My husband and I loved camping in Acadia National Park's woods at Blackwoods and Seawall campgrounds. Both were amazing in different ways. Seawall is within walking distance of the Atlantic ocean and a beautiful rocky beach. Blackwoods Campground now has a new wooded trail that connects to the ocean too. A short hike to Otter Bay allowed us to watch a magnificent sunrise and sunset over the ocean and Cadillac Mountain each day.
Another treat was the 27-mile Park Loop Road that connects Acadia lakes, mountains and seashore. While walking the trail we were awed by Otter Cliffs pink-granite precipices that towered 110 feet above the pounding breakers.
The spectacular panoramic view of Acadia's coast and island-studded bays from Cadillac Mountain's 1530 ft summit, the tallest mountain on the U. S. Eastern seaboard was even more stunning.
Another highlight was a ferry ride on a mail-boat from Stonington to spend the day at the magnificently scenic and rugged Isle au Haut section of Acadia. The 6-mile long island lies 20 miles southwest of Mt. Desert Island.
We also enjoyed RV camping at Camden Hills State Park. The park's 5,700 acres encompass several mountain tops with panoramic views. We loved driving up Mount Battie 780' to view downtown Camden, a small village on the shores of Penobscot Bay. But the most spectacular and exhilarating coastal scenery was from Ocean Lookout at 1300'. It was worth the effort and sweat of our mostly uphill hike.
Baxter State Park turned out to be the most magical place of all. Our campsite at Abol Campground, on the West Branch of the Penobscot River, had a magnificent broadside view of Katahdin Mountain's 5268 ft ever-changing monolith. Sometimes the mountain's long flattish top was covered with clouds. At other times only a tiny white cloud covered Baxter Peak, the highest point. Without the clouds the mountain's every ridge and crag could be seen. We also loved hiking and viewing the many waterfalls and streams at the base of the mountain.
On our last morning I looked out the RV window and froze. A moose cautiously stepped out of the woods into a pond and began swimming towards our campsite. When the moose changed direction towards the trees further up I bolted out the door and ran up a gravel road. We almost collided! I stopped, held my breathe and watched the moose saunter off into the woods. I was grateful. My wish to see a moose was granted.
The biggest challenge at Baxter SP was avoiding the small black flies no bigger than the point of a ball point pen. We found that only bug spray with deet gave us relief after a day of many tiny, painful, bloody bites.
Before heading home we spent a few nights at Sebago Lake State Park on the north shore of the 1400 acre lake. Our secluded RV campsite backed up to a beautiful wooded hill with large rock outcroppings. We enjoyed walking the sandy beaches and hiking the parks many trails.
Back home we continue to enjoy the great memories and pictures of our many Maine adventures.
