Budget-friendly cabins/cottages around Acadia

[Anonymous]

I’m planning a week long trip up to Acadia National Park in early September with my husband and our 2 kids ages 1 and 4. We were originally planning to camp in our tent at mt desert campground but after a recent camping experience, we’ve decided to look for a cabin. Issue is that we had budgeted for the rent this year.


I found a great little camping cabin at a quiet campground where you can walk down and play in the tidal pools and walk to a lighthouse and it’s quieter than bar harbor. It seems great and is cheap too at less than $500 for a week BUT there’s only one room....4 year old would be in the room with us so no alone time at all for mom and dad. Also a playground.

There are a few cute cottages that are reasonably priced at $750-900 a week but that is significantly more pricey!! One of them you get access to a private beach and the other you are just in the wooods...no walking to beautiful paths, ect.

I’m leaning towards the first option because it still keeps us mostly in our budget and seems like a great location but my husband is leaning towards the nice cabin at $900 because it would give us privacy and a better indoor space.

Wwyd?

[Anonymous]

It would be worth it for me to get a weeks worth of good sleep on vacation but only you know your budget.

[Anonymous]

PS-Link to the cottages/cabins?

[Anonymous]

We go to MDI often and where we stay has a private beach which is tremendous. A good way to be outside and keep the kids busy if we don't feel like driving anywhere, fighting for a parking spot, etc.

FYI we were just there and the bugs are awful right now. So if that's still the case you may enjoy the better indoor space.

[Anonymous]

OP here: we’d be staying at bass harbor campground https://reserve5.resnexus.com/resnexus/Reservations/LodgingMobile/RoomDetails/8?UID=3525E3E7-9A31-451F-9857-75A31A7035D2 either at “the potting shed” or the two story camping cabin that has a loft - 4 year old and then queen bunk beds where i could maybe hang a sheet or something to create more privacy for some private moments with my hubby.

Option 2- one of these adorable cottages!! https://www.hutchinscottagesatacadia.com/

Option 3- this little cottage. Idk how deep the water is and my 4 year old can’t swim yet. I love the idea of him being able to play in tidal pools but we’d be on alert with the water right there. https://bhacr.com/Beachcomber1.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m planning a week long trip up to Acadia National Park in early September with my husband and our 2 kids ages 1 and 4. We were originally planning to camp in our tent at mt desert campground but after a recent camping experience, we’ve decided to look for a cabin. Issue is that we had budgeted for the rent this year.


I found a great little camping cabin at a quiet campground where you can walk down and play in the tidal pools and walk to a lighthouse and it’s quieter than bar harbor. It seems great and is cheap too at less than $500 for a week BUT there’s only one room....4 year old would be in the room with us so no alone time at all for mom and dad. Also a playground.

There are a few cute cottages that are reasonably priced at $750-900 a week but that is significantly more pricey!! One of them you get access to a private beach and the other you are just in the wooods...no walking to beautiful paths, ect.

I’m leaning towards the first option because it still keeps us mostly in our budget and seems like a great location but my husband is leaning towards the nice cabin at $900 because it would give us privacy and a better indoor space.

Wwyd?

Since you were originally going to be tent camping, I don't see why this (only having one room in the cabin) is an issue. You'd have even less space and no "alone time" with a tent, but you were ok with that?

[Anonymous]

I would pay the extra to be in one of the nicer places if I could. The camping cabin looks grim. Camping is one thing but being in a dark musty single room with a 4 yo and a baby sounds unpleasant. There isn't even a place to sit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would pay the extra to be in one of the nicer places if I could. The camping cabin looks grim. Camping is one thing but being in a dark musty single room with a 4 yo and a baby sounds unpleasant. There isn't even a place to sit.

Agree. Have a vacation. It's a lot of effort just to get to Acadia, especially with two little kids. I'd want a nice place to stay when I got there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be worth it for me to get a weeks worth of good sleep on vacation but only you know your budget.

I don’t think that’s what she meant.

[Anonymous]

$500 is suspiciously cheap for summer in Maine. Even $750-900 is very inexpensive. Get the nicest place in your budget. You are on a vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$500 is suspiciously cheap for summer in Maine. Even $750-900 is very inexpensive. Get the nicest place in your budget. You are on a vacation.

September

[Anonymous]

Personally, if I could afford it, I would go for the cottage on the water. Mosquitos in Maine can be really bad, and the sea breeze really keeps down the bugs. Plus, my dc really loved playing in the tide pools when he was younger. You'll have to keep an eye on the kids, but you'd need to do that anyway to keep them from wandering off into the woods.

It's kind of hard to read the listing, but it looks like the waterfront cottage is not actually on MDI, but that's really not a huge difference (and why its a good deal). It's probably not any further from Bar Harbor, etc, than Southwest Harbor & may be closer.

However, I really like Southwest Harbor. It's on the "Quiet Side" of the island, but its a cute little town with nice atmosphere. It's hard to tell exactly where the cabins are, but if they are walking distance to town and the shuttle, that can be a big convenience.

Bass Harbor is smaller than Southwest Harbor, and not as charming, in my opinion.

You know your budget, but I'd spring for one of the slightly fancier cabins (and I'm not opposed to rustic).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally, if I could afford it, I would go for the cottage on the water. Mosquitos in Maine can be really bad, and the sea breeze really keeps down the bugs. Plus, my dc really loved playing in the tide pools when he was younger. You'll have to keep an eye on the kids, but you'd need to do that anyway to keep them from wandering off into the woods.

It's kind of hard to read the listing, but it looks like the waterfront cottage is not actually on MDI, but that's really not a huge difference (and why its a good deal). It's probably not any further from Bar Harbor, etc, than Southwest Harbor & may be closer.

However, I really like Southwest Harbor. It's on the "Quiet Side" of the island, but its a cute little town with nice atmosphere. It's hard to tell exactly where the cabins are, but if they are walking distance to town and the shuttle, that can be a big convenience.

Bass Harbor is smaller than Southwest Harbor, and not as charming, in my opinion.

You know your budget, but I'd spring for one of the slightly fancier cabins (and I'm not opposed to rustic).

OP here- thanks! I read the listing more closely and saw the cottage wasn’t exactly on the island. I really couldn’t tell what the shore would be like which makes me nervous. I realized that there are major holes in the cabin in the woods and it’s cute but comes without the playground or nice trails nearby plus costs double..

I think we are going to stick with a cabin at bass harbor campground and know we are staying within budget. Plus, i really like the idea of being in a quiet spot where we can walk to the tide pools but not be ON the water where i have to be worried about turning around and a kid is in the water. You can walk to the wonderland trail and bass harbor lighthouse.

I’ll report back in September-prolly in a new post!