Camp Observer1 of 15 photos
Seawall Campground
Overview
For Seawall campsites, 90 percent of campsites are released six months in advance on the first of each month at 10 am EST. The remaining 10 percent are released at 10 am 14 days ahead of a desired arrival date on a rolling basis. For example, if you plan to arrive on May 24, you can make an online reservation starting at 10 am EST Dec 1 from the first release or starting at 10 am EST on May 10 from the second release. All campsite reservations must be made through recreation.gov.
- 90% of campsites are available six months in advance, and released on a monthly basis as described above.
- 10% of campsites are available at 10:00 a.m. EST. fourteen (14) days in advance of the desired reservation date.
- Visitors are able to make same day reservations if campsites are available.
- All reservations must be made through recreation.gov. Reservations cannot be made through the campground office or in-person.
Recreation
From gentle walks along the rugged coastline, mountain hikes, tree lined carriage roads for biking and lakes for kayaking and canoeing, Acadia offers many opportunities to get outside and be active.
Park rangers at Acadia offer a variety of programs to suit every interest and activity level. Programs include walks, talks, hikes, narrated boat cruises, bike rides and more. Kids age 6-12 love Acadia's Junior Ranger Program.
A 27-mile, historic loop road system offers outstanding views of the park's ocean shoreline, coastal forests and mountain silhouettes.
Facilities
The majority of this family-oriented campground's sites are for small and large tents; some sites can accommodate RVs up to 35 ft. in length. Maneuvering RVs in the campground can be very difficult. Seawall Campground was not designed to accomodate large RVs and trailers. Please read campsite details and warnings carefully before reserving a site. Accommodations cannot be made for RVs or trailers that do not fit in reserved sites.
Flush toilets, running water and a dump station are provided, as are picnic tables and fire rings. Roads are paved. A picnic area is located on the shore across from the campground entrance.
***Fee shower facilities and camping supply stores are located 1 mile from the campground. There are no showers in the campground. The use of portable showers is prohibited.***
Natural Features
Southwest Harbor is located on the west side of Mount Desert Island. The west side of the Island is considered the "quiet side" of Mount Desert Island. All the sites at Seawall Campground are wooded and within a 10-minute walk to the ocean. There are many beautiful and quiet hiking trails on this side of the Island, as well as Echo Lake, a wonderful lake for swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and picnics. Acadia is comprised of a cluster of islands on the Atlantic coast of Maine. Mountains, lakes, streams, wetlands, forests, meadows and beaches are all found within roughly 50,000 acres comprising Acadia.
Contact Info
For facility specific information, please call (207) 244-0069.Nearby Attractions
Acadia National Park is surrounded by scenic island harbors and quaint towns. Mount Desert Island, the Schoodic Peninsula, and Isle au Haut offer plenty of visitor services including restaurants, shops, museums, and tours. Please check with local Chambers of Commerce for more information.
Charges & Cancellations
In addition to the changes and cancellations outlined in the reservation rules above, a no-show refers to a camper who does not arrival at the campground and fails to cancel their reservation by check-out time on the day after their scheduled arrival.
If you have not arrived by 10:00am EST the day after your scheduled arrival, your reservation will be canceled and incur a $20.00 service fee along with forfeiting the first night’s camping fee.
Early Departures
If you choose to check out of your campsite early, you must notify us in person at the Campground Ranger Station before 10:00am EST to receive a refund for your remaining nights. If you check out after 10:00am EST, you will not receive a refund for that night.
Camp site features
Across 178 camp sites:
- Picnic table: 170 of 178 sites
- Pets allowed: all 178 sites
- ADA accessible: 9 of 178 sites
- Group sites: 5 of 178 sites
- Longest rig: 35 ft
- Largest party: 20 people
- Equipment: Tent
Fees
* Park entrance fees are separate from campground fees. An entrance pass is required in the park and while staying in the campground. Acadia National Park charges the following entrance fees: $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, or $20 per pedestrian/cyclist. Visitors may purchase the Acadia National Park annual pass for $70. Buy your Acadia National Park pass online at www.recreation.gov.
Directions
From Boston, take I-95 north to Augusta, Maine, then Route 3 east to Ellsworth
and on to Mount Desert Island.
