, as well as the park’s free bus shuttle. It’s definitely not a campsite to ‘get away from it all’ but it’s still a beautiful place in a great, convenient location.  Note: outside firewood is not allowed.

UPDATE | I am frequently asked which is the best campground in Acadia National Park so I wrote a more detailed description on camping in Acadia National Park. For my take on Blackwoods, Seawall, and Duck Harbor campgrounds click here.