Seawall Picnic Area

Seawall Picnic Area is a day-use picnic ground on Acadia’s southwest side, set beside a naturally formed cobble ridge. It makes a good lunch break if you’re already driving through Southwest Harbor or Bass Harbor: the tables sit close to the water, and you can wander the rocky shore or look for tide pools. Bring your own food; no food service is listed at this stop.

Take Route 102 south through Southwest Harbor and turn onto Route 102A, Seawall Road; the picnic area is opposite Seawall Campground. The drive from Hulls Cove Visitor Center takes about 30 to 40 minutes. A short gravel path from the parking loop reaches some tables and fire rings. Other picnic spots sit on uneven grass, roots, and rocky shoreline.

The paved area has two accessible parking spaces and an accessible restroom, but the shore beyond the pavement is not accessible. The cobbles can be slippery when wet. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet.

This is a natural ridge, not a built sea wall. Storm waves push beach stones up the shore. As the tide moves in and out, heavier rocks collect high on the ridge while smaller, lighter stones settle lower down.

The open shore looks northeast and south over the Atlantic and the mouth of Somes Sound. Seawall is promoted for stargazing in spring, summer, and fall; use the cobbles as foreground for a photo of the Milky Way or planets, instead of framing only the sky.