For an alternate route, continue on I-95 north to Bangor, Maine, then take
Route 1A east to Ellsworth. In Ellsworth, take Route 3 to Mount Desert Island.
At first traffic light on Mount Desert Island, bear right onto Route 102. Stay
on 102 for approximately 11.5 miles. You will pass through Somesville and the
town of Southwest Harbor. As you leave Southwest Harbor, keep right on Route
102 and travel through Bass Harbor. You will pass through Bass Harbor and keep
left onto 102A. Campground approximately 2.4 miles. Campground entrance is on
the left. Note: Detour in place.
Stay Limit
Check in from 12 PM, check out by 10 AM.
Reviews
Ratings (985)
5 stars
683
4 stars
182
3 stars
64
2 stars
38
1 stars
18
Flannery P
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D104
Reviewed 3 days ago
This is a beautiful campground! Easily connected to most of the main park by the Island Explorer (or car) and near a picnic area. No showers, but you can pay for showers around the corner at the Seawall Camping Supplies store. We also really enjoyed the ranger program in the amphitheater (shout out team Salamanders!) All of the rangers and Willem the campground host were awesome!
Elizabeth E
Loop:C-Loop
Site:C24
Reviewed 4 days ago
The campground was quiet and wooded with roomy, shady campsites. Lots of hiking nearby.
David G
Loop:C-Loop
Site:C15
Reviewed 4 days ago
We were in the C Loop and the campsites were reasonably well screened from each other. The bathrooms were some of the cleanest bathrooms I've ever found in the National Park System. It is very far from the majority of the National Park but there are several nearby trails to explore and an hour long bus ride connects you to the rest of the park.
Lory v
Loop:B-Loop
Site:B05
Reviewed 4 days ago
Lovely campground. In the loop we were in, there were plenty of trees and separation between sites. It was nice and quiet the whole time we were there, although we didn't spend much time at the campsite. Bathrooms were in great shape and well maintained. Nice to have an outlet there to charge phones with too. Nice location near the ocean too, only a fairly short walk. Would definitely stay there again.
Gary K
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A02
Reviewed 6 days ago
It was easy to check in, the facilities were clean and stocked, the campsites were nice and well maintained, the location was great to be next to the sea, but not the best option if most of your plans involved activities closer to bar harbor. I'm glad we stayed here for a few nights but I would probably use 2 campsites next time to avoid the 40 minute drive back and forth between Bar Harbor and Sea Wall.
Eli C
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D45
Reviewed 6 days ago
The walk in site was not too far from the parking areas or bathrooms. They call it the quiet side for a reason, it wasn’t very crowded at all and there weren’t too many people on the trails nearby. Definitely worth the trade off of being farther from the main park attractions.
Matthew P
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D78
Reviewed 6 days ago
Wasn't sure what to expect, walk-in campsites on the D Loop are pretty much situated in a spruce bog.
But, somehow the site was not buggy at all, very infrequent mosquitos or biting flies, in mid-July. There are wheelbarrows to move equipment into the campsite; our site was further away from the parking lot than most but that was really OK. Close enough to the ocean to hear bouy bells and ship horns. Sites are graveled but unlike Blackwoods, there is topsoil! So staking out a tent is OK. NPS makes it sound as thought there are things that are reachable from Seawall but there really aren't any hiking trails in this part of the park, there is a picnic area and ocean view reachable by park road, and that's it. But this whole end of the island is pretty level, and I think it would be terrific for cycling, and there are some little towns worth visiting for sure.
Amanda N
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D83
Reviewed 7 days ago
We booked D loop because there were no vacancies in the other loops, but after looking at the other sites upon arrival, we liked D loop best. The sites were still close to parking and the restrooms, but not too close. And the bathrooms were very clean.
Austin H
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D44
Reviewed 7 days ago
Sites are close together (in just tent sites) and the showers are off campground but other than that great facilities and worth it for price. Somewhat farther away than Acadia’s main attractions but Southwest harbor is very nice.
tyler g
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A21
Reviewed 7 days ago
Everything was great, except that the campsite was very rough crushed stone. Not great for a tent. The ground was not flat and very rocky. I would suggest adding stone dust to the tent sites. Otherwise very clean and accommodating.
