Good places to camp in Acadia

[Rebecca]

We are spending a week in Castine, ME at the end of June. July 1st we want to go to Acadia area and camp out and paddle for a couple of days - until the 3rd or 4th.

Any suggestions? How is the Bar Harbor KOA campground? Not my style but wondering if anything nicer IN Acadia would be available.

Thanks for any suggestions of names, places, etc.

Rebecca

Necky Looksha IV - Poly

Teal

one boat only (how sad!)

[DanR]

We stayed at Mount Desert Campground last year and found it to be an excellent campground. It is central on the island so it is only 15 minutes to a variety of paddlin sites. Nice sites, quiet, platforms that are very nice when it rains..

Dan

Once more upon the waters! yet once more!

And the waves bound beneath me as a steed

That knows his rider.

Lord Byron

[PeterB]

Mt. Desert Campground is indeed a choice spot, right near the top of Somes Sound. Because its so nice it is often full; reserve asap.

Across from there on Somes Sound (the west shore) is a campground in an old quarry (I think it may be Halls Quarry) .Lesser known so better chances for a vacancy. It has a number of good campsites. Not as choice as MDC but nice enough...

Blackwoods is the Natl. Park campground, near Otter Cliffs and the Natl Park scenic drive along the island's southeast shore . I think it's first come first served, at that time of year you might get a spot there.

[jonsprag1]

My advice is to continue down the peninsula to Stonington and camp at Old Quarry---its got the best paddling in the state.

[Mel Rice]

All three are good choices -- Blackwoods, Mt. Desert and Hall's Quarry. But reserve soon. July 4 kicks off the high season and some folks reserve spots a year in advance for July and August.

If those are full, another nice option is Lamoine State Park on the mainland right across from Mt. Desert Island. Better chance of it not being crowded. You can paddle across to MDI from the Lamoine State Park, or drive in. The drive takes 15-20 minutes to Bar Harbor. A bit longer to launch sites around the Cranberry Islands at Southwest Harbor and Manset.

And I must respectfully disagree that Stonington is the best paddling on the Maine Coast. My home paddlin' grounds are FABULOUS.

Have a great trip.

Mel

[PeterB]

Since Jon's "shameless plug" for Old Quarry was not in the commercial classified section, we all may assume that he was offering us accommodations and guide services at Old Quarry for free.

Jon, when my we take you up on this wonderful offer?

[Rebecca]

We've ended up getting one of the last spots at Mt. Desert though they have a policy of only one boat left in the water per site. We figure maybe not everyone will have a boat so hopefully we can leave 'em both there.

Is there good paddling for Level 2 people from there?

We paddled from Old Quarry once too and liked it.

They are packed with large parties the entire weekend.

Rebecca

[Mel Rice]

Concerning the conditions, it's all going to depend on what the weather's doing while you're here -- where's the wind coming from and how big is the swell? Unless a hurricane hits, there will be some great paddling somewhere around MDI for you. Feel free to contact me while you're here and I'll be happy to be one of your sources of local knowlege. Shoot me an e-mail from the NSPN website with your contact info and I'll give you my phone number so you can call me when you're here.

Cheers,

Mel

[bobandgeri]

Hey MEL - just wrote you via email.

We are in Bass Harbor on MDI through the 4th. Looking for any "Must Do" paddles that you (or anyone) else would suggest.

[jonsprag1]

I have to agree that Lamoine State Park is nice and not as likly to be as crowded as some of the camping grounds on MDI. And even though I do prefer Stonington (will offer free guiding with sufficient notice but the kayak rental and/or camping will cost you--I don't own the business just work there weekends) I had a really good paddle around Bartlett's Island on the western(quiet) side of MDI a week ago sunday. My advice would be to try some of the less crowded trips out of Lamoine(to Sorrento/Sullivan area)or the western/southern sides of MDI(Cranberry Islands, Sommes Sound, and Bartletts to name a few)

[EEL]

>

>Is there good paddling for Level 2 people from there?

>

I must confess to not fully understanding what a Level X paddler is or is not. I think I have an imprefect understanding of what constitutes a NSPN Level 2 or 3 trip.

That said, I believe you need to think of paddling at MDI and Stonington a bit differently. This past Sat Gail and I spend around five hours paddling at Stonington. Basically all around and about the northeast half of the islands out to Merchant's Thoroughfare. The wind was very light and the water was almost like glass. A very neat/mystical day. More like paddling on a pond. Trivial water to paddle in? Not quite. At times the visability was around 100 feet if not less. So without knowing how to navigate, trusting your compass, ability to hold a course, and the ability to estimate where the lobster boats were and going, you could get lost or worse in that cotton ball very fast. Also, Gail and I did not see another kayak that day until we got back to the ramp so we had only ourselves to rely upon to get back. While there was some fog when we launched, visability very good at about a mile. Why mention this? Simply to point out that the skill set when you are up there paddling is much more than the ability to deal with waves and wind. So anything may be easy or anything may be a challenge and sometimes its both in one afternoon.

I don't mean to suggest the ocean is a hostile place where one should be afraid or not go upon until you have achieved this or that level. By all means enjoy its many wonders. Just be aware and ready.

Ed Lawson

[dsigall]

This reply is a little late to be of help to you but I'll post anyway for others following the thread. I've been camping at Mt Desert Campground for 7-8 years- Longer than I've been paddling. The campground is at the upper end of Somes Sound and though it doesn't look it from the road it is very beautiful, especially the waterfront sites. There are many people who return year after year so those sites can be hard to book on short notice but it's worth trying. Most of the sites have wooden tent platforms which are great in wet weather (count on it at MDI), the bathrooms are well maintained and it's got the only put in on the upper sound that I know of (mud flat at low tide). It's a short drive to the Pectic Seafood Market, Mother's Kitchen and the Pie Lady- all indispensible to your survival in the wilderness. I've camped at Blackwoods and Bass Harbor campgrounds and I've seen Seawall, the KOA and some others but Mt Desert is by far my favorite.

You'll enjoy meeting Owen Craighead and his family who operate the campground. Last summer when we got talking about kayaking Owen told me he started paddling in the 80's while going to school in the UK. He had heard about a guy who was a paddling enthusiast and did a little teaching so he called him up and asked if he wanted to paddle together sometime. It turned out to be Nigel Dennis... not a bad place to start.

enjoy!

Dana

Northshore Mariner

white/white