RV Travel Destination: Acadia National Park
People have been drawn to the rugged coast of Maine throughout history. Awed by its beauty and diversity, early 20th-century visionaries donated the land that became Acadia National Park. The park is home to many plants and animals, and the tallest mountain on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Today visitors come to Acadia to hike granite peaks, bike historic carriage roads, or relax and enjoy the scenery.
Ocean Drive, where prim evergreens line the shore and gaze on the periwinkle-colored Atlantic and on seaside rocks and grasses gilded by the sun. Bar Harbor’s bombshell proves her versatility as the Getaway unfolds: one minute, she’s an action-packed vacation for hikers and bikers (and, at the right time, skiers and snowshoers); the next, a slower-paced, even romantic, escape that boasts horse-drawn carriage rides, scenic boat cruises, shopping opportunities in Bar Harbor, and the elegant comforts of tea and popovers at the Jordan Pond House.
Acadia looks stunning in floral pinks, misty woodland greens, and the blues of ocean, hills, mountains, and sky. Yet will also wow you when clad in the scarlet and yellow cape of autumn or in soft and gleaming robes of snow. If you don’t have plans to visit this national treasure during the summer, you might want to plan a fall or winter excursion.
RV camping: The two primary park campgrounds on Mount Desert Island are Blackwoods Campground and Seawall Campground. All sites are wooded and within a 10-minute walk of the ocean; no sites are located on the water. The majority of sites are for tents, small and large, but other sites accommodate pop-ups, vehicle campers, and RVs up to 35 feet (10.7 m). A maximum of one vehicle and six people is allowed at each site. There are no hook-ups. Campground facilities include comfort stations, cold running water, dump station, picnic tables, fire rings, and water faucets (facilities at Blackwoods differ in the winter). Seasonal showers and camping supply stores are located within 1/2 mile of the campground.
A third campground, Wildwood Stables Campground, is open only to visitors with stock animals.
Critics agree: Acadia delivers a sensational experience.