Liam D
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D43
Reviewed 8 days ago
Very clean and quiet with a chance to hear the waves on a good night. Would recommend to anyone trying to dodge the worst of the crowds while staying in the park.
David B
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D28
Reviewed 9 days ago
The campgrounds was great even had a good amount of wildlife right there. Proximity to the ocean seawall park was right across the street, from our site maybe a 10 minute walk. However there is always that one sit that you just dont want and im gonna tell ya D-27 is that site do not get that site cause it is at the intersection of two main trails to and from the restrooms and parking lot. We did a good walk around and i would recommend D-38 and any in the B section.
Doron F
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A01
Reviewed 9 days ago
Very nice campground, staff was friendly and helpful, quiet location, and of course Acadia National Park is gorgeous
Shawna H
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A38
Reviewed 9 days ago
We were tent camping. The bathrooms were very clean and functional. All the sites appeared to have plenty of space for privacy. Our site was on the outside end of the area and was perfect. We could easily walk to the ocean and a nearby restaurant.
John G
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D45
Reviewed 10 days ago
The campground was beautiful. No doubt about that. Very well maintained everything you need for a good camping stay. The only issue really was the excessive noise from the other campers. I guess I just picked a bad night. I seem to have a lot of young people there who wanted to stay up late and party. My campsite was near the restroom, which sounded good in the beginning but all night long I could hear the toilet toilets, flushing, and people walking back-and-forth. In other words, I didn’t get the peaceful rest. I was hoping for on my camping trip.
James F
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A16
Reviewed 10 days ago
Clean, quiet, the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The shuttle service around the park was very convenient.
Reece H
Loop:B-Loop
Site:B08
Reviewed 11 days ago
Great campground. Would be nice if there were showers.
FRANK S
Loop:B-Loop
Site:B27
Reviewed 12 days ago
Campground very pleasant. Lots of kids well behaved kids riding bikes around.
Autumn H
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D104
Reviewed 13 days ago
Seawall campground was nice! The spots are a little more secluded from each other than Blackwoods campground. Loved the proximity to the ocean. Bathrooms were pretty clean, but people should bring their own soap. The bathrooms only have hand sanitizer for some reason.
Nastassia L
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A22
Reviewed 14 days ago
The campsite was large, clean, and secluded. The grill and table/bench were in good condition. Had an amazing time!
Tj K
Loop:C-Loop
Site:C14
Reviewed 15 days ago
Amazing experience!! Campground was beyond clean and location was perfect. Loved every minute of my stay. Looking forward to my return
Benjamin D
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A17
Reviewed 16 days ago
Easy check in. Saw 4 woodcocks in our site as soon as we pulled up so that was great! Campground is located away from the busy section of Acadia but there were still some short trails nearby with access to the beach. Water from a spigot is available and the restrooms were really clean and always stocked so hats off to the NPS staff. For those wanting to know about mobile service, Verizon and AT&T services were severely limited about 1 bar but go out to the beach and it gets better.
Sarah J
Loop:B-Loop
Site:B07
Reviewed 16 days ago
Sewell was wonderful. All the staff were very nice. The downside was that particular campsite had a lot of mosquitos and the only showers were quite expensive at $1.50 for 2 minutes.
Matthew J
Loop:B-Loop
Site:B27
Reviewed 17 days ago
Love that the campground was a little smaller, and my specific campsite was a little set back from the others. I didn’t really venture too much as I only stayed there one night but I really did like that. It had a lot more intimacy than Blackwood which I stayed four nights.
Jordan O
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D68
Reviewed 17 days ago
We were very excited for our stay at Seawall to experience Acadia National Park. Within minutes of reaching our campsite, my dog was stung by what appeared to be fire ants. Througout the 2 nights we stayed my dog, me, and my girlfriend were stung numerous times to the point we cut our vacation 2 days short. When I say there were THOUSANDS of these ants climbing up trees, climbing on and in our tent, I'm not exaggerating. My dog was unable to leave our tent or he would get bit. We were unable to even sit in our chairs without getting bit. Campers next to our site were experiencing the same thing as well. Not the parks fault of course but many sites explain that this isn't an uncommon thing and wish Seawall themselves would put out a warning.
