From our Acadia: Special Collector’s Edition
Mount Desert Island hosts a dozen-plus campgrounds and more than 1,200 sites. We visited nearly all of them last summer (really) and decided the best ones on the whole island are sites A5–A7 and A11–A14 at Mount Desert Campground (516 Sound Dr., Mount Desert. 207-244-3710), on the northern tip of Somes Sound. What makes us so enamored? At low tide, these waterfront tent sites have functionally private beaches, tide pools to investigate, even a little island to explore. Eagles and ospreys soar over the glittery water just outside your tent flaps, and the sites are generously spaced, giving the illusion of solitude (a feat at a campground with 200ish sites). On the wooden platforms, your tent stays cooler when it’s hot and drier when it rains. Plus, the location is smack-dab at the island’s center, and the Craighead family — who’ve run the campground since 1984 — know many returning campers by name. Bring hammocks and marshmallows.
Looking for campsites around the rest of the state? Check out our Best Places to Camp in Maine Guide.
