Roadtrip up to Acadia ME, no camping avail.. other alternatives?

I'm considering going on a road trip up to Acadia for some hiking/camping in late august. Unfortunately, I am only starting the planning now and it seems that all of the camp grounds are already reserved.

Does anyone have any ideas regarding shelter for the days we are there besides hotels/motels? (We budgeted 1 night of hotel for our 5 day trip, and 2 days of camping in Acadia and 2 days in the backcountry of ME/NH/VT).

If it matters, for the first day, we wont be getting into Acadia until pretty late (9pm+) since we are driving in from NY. We'll hike the 2nd day and on the third day most likely do some water activities. The camping part is really just a cheap place to crash after a day of activities. I don't know how much 'real' camping activities like cooking over an open fire we will be doing.

Any advice?

btw. alitlte research shows that we can't do an overnight backpacking trip in acadia, any recommendations on places we CAN do overnight backpacking trips in ME/VT/NH/NY (for the latter 2 days of the trip).

That's a really beautiful area and you're going to enjoy it.

I did a quick Google search and came up with this list of campgrounds that you may want to give a call to, in the Down East area. The hotels and motels in that area can be pricey.

You are looking for just regular tent camping, yes?

There are multitudes of areas in New England to do overnight camping on the mountains. How steep do you want to go?

Thanks Mass Tim, it didn't even occur to me to look outside of Acadia for camping sites.

Yea, the prices of the hotel/motels was one reason we decided to incorporate camping into our road trip. I figure we can splurge on one night of hotel in the middle of the trip and treat ourlselves to a long hot shower.

A search through many of these sites makes it seem as if many of these camping sites are almost like 'summer camp'.. any idea where (or how) i can find more rustic locations? All i need is a legal and safe place to put a tent, and a bathroom would be nice. I don't need any nightly entertainment/pools/ rec room etc.. and a lower price tag for this would be nice too. (currently they are around 20-30$ a night, but i havent called for availablility yet).

As for how high we want to go, that really depends on what is waiting for us after the climb. I'm in pretty good shape and my gf is in decent shape (city person, so not as much excercise as one would hope, but shes a trooper)... but since we'd need to stay relatively sore free for the rest of the trip (and the drive home) i'd guess a medium-level difficulty hike would probably work the best.. but if the reward was worth it, difficult hikes may be considered.

So any recommendations on spectacular hikes?

Hi Bonez,

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All i need is a legal and safe place to put a tent, and a bathroom would be nice. I don't need any nightly entertainment/pools/ rec room etc.. and a lower price tag for this would be nice too.

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Here's a search engine where you can look for BLM campgrounds by State. They're usually the cheapest but don't expect to find bathrooms and drinking water in every corner.

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So any recommendations on spectacular hikes?

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The most spectacular that I can think of is on the top of my head is the Knife Edge Trail and Mt Katahdin in Baxter State Park. Also, Mt Lafayette in the White Mountains of NH is a pretty interesting hike. There's a lovely campground in Lincoln, NH called Country Bumpkins. They have nice shaded campsites along the river for ~19$ and they serve free coffee and tasty muffins in the morning.

Gen

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Originally Posted by bonez

Any idea where (or how) i can find more rustic locations? All i need is a legal and safe place to put a tent, and a bathroom would be nice.

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Look at James Kaiser's web site (he is the author of Acadia the Complete Guide).

As far hiking goes -- one trail that I have always wanted to do, but never found enough time to do it, is the Beehive -- it is only 1.5 miles but most of it is on a ladder! The trail head is at the Upper Sand Beach parking area. In a similar vein -- is the Precipice.

More later.

Mark

unfortunately it appears as if overnight camping permits at baxter state park books up pretty quickly.. are there any hikes/backpacking trips as dramatic as knifes edge in NH/VT/NY/ME?

btw. what does BLM campground mean?

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what does BLM campground mean?

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BLM stands for Bureau of land Management.

Basically, its public land owned by the government that doesn't fall within the boundaries of a national forest or park. These campgrounds are generally similar to those found in national forest lands, being very rustic, with fire rings and pit toilets frequently the only "amentities" offered.

Quite nice if you are looking for very primative camping, not to mention they are very cheap.

I'm not sure if its because I'm innept or maybe it was an early morning.. but I can't find any list of BLM campgrounds on that site referenced above. Am I missing something?

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but I can't find any list of BLM campgrounds on that site referenced above. Am I missing something?

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Sorry, I should have added "or any other government operated campground". Usually Corps of Engineers have great tent camping spots or you could also check out Public Reserved Lands.

Good Luck!
Gen

Hey there,

I spent about a week camping in Acadia NP in the first week of Sept. I remember that Seawall campground (western part) is 100% first come first serve. Even some campsites in the Blackwoods are first come first serve. So just because you have not been able to reserve a spot doesn't mean you cannot camp there. It might always be worth a shot to check out the campgrounds in person.

Good luck!