Amazing! such a nice campsite and the staff in the office is so nice. checkin was simple. site was clean and spacious. the picnic table dried quickly from dew. trees were nicely spaced for hammocks. there is a nice 20-30min walk to the echo lake beach!! this was our favorite part with a great view of beech mountain. the bathrooms were clean! showers were hot! and plenty of hooks in the shower to keep things off the ground. also outlets and a spigot. there was even live music one day. also a pool we never used. the field by the pool is great for star gazing. loved this place!!! read more

See all

We love this campground. Very well-maintained. The bathroom on the far side is clean and bright. Hot showers. Convenient access to potable water throughout the campground. The kids could play games and run around on the big field. They also enjoyed swimming in the pool. We have stayed at a tent site and in a rustic cabin. Both are great! read more

Very nice small RV campground great location for access to Acadia and Bar Harbor. Full hook up sites function perfectly, a bit crowded and close to neighbors but very easy access to sites. We had a great stay, friendly families very nice pool and well maintained. They have many tent sites on level gravel pads from open areas to heavily wooded. I would definitely stay again if in the area. read more

Great little place to stay about 30 minutes outside of Acadia. We stayed in a rustic cabin. But included a gas grill and a fridge/freezer! They also had brand new bathrooms by our site. read more

See all

Very nice RV park. They have cabins and RV you can rent as well tent site and concrete RV pads. Full hook ups and cable and Wi-Fi. On the quiet side of Acadia. Access to nice hiking and a quick walk to Echo Pond. They have a nice pool. Friendly staff. There is also a trolley that goes into Bar Harbor which is advisable since parking is at a premium. We will definitely be coming back. read more

We are visitors from NYC and stayed here for 3 days and we loved it! The campground is very nice, clean & peaceful + the location is excellent. Everyone in the campground were friendly. The food truck, food mart, gas station etc are all less than 1 mile away which is very convenient for us. Can't wait to go back hopefully next year read more

We had a great time at smuggler's den! Amenities were just what we needed to set up our PUP. 30 amp service, water and sewer. My kids loved the pool which proved to be stiff competition to all the hiking and site seeing in Acadia. Smuggler's is very dog friendly to those dogs on a leash. The playground is great, huge field to romp around in and they have fresh lobsters for campers to cook themselves. They give you lobster, pot, salt, shell crackers and plenty of advice if you've never cooked a lobster before. You just need your own butter. All for $7 a pound! (August 2018) In all a really great place to make memories. As I write this, I think they're even having some sort of entertainment tonight with hot dogs and music. I can hear some trumpet player warming up! Very cool. We'll be back here for sure! read more

Great camping spot, about a 20 min drive from the entrance to loop road and Cadillac mount. Also a mile walk through the woods to the Echo Lake swimming area Definitely a family based campground with a pool, huge field, a playground, and showers/bathrooms. I stayed here with a about 15 people (ages 23-26) at one of their group sites. We did get a warning for being too loud at night, and I can't disagree with them...we were being loud but most of us went to bed fairly early. There was another camp making tons of noise too and we all went to bed before them...they showed up at 11pm and started making tons of noise...so I honestly think the complaint was about the other site (but they assumed it was us because we had such a large group of young people). Either way I give them 4 stars for being clean and having tons of amenities and a great staff. They don't get 5 stars because the camp sites are very close to each other. Its not a deep woods campground so I wouldn't expect that...but I do wish the sites were a little farther apart. read more

See all

Experience - This is where I stayed in October 2017 during my solo, ultralight hiking/camping trip. I was there during their last open weekend of the season, but I was still pretty busy. People stayed up late and made lots of noise which was unappreciated by me who was up before 5am to make the most of my three days in Acadia National Park. They have a shower/bathhouse, a cleaning station for food prep, ice, wood and a small conscience store in the main office. I didn't seen many employees but the ones I did mean were nice. I had a terrible time trying to find my campsite though because the roads are mainly dirt and you can't really tell we're you are going. I don't mind a little adventure though. The views were pretty nice, I'm interested in renting a cabin next time since they have an amazing view off the back. Location - Very convenient location with Echo Lake and tons of hiking trails near by. The Bass Harbor Lighthouse was only 20 minutes away. The main Acadia attractions were farther away about 30-45 minutes depending on traffic but I like being away from the crowds. There are not many restaurants or food options near by and the ones that were usually close right after summer which is the busy season for Acadia. Cost - Pretty cheap it was 40$ a night for an empty campsite with no electricity and communal running water. One car is included in the cost along with a picnic table and fire pit. Overall - I would return for the same time of season, I don't think I would come for summer though. This campground has a pool and playground which is great for families, but not always the idea of peace and tranquility that most serious, solo backpackers are looking for. read more

