Seawall Campground

Seawall Campground is a multi-loop National Park Service campground on Mount Desert Island’s west side, about 18 miles from Bar Harbor. Every site is within a short walk of the coast, and Southwest Harbor, Bass Harbor and the island’s western shoreline are close by. It’s a good base for that side of Acadia; getting to Hulls Cove Visitor Center and the east-side Park Loop Road sights takes about 30–40 minutes by car.

Reservations are required in advance; the campground does not book in person. It has drive-in tent and RV sites, walk-to/boat-to sites, and group sites. At walk-to sites, parking can be 10 to 300 feet away; check each site listing if carrying gear changes your choice. Turns in A Loop are tight, with a 20-foot maximum vehicle length for RVs and trailers. There are no electric hookups. Guest reports differ on how close or quiet individual sites feel, so pay attention to the site description when choosing.

Potable water and flush toilets are seasonal. Campsites have picnic tables, grills and fire rings, and fires are allowed only in designated rings. There are no showers onsite, though private showers are a short drive away. There’s no camp store, ice or firewood for sale, laundry, internet or cell reception. The campground usually opens around the Wednesday before Memorial Day and closes around Columbus Day; its amphitheater hosts seasonal ranger programs.

The natural seawall is the coastal ridge that gives the area its name; the campground and Seawall Picnic Area are separate places nearby. Powerful ocean storms built the ridge of cobbles and boulders, and tides sort it, leaving heavier stones higher on the slope and smaller, lighter ones lower down. Wonderland is a 1.4-mile out-and-back to the coastline. Ship Harbor is a 1.3-mile figure-eight loop through coastal habitats, with tidepools at its far end.