Alma L
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D13
Reviewed 18 days ago
we enjoyed our time and appreciated the available amenities. very quiet at night! dont forget bug spray!
Bob P
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A24
Reviewed 18 days ago
The park rangers were inconsiderate and rude. When I asked if the bugs are this bad all the time, they said “yeah, well we’re in a swap here so what did you expect” and laughed.
Ting Kong W
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A29
Reviewed 18 days ago
The staff is friendly, and the bathrooms are clean.
Dylan S
Loop:B-Loop
Site:B26
Reviewed 19 days ago
Great site. Very quiet and peaceful campground. Would stay again.
Kylie V
Loop:B-Loop
Site:B06
Reviewed 19 days ago
We had a great experiment at Seawall campground! Everything was clean, quiet, and private! Would recommend to anyone I actually like
Angelica B
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A11
Reviewed 19 days ago
The rangers ever! Really enjoyed the vibe, nice bathrooms.
James R S
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D34
Reviewed 20 days ago
Love Seawall campground! So beautiful, nice wooded sites, the sound of the ocean at night.
Catherine P
Loop:C loop
Site:C09
Reviewed 20 days ago
Beautifully shaded spots with access to trails and the coast.
Debi N
Loop:C-Loop
Site:C36
Reviewed 21 days ago
What an amazing campground to stay at! Loved that it was on the quieter side of the tourist areas. We are nature explorers, so being further away from all of the main things did not bother us, and we don't mind driving a bit to get to things. The sites had shade, allowed for generators but for specific times of the day (I believe that is in C loop only) which was appreciated to alleviate the noise all day long. It was so quiet during the day when others were not at their sites. The fire ring set up was really nice and the bathrooms were spotless. Appreciated that water and dump station too. The ocean was only a short bike ride or walk away. Lobster restaurants not far too. Lovely campground and we would stay again in a heartbeat.
Ken H
Loop:C-Loop
Site:C14
Reviewed 22 days ago
Campground itself was very nice, we had a great site. The Rangers who checked us in were wonderful. Bathrooms were exceptionally clean. Thank you for our stay, we enjoyed the grounds and area very much!
Stephanie D
Loop:C-Loop
Site:C18
Reviewed 22 days ago
Fantastic spot to explore the area from. Trailheads near by on a few hikes.
Daniel B
Loop:B-Loop
Site:B04
Reviewed 23 days ago
Great place, B Loop is the best loop if you want more "woods" feeling. All other loops you are close to other sites. Very clean site!!
Eric P
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A15
Reviewed 24 days ago
We have stayed here for a week several times over the past 10 years and have enjoyed the rustic camp life immensely, even when the weather was uncooperative. The short walk to the ocean only enhances the experience. Some of our family choose to stay a short drive down the road at Seawall Motel, which makes it convenient to get together for outings at the campground or the picnic area across the street. We will keep coming back every couple of years!
Elaina B
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D39
Reviewed 24 days ago
This campground was so beautiful and had everything we needed! Bathrooms are nice but a pretty sizeable walk from my campsite. Mosquitoes are EVERYWHERE so make sure you bring bug spray. Also about 40 minute drive to the most popular part of Acadia so keep that in mind but there’s so much to see around Seawall too! Would totally stay here again.
Emrah A
Loop:D-Loop
Site:D99
Reviewed 24 days ago
The staff at the gate were very welcoming and professional. The premises were very well maintained. The restrooms were clean and had no issues of toilet paper shortage etc. the instructions were clear especially on not dumping water after washing dishes and using the designated facility. People around me were quiet and respectful. The shore was within walking distance. All was great!
Michel C
Loop:C-Loop
Site:C30
Reviewed 25 days ago
Generators must be more limited even they are.
I have one and don’t use it.
If people wants to use generator in a park to watch tv, they should stay home
David R
Loop:A-Loop
Site:A23
Reviewed 25 days ago
Lovely site. Quiet. And comfortable. 5 min walk to the ocean.
Popularity
Busy · 74%
Busiest in July, when about 74% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.
