sunrise at acadia national park

Ocean or Mountains?: Acadia National Park Has Both

 

Home to 47 thousand acres of ocean, forest, lakes and mountains—some of the most dramatic landscapes and diverse wildlife on the East Coast—Acadia National Park is yours to explore year-round.  Take Interstate 95 along the East Coast, and then take Maine State Route 3 to Bar Harbor. The park is just a few miles from the quaint town of Bar Harbor, where you will find everything you need for an awesome outdoor adventure in your camper or RV motorhome rental. The park is only one hour from Bangor and three hours from Portland where you can rent campers. Some nice RV rentals are also located close to Acadia National Park.

 

Things to see and do at Acadia National Park
 
Acadia’s 47,000 acres encompass half of Mount Desert Island, as well as a few smaller islands and along the coast of the Schoodic Peninsula. The dramatic, rocky coastline is the perfect place to enjoy a sunrise, as the first rays of light touch the shores of the United States. The park’s centerpiece, Cadillac Mountain, is the tallest mountain on the East Coast; enjoy the fresh, mountain air of the mountain trails, as you hike to the summit for a spectacular view.
 
Although the water is cold even in the summer, Sand Beach is an inviting stretch of sand, where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the vast Atlantic Ocean. At four miles long and more than 110 feet deep, beautiful Great Long Pond is not a pond, but a glacial lake formed during the Ice Age. The pond is a very popular and scenic place for all types of fishing and boating.
 
 

lighthouse at Acadia NP

Isle Au Haut is a very pretty place, and home to the Isle au Haut Light Station, built in 1907. The charming island is only accessible by ferry from the town of Stonington. There are miles and miles of hiking trails, offering a different perspective of this unique corner of America.

 

Whether you’re interested in summer fun, spectacular fall foliage, or winter sports, Acadia is the perfect outdoor playground. Hiking, biking, boating, and fishing, there is something for everyone to enjoy here.

 

RV Camping Options

 

Three campgrounds within the park allow RV camping. Likewise, there are several private RV parks around Acadia, in the towns of Bar Harbor, Bass Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Mount Desert. However, no matter where you decide to stay, be sure to book a reservation well in advance during the summer.

 

The campgrounds within the national park average $30 per night for RV camping. All of the campgrounds within the park are extremely popular, and are generally booked solid from June through mid-October. You’ll need to make reservations weeks or months in advance. The Seawall Campground is open from late May through Mid-October. There are 218 sites, with some long pull-thru sites that can accommodate a motorhome with a toad or a large 5th-wheel. There are no hook-ups, but the campground does have a dump station and water throughout. Seawall is a little bit better for solar than Blackwoods, and it also has better cell reception. It’s also very close to the beach.

 
The Blackwoods Campground has 275 sites, including pull-thru sites long enough to accommodate a motorhome and a toad. No hookups, but there is a dump station, water throughout the campground, and flush toilets. However, you may have to run a generator, many of the sites are too shady for solar. Schoodic Woods is open late May through mid-October, and has a dump station and water spigots throughout the campground.
 
 
Acadia NP Sign
This campground also has hookups; sites with electric have both 30 and 50 amp. Electric-only sites are $36 per night, and electric and water campsites are $40 per night. Schoodic Woods also has good cell reception and it is big-rig friendly.
 

Acadia National Park is the ideal getaway in an RV rental to escape the city at any time of the year. It’s an epic landscape, full of adventure for the RV traveler.