We drove up from Harrison, NJ — about 6.5 hours to Acadia, Maine. Ketaki and a few friends, tents in the car, zero agenda beyond getting into the park and staying there. We camped at Blackwoods Campground inside the park — which turned out to be the single best decision of the trip. Being inside Acadia changes everything. No driving back to a hotel at night, no missing the early morning magic, no distance between you and the actual experience. You wake up inside a national park. That alone is worth the tent setup.
But the thing that made this trip unforgettable had nothing to do with hiking. It was the stargazing. Acadia is one of the best places on the East Coast for it — far enough from city lights that the sky actually opens up. Two nights under that sky is something none of us have forgotten.
About 6.5 hours via I-95 North through Boston, then up Route 1 through coastal Maine into Bar Harbor. Leave early Friday morning to avoid Boston traffic — or leave Thursday evening. The coastal Maine stretch from Portland to Bar Harbor is beautiful and worth driving slowly if you have time.
Why Camp Inside the Park
Blackwoods Campground is inside Acadia, less than a mile from the ocean. Tent sites, fire rings, basic facilities — nothing fancy, everything you need. The campground is surrounded by forest and close to several trailheads. Being there means you're already at the park when everyone else is still driving in from Bar Harbor hotels.
Book at recreation.gov well in advance — Blackwoods fills up months ahead, especially in summer. If you can't get Blackwoods, Seawall Campground on the quieter southwest side of the island is the backup.
Day-by-Day
Arrive → Set Up Camp → Sand Beach → Bar Harbor → Stars
First thing on arrival: set up tents before anything else. Don't make the mistake of rushing to the trails first — you'll be exhausted by evening and setting up camp in the dark is miserable. Get the site sorted, get familiar with where everything is, then head out.
Sand Beach is the first stop — one of the only sandy beaches in Acadia on an otherwise rocky coastline. The combination of soft sand, Atlantic surf, and the pink granite cliffs surrounding it doesn't look real. The water is cold year-round — genuinely cold — but walking the shoreline in the afternoon light with travel fatigue slowly draining out is exactly the right way to ease into the park.
Drive into Bar Harbor for dinner — about 5 minutes from Blackwoods. This is a proper Maine coastal town: lobster everywhere, ice cream shops, people in fleece jackets and hiking boots, the smell of the ocean mixing with whatever's being grilled.
Bar Harbor has some of the best lobster rolls in Maine, which means some of the best in the world. Get acold lobster roll— chunks of fresh lobster, light mayo, in a toasted split-top bun. Not the hot buttered version (that's Connecticut style). This is Maine, get it right.Thurston's Lobster PoundandCafé This Wayare both excellent. Budget ~$25–35 for the roll. Worth every dollar.
Mount Desert Island Ice Creamin Bar Harbor is genuinely one of the best ice cream shops in New England. Unusual flavours, made in small batches, rotating menu. We got multiple scoops and walked around town. This became the evening ritual both nights we were in Bar Harbor. Go every time you're there.
This is the part of the trip that nobody plans for and everybody remembers. Back from Bar Harbor, drive to a quiet spot near the water — Echo Lake or the area near Sand Beach after the day visitors leave. Away from any lights. Lie down. Let your eyes adjust for 10–15 minutes.
Acadia is a designated International Dark Sky Park — one of the few on the East Coast. The sky opens up in a way that's genuinely shocking if you've been living in cities. The Milky Way is visible on clear nights. Stars you didn't know existed appear. Everyone in the group went quiet at the same time without anyone deciding to.
Check the weather forecast for cloud cover — clear nights are everything. Check the moon phase — a new moon means a darker sky. Go after 9:30pm when the sky is fully dark. Bring a blanket and warm layers — Maine nights are cold even in summer. Don't use your phone for 15 minutes after arriving — let your eyes adjust fully. The first 15 minutes you think it's fine. After 20 minutes the sky is completely different.