It's a nice beautiful campground, with a playground, an old guy named lee who plays music on Wednesdays, also a cool little shop to by wood or snacks. Overall this place is amazing. Btw the pool is nice with a cool slide and it also has a basketball hoop it's pretty much where I live. read more

Family friendly and clean!! Only 20 minutes to Acadia! My husband and I stayed at Smuggler's in September 2017, we absolutely loved it. We took my sister in-law and nephew this past weekend. My nephew loved the pool, riding his bike around the grounds and of course the playground. They have a giant field for frisbee, soccer or just relaxing. The customer service is great too! We had originally booked 2 sites; unfortunately my brother in-law and other nephew had to stay home. I asked if it was possible to only use one site; not a problem . she let us pick which one we wanted to keep; We were given a rain check for the canceled site. Which works out great since we will definitely revisit. read more

Great! Just close enough to the main parts of Acadia via car. Pool and restrooms were super clean! Staff was friendly. We tent camped in a premium site and it was perfect. Very private. read more

Traveling in a 38 foot coach we stayed 6 nights in a site for big rigs. We had the first site to the left and it was quiet, private, and level cement. Our satellite did not work here (to many large trees to get reception). If you are looking for a quiet and clean park where you can sit outside and relax... go here. We enjoyed our stay, and would go back. read more

Staff was very friendly. Price was right and they were open when everyone else was closed. About 20 minutes to bar harbor and Acadia National Park. The showers were ok - a little on the small side. Campsites were pretty tight. read more

My 6th consecutive year staying here and I've had nothing but positive experiences there. Close enough to Bar Harbor to be able to enjoy it, but far enough away to be out of all the traffic. The campground itself is nice and clean and very family friendly. The playground is great and I appreciate that it is on the smaller side so younger kids can use it as well safely. The convenience store is nice and has decent drip coffee available every morning for $1. There are some really nice hikes and bike paths easily accessible, and if you hit it at the right time of year, you can stumble upon the craziest patch of wild blackberries. Already planning our trip here for next year! read more

Yes, this place is close to Acadia (which was great) but a lot of places are... So let me tell you what made this place so great for us! We've visited a LOT of campgrounds over the yrs. Usually, the bathrooms...are something you can tolerate. But this one actually smelled FRESH every time I walked in. Well lit, and gleaming porcelain everywhere. In addition just outside the bathroom is a utility sink with lighting, hot water and a clothes line. This was a GOD send when my kid got sick in the middle of the night. There was convenient access to everything- camp store, bathroom and a water pump on each site. We got the rustic cabin and arrived in probably the worst storm of the season...but the rustic cabin was more than enough and being able to be in a comfy bed (with a heater running) while listening to all the tall trees sway in the breeze was actually rather nice. Next day, the weather cleared and yes, it was a short drive to the beautiful Acadia National park but also to Bar Harbor which is a great little town with any/everything you could need! It was so nice to come back in the evening and just sit around the fire pit watching the sunset. The changing leaves above were BEAUTIFUL. We saw a few other friendly campers/staff a few times in the distance but for the most part, it was very private and we felt like we had our own little cabin in the forest. Wish we could have stayed longer!! read more

This campground checked all of the boxes! It's very family friendly, clean, and a great base for checking out Acadia National Park. Leave your RV parked here and jump on the Island Explorer bus that has a pick up and drop off right in front of the camp store! So convenient! Speaking of the store, it has all of the essentials you would need...laundry soap, wood, fixing's for s'mores and lobster!! We enjoyed going to the park daily and playing volleyball and badminton while our son played on the playground and met other kids. The pool with a slide was a hit too! Echo lake is less than a half mile from here and I highly suggest it! What can I say...we felt like we had stepped back in time and loved all of the details here! We camped in the RV section and it was quiet every night! read more

I've been to my fair share of campgrounds and Smugglers Den didn't disappoint. The camping lots are well spaced out from one another, the bathrooms are clean, the stargazing is amazing, and the pool is clean and relaxing. It's also nice that the Acadia Park shuttle picks up at this camping location. It's about a 35-40 minute shuttle to downtown Bar Harbor (one way), so something to keep in mind! My only issue was that the people around us kept "shooshing" us as soon as 10PM rolled around, but then woke us up every morning at 7AM, when quiet hours start at 8AM. Essentially, you'll find you won't get much sleep here... unless you have a hammock which you will sleep in during the day, while everyone who was up early is not at their campsites! read more

We stayed on a premium tent site, which was very private and clean, with a lovely view. The bathrooms were always spotless and fresh, and the water at the sinks was warm. Which was a huge deal for late October camping! Overall a superb experience. read more

Smuggler's Den Campground - Our premium tent site. Very pleasant, private and a lovely view. - Campgrounds Near Me - Southwest Harbor, Maine

