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View Full Version : Family Camp at Mt Wash & Acadia this June- any experience, strength, and hope?



keepinitsimple
04-10-2013, 10:18
Hi all, Plan to take the wife and young kids to Mt. Wash, then Acadia Parks in Mid June. Staying at KOA's I think, have not made res yet. Anyone have experience in this area with kids age 5,6,&7? I have combed the net and have a grip on it, but wanted to see what my tribe had to offer. KOA's offer some activities for the kids, if anyone knows of family camping in the area that rocks- let me know. Or, if there is something we should not miss, I would love some details. We are thinking of driving from PA to Mt Wash, staying afew nights, then on to Acadia for a few nights, then meander home.

T.S.Kobzol
04-10-2013, 10:41
Mt. Washington:
If the weather forecast is nice: You can take the chochoo train up to Mt.Washington in the morning and then hike with the kids to the Lakes of the Clouds hut for the day and then hike back up and take the train down or hike down from Lakes of the Clouds to the train station. This will allow you and the kids to experience above the treeline hiking under controlled, safe and doable conditions.

I've done something similar 13 years ago:
21029 at lake of the clouds hut.

Acadia is great for the kids. All the Acadia mountains are doable for the kids from the trail head to the top. My favorite is start at Jordan pond, cross the brook and take the trail up to Penobscott mountain. You will be above tree line in 30 minutes. From there you can continue to Sargent Mountain if the kids want more.
21030 going up to Penobscott mountain
21031

T.S.Kobzol
04-10-2013, 10:51
I forgot to add... you may choose to stay at the lakes of the clouds hut for the night. The kids would love that.

BirdBrain
04-10-2013, 10:53
Hi all, Plan to take the wife and young kids to Mt. Wash, then Acadia Parks in Mid June. Staying at KOA's I think, have not made res yet. Anyone have experience in this area with kids age 5,6,&7? I have combed the net and have a grip on it, but wanted to see what my tribe had to offer. KOA's offer some activities for the kids, if anyone knows of family camping in the area that rocks- let me know. Or, if there is something we should not miss, I would love some details. We are thinking of driving from PA to Mt Wash, staying afew nights, then on to Acadia for a few nights, then meander home.

I visit and hike Acadia often. My kids grew up hiking Acadia. We always stay at Hadley's. The real attraction is Acadia, not the campgrounds. We found Hadley's suitable to our needs and just kept going back for decades.

Most people make the mistake of following the crowd in Acadia. I have not been on the paid loop road in 20 years or so. Sand Beach is nice and so is Thunder Hole, but not worth the crowds.

I would suggest a Bubble Rock hike. They can do it and the views of Penobscot Mt, Sargent Mt, Pemetic, Mt, and Jordon Pond are very nice. Another very short walk with great views is Beachhill Cliffs just west of Echo Lake. I would rate this spot as the best view in Acadia per invested walking distance. It is a very short walk with no big inclines.

BirdBrain
04-10-2013, 10:56
Mt. Washington:
If the weather forecast is nice: You can take the chochoo train up to Mt.Washington in the morning and then hike with the kids to the Lakes of the Clouds hut for the day and then hike back up and take the train down or hike down from Lakes of the Clouds to the train station. This will allow you and the kids to experience above the treeline hiking under controlled, safe and doable conditions.

I've done something similar 13 years ago:
21029 at lake of the clouds hut.

Acadia is great for the kids. All the Acadia mountains are doable for the kids from the trail head to the top. My favorite is start at Jordan pond, cross the brook and take the trail up to Penobscott mountain. You will be above tree line in 30 minutes. From there you can continue to Sargent Mountain if the kids want more.
21030 going up to Penobscott mountain
21031

+1 on Penobscott/Sargent. That hike is my favorite. It might be a bit much for the kids. I agree they can do it. It depends on the kid. There are a couple of places you will want to keep them close. You know your kids and wil have to judge for self.

Koozy
04-10-2013, 11:37
Hi all, Plan to take the wife and young kids to Mt. Wash, then Acadia Parks in Mid June. Staying at KOA's I think, have not made res yet. Anyone have experience in this area with kids age 5,6,&7? I have combed the net and have a grip on it, but wanted to see what my tribe had to offer. KOA's offer some activities for the kids, if anyone knows of family camping in the area that rocks- let me know. Or, if there is something we should not miss, I would love some details. We are thinking of driving from PA to Mt Wash, staying afew nights, then on to Acadia for a few nights, then meander home.

