Camping near Bar Harbor comes down to two choices: the National Park Service campgrounds inside Acadia, which book through Recreation.gov months ahead, or privately run campgrounds on and near Mount Desert Island with more amenities and later booking. The park campgrounds are cheaper and closer to the trails. The private ones usually offer hookups, cabins and showers. Both fill in summer. Our Acadia National Park guide covers the rest of the park.
Booking Acadia campgrounds in 2027
- Where: online only, through Recreation.gov, with an account. The park has no campground office or in-person booking.
- Blackwoods, Seawall and Schoodic Woods: 90% of sites are released six months ahead, on the first of each month at 10 a.m. Eastern, starting December 1. The other 10% are released at 10 a.m. 14 days before arrival.
- Duck Harbor on Isle au Haut: all of the season’s reservations are released at 10 a.m. on April 1.
- Same day: online same-day reservations are possible if sites are open.
- Winter: the park does not allow winter camping, backcountry camping or overnight parking.
The Acadia National Park campgrounds
Acadia has three drive-in campgrounds and a remote one. The dates below are the 2026 season dates the park listed. We did not find 2027 dates posted yet, so check before you plan.
- Blackwoods: on the east side of Mount Desert Island, near Park Loop Road. 2026 season: May 1 to October 19. National Parks Traveler lists 281 sites (221 tent-only and 60 RV-only) at $30 a night, $60 for group tent sites. RVs are limited to 35 feet and some sites take only 20. No generators in Loop B, and showers for a fee are nearby.
- Seawall: on the quieter west side of the island, near the coast. 2026 season: May 20 to October 12. Listed at $30 for drive-up tent, camper and motor-home sites and $22 for walk-in tent sites. RVs are limited to 35 feet.
- Schoodic Woods: on the Schoodic Peninsula, the park’s only mainland section, about 60 to 70 minutes from Bar Harbor. 2026 season: May 20 to October 12. Listed at $22 for walk-in tents, $30 for tent-only electric sites, $36 for RV electric and $40 for RV electric and water. One site fits RVs up to 70 feet.
- Duck Harbor: on Isle au Haut, reachable only by mailboat from the mainland. The park has five lean-to shelters there, no drinking water source, so bring water or plan to treat it. 2026 season: June 17 to October 5.
- Wildwood Stables: open only to visitors with stock animals.
The fees above come from National Parks Traveler. The park’s own fee page that we checked does not list nightly campground rates, so confirm the price on Recreation.gov when you book. Park entry is separate. The park lists a 7-day vehicle pass at $35 and an annual Acadia pass at $70.
Private campgrounds near Bar Harbor
These are the privately run campgrounds with details we could confirm on their own sites. None of them listed rates online, so check each one before you book.
- Bar Harbor / Oceanside KOA Holiday: 1044 Bar Harbor Road (Route 3) in Trenton, on the coast and about 10 minutes from Acadia. Open early May to mid-October. Tent sites (some with water views), RV sites with full hookups, deluxe cabins and camping cabins. It runs a free shuttle into Acadia, has a dog park, a café and a store, and takes pets at all tent and RV sites and select cabins. Phone 207-667-6527.
- Hadley’s Point Campground: 33 Hadley Point Road in Bar Harbor, at the northernmost point of Mount Desert Island above a public saltwater beach. Tent sites for primitive camping, electric and water hookups for RVs, and cabins. Reservations are through Campspot, and the site said 2027 bookings begin in January. Phone 207-288-4808.
- Bar Harbor Campground: 409 State Highway 3, on a bluff with ocean views. Full-hookup and water-and-electric RV sites and tent sites, with fire rings and picnic tables, plus a heated pool and a camp store. It says Acadia is 2 miles away. Phone 207-288-5185.
Which campground fits you
- Closest to the main park sights: Blackwoods, near Park Loop Road.
- Quieter, west side of the island: Seawall.
- Fewer crowds and a mainland feel: Schoodic Woods, but plan on about an hour to Bar Harbor.
- Hookups, cabins or a pool: one of the private campgrounds.
- No car on the island: the KOA says the free Island Explorer bus links campgrounds with Acadia and nearby villages. See our Bar Harbor without a car guide.
Sources: National Park Service camping, NPS operating hours and seasons, NPS fees, National Parks Traveler (site counts and nightly fees), Bar Harbor / Oceanside KOA, Hadley’s Point Campground, Bar Harbor Campground. Checked November 7, 2026. Dates, fees and booking rules change every year, so confirm before you book.
Featured photo: a dark sunrise over Mount Desert Island, by Dana Moos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.