This was the perfect campsite for visiting Acadia. The staff was helpful and the camp store supplied any equipment we forgot to pack. The site itself was well kept and close, but not to close, to the surrounding sites. Also, for those not wishing to drive into the surrounding park, the island explorer goes right through camp for easy access. You'll love it here! read more

Pretty good for tent camping. We were able to make a reservation for one night on the same day. It wasn't our first choice, but a lot of the other ones were already fully booked. This actually worked out well and the site was nice. The bathrooms were ok and our site had enough tree coverage to give us a little privacy. The town just south was cute and had good food. We also drove to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor easily from here. Overall, not a bad place and reservations can easily be made online but you don't get to choose your specific campsite. read more

Site is set up perfectly! Very clean. They have everything you need available at the site. Can see the stars perfectly & not far from Park

Staff was friendly and accommodating, store was well stocked and convenient and the bathrooms were clean and had plenty of hot water. We enjoyed our four day stay at our standard tent site. It was not a huge site but served our purpose. We will definitely stay again. read more

I was prepared to not like this place. We made reservations and had made it clear we were a big rig with 4 slides and were assured they could handle it. We arrived 15 mins before check-in and there was no one at office. A sign in the door said they would return at a time that was already well past. I called the number on the sign and was helped by the very nice, helpful night clerk ( this was midday) who came down immediately to check us in. Unfortunately our site was in no way an easy site to back into for something our size and it took a lot of maneuvering. The night clerk came to check on us and asked if we wanted a cement site as "They were much easier to get into"! This was the first we had heard about cement sites and since we were now almost in, we declined. But a hint for all big rigs...get a cement site. After all that the people we dealt with were friendly and very helpful. The campground was clean, bathrooms old and clean, mainly treed sites, weak wifi, great cable, nice pool area, grassy sites, good interior roads. Although on the "quiet" side of the peninsula, it was a great base for exploring Acadia. We were here 5 nights and I would stay here again.(this is a true review and I am in no way affiliated with this campground or being compensated for my review) read more

Not impressed with the hospitality. Check in is a t 3pm and checkout is at 11am. I called to see if I could check in a couple hours early, since the day is just about over with a check in time so late. I was told NO because they have to prepare the sites after the people before me leave, which would be at 11! Is this a hotel room? When I arrived I asked if I could do a late check out and leave at 1pm. I was told NO and if the site is available I could rent it for another night. So I would have to pay $49 to stay two extra hours. Seriously?! I watched the campground worker come by my friends site after they left and he simply wiped down the picnic table and looked in the fire pit. Apparently this is what is done during the four hour prep time in between check in and check out. We travel a lot and have stayed at several campgrounds where we have either checked in early or checked out late for either no fee or $10 tops. We will not be back to this one. read more

This campground isn't as big as other campgrounds in the area which, to me, adds to its charm. Conveniently, the RVs are isolated to an area in the front, so the tent and popup campers aren't sandwiched int between the large vehicles. There is also a large field great for Frisbee and star gazing that is surrounded by tent sites (where we stayed), which is great because you still get some sort of view since this campground isn't overlooking any of Mt. Desert Island's famous tourist spots. There were a lot of families when we were there, so it was sort of noisy in the evening hours of playing kids, but fairly quite at night. One night we had a loud group arrive about 10pm (start of quiet hours) and spent 2 hours nosily setting up their stuff next to ours. The bathrooms were VERY clean at this campground and the showers had endless hot water. These two things are often very hard to find in any campground. The only issue I'd say was our site was a bit small, especially compared to the neighboring sites and it wasn't quite level. But the table was in good shape and the fire pit was fine. Next time I'm in the area, I'll definitely stay at Smuggler's Den again. read more

Stellar campsite! Very closely situated to Acadia. Clean and nice showers and facilities. Sprawling cozy campsites. Staff was also very helpful and nice. read more

I went camping here when I was little, and this really is a great camping spot for the whole family. We rented a pop up camper, and I never had so much fun on a camping trip. We hiked through the woods to Echo Lake, where I had the pleasure of seeing a bald eagle flying next to the cliff when I got out of the water! I'll admit I was a little upset over the whole "no TV" in the beginning, but I was too busy having fun, so I didn't miss it one bit! From nightly campfires to hiking up to the general store, it's definitely worth it to go camping here. I also had no idea the campground is pet friendly, too. Now that I have a nephew, I can't wait to make some more memories at Smuggler's Den - and relive a few old ones, too. Now who's got the marshmallows? I heard we're going to make S'mores after dinner. read more

Like camping in a wooded parking lot. The site aren't that great, especially the motor home sites. The bathhouse was very clean though, and pleasant to use. The campground is also well located, its a quick drive to almost anywhere. read more