Full Hiking Day + Stargazing Round 2
Start before 8am — the trails in Acadia are significantly better before the day visitors arrive from Bar Harbor hotels. The air is cooler, the light is better for photos, and you have the park to yourselves.
Acadia's genius is the variety — every trail gives you something completely different. The Beehive Trail has iron rungs bolted into cliff faces (proper scrambling, Ketaki loved it). Jordan Pond Path is a flat 3.3-mile loop around a stunning glacial lake with the Bubbles mountains reflected in the water. Gorham Mountain gives you panoramic ocean and island views for moderate effort. Do 2–3 shorter trails rather than one long one — you see more of the park that way.
Jordan Pond on a calm morning — the reflection of the Bubbles mountains in the still water is the classic Acadia shot. Get there before 8am before any wind picks up and disturbs the surface. The light through the treeline on the eastern shore in early morning is extraordinary.
Back to Bar Harbor for food — this time we kept it simple, breakfast sandwiches from one of the small cafes in town. Warm, filling, unpretentious. The kind of meal that hits perfectly after a morning of hiking. Café This Way does excellent breakfast all day.
And yes — ice cream again. Mount Desert Island Ice Cream. Non-negotiable. Different flavours from yesterday.
The Park Loop Road is 27 miles around the eastern side of Mount Desert Island — drive it slowly with the windows down, stopping at every pullout. Thunder Hole (when the waves are right, the compressed air booms), Otter Cliffs (45-foot granite cliffs dropping into the Atlantic — the best cliff views in the park), and Cadillac Mountain if you have time — the highest point on the US East Coast, the first place in the continental US to see sunrise from October to March.
The second night is better than the first. You know where to go, you know how long to wait for your eyes to adjust, and you're not tired from the drive anymore. We found a darker spot than Night 1, stayed longer, and it was completely silent except for the sound of the ocean somewhere below. Nobody wanted to go back to the tents.
This is the night that sticks. The one that comes up every time anyone from the group talks about this trip.
Slow Morning → Last Hike → Bar Harbor Goodbye
Pack up camp in the morning — slower pace, no rush. Everything feels familiar by now: the sounds of the park, the smell of the campfire from last night, the way the light comes through the trees in the morning.
One last easy walk — more of a stroll than a hike — just to be in the park one more time. By now the trails feel like yours. That's what camping inside the park does to you.
Final Bar Harbor stop. Last lobster roll if you can manage it. Definitely the ice cream. One last walk along the waterfront before getting in the car.
The drive back to Harrison is about 6.5 hours. Leave by noon to get back at a reasonable time. The coastal Maine stretch feels different on the way home — familiar but already missed.
The I-95 South through Boston on Sunday afternoon is brutal from about 3pm. Leave Acadia by noon to get through Boston before the traffic builds. If you can't leave by noon, wait until after 7pm and stop somewhere in coastal Maine for dinner — trying to fight Sunday highway traffic is not worth it.
Logistics
Camping at Blackwoods
Blackwoods Campground is the best base in Acadia. Book at recreation.gov — opens 6 months in advance, fills up extremely fast for summer. Tent sites are ~$30/night. You get a fire ring, picnic table, access to restrooms and potable water. Bring your own firewood (or buy at the entrance store). Quiet hours at 10pm — enforced and appreciated.
What to Bring for Camping
- Tent + sleeping bag rated for 40°F — Maine nights are cold even in July
- Headlamps — essential for stargazing and navigating camp at night
- Warm layers — temperature drops fast after sunset
- Camp stove + food — breakfast at camp saves Bar Harbor money for the lobster roll
- Bear box or hang system — black bears in Acadia, store food properly
- Rain gear — Maine weather changes fast
Budget (per person)
- Camping (2 nights, split per tent): ~$30–40/night total, divided by 2
- Park entry ($35/vehicle): split across group
- Gas (from Harrison NJ, split): ~$40–60/person
- Food (3 days): $40–70/day — camp breakfast cheap, Bar Harbor splurge on lobster
- Lobster roll: budget $30 — this is the one thing worth paying for