Where Should I Stay While Visiting Acadia?

Acadia National Park is an amazing national park featuring rocky sea cliffs, some of the best bird watching in the country, and incredibly scenic mountain hikes—it’s the perfect place to take a vacation!

Where should you stay while visiting Acadia? If you are hoping to stay in the park and want to be close to all of the can’t-miss activities, stay at the Blackwoods Campground. If staying in a hotel is more your style, the nearby town of Bar Harbor has plenty of options.

My name is Ash, and I was a park ranger! Acadia is one of my favorite national parks, and I can’t wait to help you find the perfect place to stay.

Acadia Map, Entrances, and Nearby Towns

First, let’s get the lay of the land around the national park. This park has three distinct sections, so picking the right area to stay in greatly affects your experience in Acadia.

Mount Desert Island (Bar Harbor)

Acadia National Park extends over several islands on the east coast of Maine, but the island that hosts the largest and most popular section of Acadia is Mount Desert Island.

Mount Desert Island is the beautiful island where you’ll find most of Acadia’s most famous hikes and activities. This is the busiest part of Acadia, but it’s also where you’ll want to stay and explore for the majority of your time at that park.

When I visit Acadia, I stay on Mount Desert Island, and I highly recommend that you base your Acadia vacation here.

On Mount Desert Island, you can drive to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, see the coast along the Park Loop Road, or hike around Jordan Pond. You can also visit the quieter part of the island and hike the Ship Harbor Trail or see the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.

The nearest town to Acadia is Bar Harbor, which is located on Mount Desert Island. Bar Harbor is a fun tourist town with plenty of shopping, restaurants, and lodging. Staying in Bar Harbor puts you as close to the park as you can be!

Schoodic Peninsula (Winter Harbor)

The Schoodic Peninsula is east of Mount Desert Island, and you will find a small section of Acadia National Park over here. It takes about 1-1.5 hours to drive to the Schoodic Peninsula from Bar Harbor.

The Schoodic Peninsula is absolutely stunning! You’ll love the short scenic drive around the peninsula that travels to several fantastic trails and viewpoints. This area is less visited and more laid back than Mount Desert Island, but your activity options are limited.

Winter Harbor is located on the Schoodic Peninsula, and this is where you’ll want to stay if you’re hoping to see this section of the park. The town is small with a few restaurants and hotels.

I don’t recommend basing your Acadia vacation out of the Schoodic Peninsula if you’re hoping to get to all of the best activities in the park — it’s just too far of a drive. But if you’re looking for a nice day trip or overnighter after spending some time on Mount Desert Island, I highly recommend spending some time here.

Isle au Haut (Duck Harbor)

Isle au Haut is a small, remote island that is located west of Mount Desert Island. You’ll need to drive about 1.5 hours from Bar Harbor to Stonington and then catch a ferry from there to reach the island.

Half of the Isle au Haut is in Acadia National Park. The other half of the island houses a small fishing community. Very few amenities can be found here, but you will find a small campground run by the national park amidst the gorgeous scenery.

Because the Isle au Haut is so difficult to get to, I don’t recommend staying here if you’re hoping to fully explore Acadia National Park. If you’re hoping to see the Isle au Haut, first spend a good amount of time on Mount Desert Island and then come out here for a day or two for a completely different experience!

If you’d like more information on the best airports and roads around Acadia, including details about getting to the different sections of the park, check out How to Get to Acadia National Park.

Staying Inside of Acadia National Park

Because Acadia is spread between several different areas, you’ll want to carefully choose where to stay while visiting the park if you don’t want to spend a ton of time in your car.

I recommend staying inside the park on Mount Desert Island if you want to be close to the amazing activities, points of interest, and hiking trails!

Hotels in Acadia

There are no hotels within the Acadia National Park boundaries, but there are plenty of towns with options just outside the park. If you prefer to stay in a hotel, book something in or near Bar Harbor (as described in the section below).

Camping in Acadia

The only lodging options you’ll find in Acadia are campgrounds, so if you’re hoping to stay right in the park, you’ll be spending a night under the stars!

Acadia has four different campgrounds, but you’ll want to carefully consider the location when making your camping reservations. You’ll find two campgrounds on Mount Desert Island, one on the Schoodic Peninsula, and one on the Isle au Haut.

If you’re a first-time visitor to Acadia, I suggest making your camping reservations on Mount Desert Island at either the Seawall or Blackwoods Campground. Both feature sites for small and large tents as well as RVs, and they have flush toilets, running water, picnic tables, and fire rings. They are both a short walk away from the ocean as well!

The Blackwoods Campground is the most centrally located for exploring Acadia. You’ll love how close it is to Jordan Pond, Cadillac Mountain, the Beehive, the Ocean Path, and Sand Beach. It’s also extremely conveniently connected to the town of Bar Harbor via a free shuttle.

The Seawall Campground is located on the quiet side of Acadia. It’s further away from the main points of interest but still in a good location for seeing the park.

I recommend trying to get a reservation at the Blackwoods Campground first and then booking in the Seawall Campground if you’re not able to get into Blackwoods.

The Schoodic Woods Campground is a really nice campground and shares many of the same features as Seawall and Blackwoods, but it is much farther away from the main points of interest in Acadia.

The camping option on Isle au Haut (five lean-to shelters) is only accessible from the mainland via a ferry. These lean-tos have primitive amenities, including a manual pump for water, composting toilets, and limited room for tents.

For those reasons, I don’t recommend camping at Schoodic Woods or on the Isle au Haut unless you specifically want to further explore those areas and don’t mind being far away from the most popular activities in Acadia.

To learn even more about your camping options and how to snag a site, read all about camping in Acadia.

Staying Outside of Acadia National Park

Most people who visit Acadia book their lodging outside of the park. You’ll find several fantastic towns near Acadia that have fun shops, delicious restaurants, and charming hotel options. Here are some of my favorites:

Staying in Bar Harbor

For your visit to Acadia, I highly recommend staying in Bar Harbor. Bar Harbor is a fun seaside town located just minutes away from all of the fabulous scenery and trails in Acadia.

Bar Harbor has a great downtown area with charming shops, delicious restaurants, and fun activities. A few of my favorite things to do in town are hiking to Bar Island, taking a boat tour, and eating whoopie pies.

This is a very touristy area, with cruise ships coming in often during the summer and fall. There is a large selection of hotels in Bar Harbor, but if you don’t want to stay in the downtown area, you can stay a few minutes north along Highway 3 for a quieter experience while still being close to Acadia.

Click here to see lodging options in Bar Harbor.

Staying in Trenton

If you want to be close to Acadia without being in Bar Harbor, the town of Trenton is just a few miles north on the mainland. You’ll find a few good hotel and camping options on the stretch of road between Bar Harbor and Trenton. As an added bonus, my favorite lobster pound, the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound, is located here!

Click here to see lodging options in Trenton.

Staying in Southwest Harbor, Tremont, or Northeast Harbor

The towns of Southwest Harbor, Tremont, Bass Harbor, and Northeast Harbor are all located on the quieter part of Mount Desert Island, about 15-20 minutes from the main Park Loop Road in Acadia.

These towns are quaint and charming with a limited number of places to stay. If you’re hoping to be in a less touristy area with good food and a community feel, stay in a hotel or bed and breakfast in or near one of these lovely towns.

Click here to see lodging options in Southwest Harbor

Click here to see lodging options in Northeast Harbor

I hope you find the perfect place to stay in Acadia National Park. Have a great trip!

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