GENERAL INFORMATION

Duck Harbor Campground is located on Isle au Haut, a unit of Acadia National Park located on an island west of Mount Desert Island. The southern half of Isle au Haut became part of the park in 1943.

Duck Harbor is the location of the National Park Service boat dock, and the campground takes its name from this. I did not stay at the campground, so the following information is based on public information and from a man I met on Isle au Haut who has camped at Duck Harbor more than two dozen times.

CAMPING SEASON

The Duck Harbor Campground is open from mid-May through mid-October. Campers may stay for up to 3 nights / 4 days and can only camp on Isle au Haut one time each year.

Unless you have your own boat, a public ferry is required to reach the island. The ferry to the National Park Service dock at Duck Harbor only runs from mid-June through early October. If you camp outside of these dates, you must take the ferry to the Isle au Haut town dock and walk five miles to Duck Harbor. See the Isle au Haut Ferry web page here on National Park Planner for more information.

TYPE OF CAMPING

Campsites at Duck Harbor are comprised of lean-to shelters. These look like cabins, but with only three walls—the front side is open. Dimensions are 8′ tall, 8′ deep, and 12.5′ wide. Mosquitoes can be horrendous, so the man I spoke with recommended pitching a tent inside the lean-to instead of just sleeping on the floor. This is permitted, but you’ll need a small tent, because no tents are allowed on the grounds outside.

While I have not slept in a lean-to, I have slept in something similar—ckickees at Everglades National Park. All I can say about that is that it’s like sleeping on a concrete slab. I highly recommend bringing some sort of cushion or camp cot.

NUMBER OF SITES

There are five campsites at Duck Harbor, each accommodating up to six people.

CAMPGROUND TERRAIN

The campsites are in a wooded area, but the lean-tos do have a roof, so there is plenty of shade and shelter from the rain regardless of the number of shade trees in the area.

The campground is located near the Duck Harbor ferry dock. The farthest site is a .1-mile walk.

AMENITIES

Camping at Duck Harbor is considered primitive. There is a composting toilet available, and a water pump with drinkable water is .3 mile from the campground. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Needless to say, there is no electricity.

RESERVATIONS

Camping at Duck Harbor is by reservation only. Sites can be booked through Recreation.gov beginning April 1^st at 10 AM. Given that there are only five sites, it doesn’t take long for the campground to fill up. Just out of curiosity, I checked the reservation site in early June and every site was booked for the entire season.

Payment for your campsite does not include an entrance pass for Acadia National Park, which is now required year-round. You can purchase a pass online in advance at Recreation.gov or at the park at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Park Loop Road Fee Station, Thompson Island Visitor Center, Blackwoods Campground, Schoodic Woods Campground, and the Seawall Campground. There is also an automated fee machine that dispenses passes at the entrance to the Schoodic Institute on the Schoodic Peninsula. Passes can also be purchased from third-party sellers at the Jordon Pond Gift Shop, Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce on Cottage Street, Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce, Mount Desert Chamber of Commerce, and the Southwest Harbor/Tremont Chamber of Commerce. No passes are sold on Isle au Haut.

CAMPGROUND RULES

• Check-in, Check-out time is 11 AM, which is when the first ferry arrives during the summer
• Quiet hours are from 10 PM to 8 AM
• Camping is limited to 3 nights / 4 days, and you may only camp once per year
• All tents must fit within the lean-to
• No generators are allowed
• No pets are allowed
• Firewood must be gathered from downed wood on the island
• All trash must be carried out when you leave

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