If staying near town is a priority, Bar Harbor Campground is your closest option. It's about 5.5 miles from town, and only about 2.5 miles from Acadia National Park. It has 300 campsites for tents, RVs or group camping, many of which provide ocean views. The campground has laundry facilities, several bathhouses and a pool with ocean views. You can hop on a free shuttle to explore the island; the shuttle stops near the campground's office.
Mt. Desert Narrows Camping Resort has many waterfront RV sites and stunning ocean views. In addition to its RV sites, the resort includes tent sites with electric hookups. The sites are elevated on a platform to keep you comfortable. True to its name, the resort has many amenities, including on-site activities, such as horseback riding and volleyball, hiking trails, free wireless Internet service, laundry facilities, a pool and a camp store.
You can't see the water from any of the campsites at Hadley's Point Campground, but the beach is only a 5-minute walk away. The campground features a variety of grassy or wooded campsites, many with sewer, water and electricity. It also has a camp store, coin-operated hot showers and a pool. If you'd rather have a roof over your head while roughing it, you'll find 16 cabins available for rent.
Most of the waterfront campsites at Somes Sound View Campground, located 7 miles from Bar Harbor in Mount Desert, are for tent camping only, although there is one site that can fit a small camper. The waterfront sites have great views but lack the electric hookups available at most of the water view and wooded campsites. As an added bonus, the campground has a saltwater fishing area where you can fish without a license.
Mount Desert Campground is located along the shores of Somes Sound, about 7 miles from Bar Harbor in Mount Desert. Along with offering RV sites for RVs up to 20 feet long, the campground includes tent campsites many of which have wooden platforms that keep you off the ground, improving air circulation and keeping you drier during rainy weather. If you want a waterfront site, you should make reservations early since they tend to get taken before the water view and off-water sites.
If you're interested in camping on the west side of the island where the sun setting over the water is a must-see attraction, Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA, located 11 miles from Bar Harbor, is your only option. In addition to traditional campsites with water, sewer and electricity, the campground features waterfront Airstream trailers and cabins for rent. This KOA stretches for about 3,500 feet along the Atlantic Ocean. It has its own beach and amenities such as shuttle service, fishing areas and kayak and bike rentals.