I've stayed at Dry River Campground which I believe is the only campground in Crawford Notch, and I definitely recommend it to people who like car camping. You can make reservations online, but you make want to call and ask about sites or research them online because my first time there I picked one that was eroded away from Irene.

peakbagger
04-10-2013, 11:55
There is a normal tourist route in the whites for families with kids. Story Land in Glen NH, Santas Village in Jefferson (can be done on rainy days). The Cog Railroad or the Mt Washington Autoroad both get you up the mountain and both are not worth going if the weather is bad (use Story land or Santas Village on rainy days). Six Gun City in Jefferson is well past its prime but does have waterslide and an adjacent campground. There is a KOA on RT 115 in Twin Mountain (no idea on what services they offer). The USFS campground at Dolley Copp in Gorham is popular with families but given budget cuts I would expect that they will have less activities this year. Moose Brook State Park in Gorham is also popular but I dont think they have activities. Unfortunately all the attractions are located near the foothills so expect some driving between attractions. If driving upfrom PA it makes sense to take I93 north through Franconia Notch and camp in Franconia or Twin Mountain, Jefferson or Gorham and then take either RT 16 or RT 302 to head to Portland whne heading to acadia.

Unfortunately there arent a lot of easy family friendly hikes in the whites, of course a couple of 6 year olds have climbed all the 4000 footers so it depends on your kids. The Cannon Mountain tram ride up Cannon Mtn or the ride up Wildcat Mountain are both popular.Artists Bluff near cannon mountain is popular with families its short bu good views. You can hike down the wildcat access road from the top but I dont think you can do that on Cannon. There is Lost River near Woodstock its a hike through boulder caves which many kids like. Clarks trading post in Lincoln has trained bear shows and short train ride. Conway Scenic Railroad runs longer train rides including the run up Crawford Notch which is quite spectacular.

There is a also a relatively family friendly white water rafting trip in Milan NH. Its not hard core but a good introduction. The town of Gorham NH and some other commerical firms offer Moose Tours in the evening, the Gorham tour has about a 90% success rate, although if conditions are right the moose can be anywhere (usually walking out in front of you car on dark road). If you hit one, you will total the car and most likely end up injured so slow down in the evenings. They range from 400 to 1000 pounds so they arent like PA deer.

Getting from the whites to Acadia requires some planning. The "quaint coastal route via RT 1" is a rolling parking lot in the summer and can double the time to get to acadia, if you take the interstate you are inland and you have minimal ocean views. Some folks compromise and skip the worst of the coastal traffic by taking the interstate to Augusta and then taking Rt 3 to Belfast and heading up the coast. There is elevator up the tower on the bucksport bridge which reportedly makes a good break. There is also a large civil war fort near the bridge.

Feral Bill
04-10-2013, 12:31
If you get that nice day in the Whites, and hike to Lake of The Clouds or wherever, do go prepared for the weather to change for the worse. Much worse. Rain gear, insulating layers, snacks, map, and compass could be life savers.

chiefiepoo
04-10-2013, 13:03
Acadia, great place. Take plenty of money for ice cream in Bar Harbor and blue berry pancakes at Jordans there too. Acadia has bicycle trails aplenty if you are taking bikes. Schooner sailing ship from BH was good on a foggy day. I stayed at Blackwoods CG which is served by one of the numerous shuttles which were free. Don't know about now. The hike up and over Mt Cadillac mountain from Blackwoods would not be 6 y/o friendly. Walking the bar at low tide across the harbor is unique but watch the tide schedule. Rangers sometimes have night astronomy talks on the beach. Lots to do in Acadia. Listening to bell buoys in the inlet while laying in your tent is soothing. Take a mail boat to one of the smaller islets. BUT, heed the signs about holding on to kids and keeping them away from precipices. There are some tragic stories to be told.

Mountain Mike
04-10-2013, 13:44
I agree with auto road or cog railway up for the kids. The climb is strenuous for an average fit adult. Be prepared with options due to bad weather. This is early JUne one year. One year later Same time frame I wore a t-shirt & wind shell.. 21034 In addition to campgrounds mentioned in previous posts check out http://www.chocoruacamping.com/. If your kids want to climb a mountain Chocorua 3,475' is a relatively short climb with a treeless summit. There is also a FS campground on the north side of it. I have stayed at Saco River CG in North Conway. Nice riverfront sites convenient to town.

For planning I recommend checking out http://hikethewhites.com/.

rickb
04-10-2013, 19:52
My earliest memories (literally) are of a family trip to Acadia National Park as a 5 year old.

A boat trip and eagle sifting figured prominently in those memories.

On a more recent trip with my wife we car camped at one of the NPS campgrounds (zero backcountry camping in the park) and really enjoyed one of their evening programs. You might want to look into what the rangers offer.

Also, don't overlook the family-friendly biking opportunities within the park. They have a network of carriage paths that are wide, safe and really beautiful-- and no big hills.

johnnybgood
04-10-2013, 21:11
Another family outing you might consider is making reservations for whale watching tours at the marina
In Bar Harbor.

