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Every number below comes from the live Blackwoods and Seawall pages on this site, which track these recreation.gov campgrounds for cancellations.
Blackwoods is the location pick: 281 sites with the free Island Explorer shuttle stopping at the campground and Ocean Path plus Thunder Hole within walking distance. Seawall is the quiet pick: 178 sites on the calm side of Mount Desert Island, where Wonderland and Ship Harbor trails offer flat easy walks its page calls good for families. No hookups at either. The catch at Seawall is carrying gear: 82 of its sites are walk-to with no vehicle access.
Both campgrounds sit on Mount Desert Island inside Acadia National Park, both book on recreation.gov, and neither has a single hookup or shower site, so the choice is about location and crowds rather than amenities.
| Blackwoods | Seawall | |
|---|---|---|
| Sites | 281 (217 tent, 60 RV, 4 group) | 178 (82 walk-to, 38 tent, 32 RV, 21 standard, 5 group) |
| Side of island | East, minutes from Bar Harbor | Southwest, near Southwest Harbor |
| Getting around | Island Explorer shuttle stops at the campground; Ocean Path and Thunder Hole walkable | Wonderland and Ship Harbor trails from the area; driving to the Park Loop Road |
| Showers | Pay shower and laundry nearby in season | None listed |
| The catch | Summer and foliage weekends sell out fast; heaviest crowds | Carrying gear to D Loop: 82 walk-to sites take no vehicles |
For the low-key rhythm. Seawall’s page describes it as quieter and less trafficked than Blackwoods, and the flat Wonderland and Ship Harbor nature walks start close by, which its page calls good for families. Southwest Harbor supplies a calmer dinner scene than Bar Harbor. The trade is physical: more than a third of Seawall’s sites are walk-to, so you park and haul gear a short distance in D Loop.
When you want the postcard Acadia out the tent door. Blackwoods puts Ocean Path and Thunder Hole within an easy walk or short bike ride, and the free Island Explorer shuttle stops right at the campground in season, which its page says lets you leave the car parked entirely. You pay for that access with demand: summer and foliage weekends sell out fast, so book as early as the reservation window allows.
Blackwoods Campground (Acadia National Park) fills up fast — lock in a cabin nearby
Bar Harbor's inns and vacation rentals are just minutes away if the campground books out during peak foliage season.
See cabins & rentals near Blackwoods Campground (Acadia National Park) →We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Seawall Campground (Acadia National Park) fills up fast — lock in a cabin nearby
Southwest Harbor's inns and cottages are a short drive away, a low-key alternative to staying in Bar Harbor.
See cabins & rentals near Seawall Campground (Acadia National Park) →We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Blackwoods is the location pick: 281 sites with the free Island Explorer shuttle stopping at the campground and Ocean Path plus Thunder Hole within walking distance. Seawall is the quiet pick: 178 sites on the calm side of Mount Desert Island, where Wonderland and Ship Harbor trails offer flat easy walks its page calls good for families. No hookups at either. The catch at Seawall is carrying gear: 82 of its sites are walk-to with no vehicle access.
Blackwoods lists 281 sites (217 tent-only, 60 RV without hookups, 4 group) near Bar Harbor on the park’s east side, with a pay shower and laundry nearby in season. Seawall lists 178 sites (82 walk-to, 38 tent-only, 32 RV, 21 standard, 5 group) on the quieter southwest side, a short drive from Southwest Harbor’s inns and cottages.
Seawall if your kids can carry their own sleeping bags: its Wonderland and Ship Harbor trails are flat, easy walks right nearby, and the page calls it the answer to Bar Harbor crowds. Blackwoods if you want to park the car for the whole trip: the shuttle reaches Bar Harbor and the Park Loop Road, and Thunder Hole is a walk or short bike ride away.
Yes. Blackwoods and Seawall are recreation.gov campgrounds watched by Camp.land alerts. Summer and foliage weekends sell out fast at both per their own pages, so set your dates once and we email when a cancellation opens. The first alert is free.