Stegmans Lobster House is the place to get those delicious Maine Lobsters & crabs for dinner.

keepinitsimple
04-11-2013, 06:41
Wow people, this is the inside scoop I am looking for. So grateful to you all. Any other thoughts- keep'em coming, I am going to print this thread when its done.

fins1838
04-11-2013, 07:38
Don't mean to be a sourpuss here, but this is the type of stuff tech savy criminals are doing these days. This gentleman just told quite a few people when he will be leaving his home & how long he will be gone. His profile says what town he lives in & a pic of him & his son. Don't know, maybe he has someone house sitting or maybe he doesn't even own a home. Just saying BE CAREFUL what you put out here.

mrcoffeect
04-11-2013, 07:39
I took my wife and three boys to acadia at the end of august nine years in a row. every year we camped at seawall campground in southwest harbor run by the nps its on the quiet side of the island. we hiked and biked the hell out of that island. some of the trails are closed earlier in the summer to protect the peregrine falcon's fledglings. they usually open them around august 21'st

BradMT
04-11-2013, 08:30
Kids your age might like lulu the lobster boat:

http://www.lululobsterboat.com/

jeffmeh
04-11-2013, 12:04
If you are in the Whites and want a fairly easy hike for the kids with some decent views, you could consider Mt. Hedgehog or Mt. Willard. There are plenty of easier hikes through the woods to waterfalls and such, like Emerald Pool. If you think the kids are game for a more demanding hike, then by all means go for it, but be aware that weather conditions can change dramatically. Everyone should have a warm, non-cotton layer, and rain gear. Keep the warm layer dry for when you stop.

rickb
04-11-2013, 18:28
If you need a break from the drive on the way home, you can tour a submarine 5 minutes off the highway in Portsmouth NH. On border with Maine. Google up albacore sub.

T.S.Kobzol
04-11-2013, 23:03
when you go to Acadia do not take rt1 and pretty much don't waste your time going east from Augusta. Just book it all the way to Bangor and then take the speedway to Acadia. Here are your directions (https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=North+Conway,+NH&daddr=Bar+Harbor,+ME&hl=en&sll=45.188406,-68.984705&sspn=4.296937,10.458984&geocode=FbA0oAIdrKrC-ynNbQAg5qCzTDGH9Ep_UnHVmw%3BFRxNpQIdeErv-ymTJYAVSL6uTDEb2cooZRrpiA&t=h&mra=ls&z=8)

peakbagger
04-12-2013, 07:35
Been both of the bangor and augusta options and for tourists I still recomend RT 3 from Augusta as it includes the bucksport bridge and the Belfast Searport areas, but for each their own.

keepinitsimple
04-12-2013, 17:37
Oh my God, now they even know the route I will be taking!!!!! Just kidding, you guys are great! Even directions! That is what I love about our tribe!

LIhikers
04-13-2013, 16:18
For the NH portion of your trip you might want to consider the Dolly Copp Campground. The wife and I spent a few days there in the summer of 2012 and thought it was very nice. Info for it is HERE (http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/whitemountain/recreation/recarea/?recid=74443&actid=29)

Migrating Bird
04-14-2013, 08:42
On RT 1 visit Perrys Nut House, http://www.perrysnuthouse.com/ all kinds of weird stuff. Check out Somes Sound View Campground http://www.ssvc.info/ great place to camp, kayak, fish, hike, etc. Agree the crowds in the N.Park make it a pain. waste more time in traffic and looking for a place to park but it is worth it once. There are 50+ miles of carriage roads, smooth gravel roads with low grades which are safe for biking, walking, horse back riding etc. they do not cross any roads going under or over them on beautiful stone bridges. Lobster boat tour out of Bar Harbor is worth it. In June be prepared for fog and wet weather.

kwijibo1234
04-14-2013, 12:53
Another bonus for Acadia is the free & frequently running shuttle bus system that covers the entire island. You can let your exploring take you anywhere and then just walk down to the loop road when you've had enough. Totally worth any crappy traffic required...

BarFight
04-14-2013, 18:00
A fun thing to do around Bar Harbor that the kids will love is taking the mail boat out to the Cranberry Islands for the day and walking around-one has a large gravel beach that can be fun to walk on in the summer. Biking the carriage roads is another great thing. Have a great trip.

Chaco Taco
04-15-2013, 07:01
Went last summer to Acadia and stay at Somes Sound Campground. Great place to stay. Bass Harbour is also very nice but a bit of a drive to Bar Harbor. Personally, Im not a fan of KOA. Somes Sound has water front sites and is quiet
http://www.ssvc.info/