CAMPGROUND REVIEW Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA
Bar Harbor, Maine
There are over 450 KOAs in North American and the Lively Little Campers have stayed in seven of them. The Bar Harbor/Oceanside KOA was our favorite of the seven. During the first leg of our trip in Vermont we had to ask for our money back at a KOA before we even opened the camper because our site was so tiny. During the second leg of our trip in Maine we stayed at a world class state park and we had the largest individual sites that I have ever seen.
The difference between these two experiences sparked much debate around the campfire about the pros and cons of private campgrounds vs. state parks. I stood up for the merits of KOAs and other private campgrounds while my wife insisted that state parks were best. She loves the beauty and privacy of a state park while I like my camping amenities.
But this place was delightful from beginning to end. It combined the best elements of a state park and a private campground. It was naturally beautiful and had great activities and great amenities (but alas, no pool). When we started setting up both of our pop-ups my fellow dad-camper declared, "this place is going to be special." He was sooo right.
The difference between these two experiences sparked much debate around the campfire about the pros and cons of private campgrounds vs. state parks. I stood up for the merits of KOAs and other private campgrounds while my wife insisted that state parks were best. She loves the beauty and privacy of a state park while I like my camping amenities.
But this place was delightful from beginning to end. It combined the best elements of a state park and a private campground. It was naturally beautiful and had great activities and great amenities (but alas, no pool). When we started setting up both of our pop-ups my fellow dad-camper declared, "this place is going to be special." He was sooo right.
There were ocean views from many parts of the campground including our two sites. When I booked the trip back in March there were waterfront sites available with even better views--but I chose a spot one row away from the big drink. We still had great views and I wasnt stressed about having to fish one, or both, of the campers out of the water. Though we did have a little "accident" involving a campers forehead and a slippery rock. A minor injury or two seems to be part of the camping experience for our boys. Max and Theo are perfectly capable of getting injured in a padded room.
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| The view from our "bedroom." |
This KOA was also very kid friendly. The boys were able to scoot around all over the place with zero to no traffic in site. Our after-dinner walks while the boys perfected their scooting skills were relaxing and peaceful--and the boys gained many fans along the way. I personally love a campground that serves as its own attraction. At the end of each day, after taking in the breathtaking beauty of Acadia, we didnt have to leave it all behind--the campground served up its own healthy dose of picturesque views.
Many of the other campers with older kids had brought Kayaks and were launching them from right in front of their sites. Other hardy souls were swimming right next to their sites and then warming up around their campfires. Watching these campers really gave me some inspiration for future trips with a campsite right on the water and a kayak in the back of my pick-up.
After the boys went to bed one night we ordered fresh lobsters from a stand right on the campground and set up a candlelight dinner with our own music at an empty picnic table right on the water. We had a delicious meal with a world class view while our boys slept safely about ten yards away. That right there is why we love camping with kids so darn much. We have fun with them all day, and then we kick back in full adult splendor at night without having to pay for a babysitter.
This campground even had its own little coffee shop and, on occasion, live acoustic music. There was one miscommunication apparently, when the singer was playing at 8 in the morning instead of 8 in the evening like the flier had advertised. He didnt draw much of an audience in the morning hours. But on another evening I had a tasty mocha while listening to some Simon and Garfunkel and Van Morrison. About 15 to 20 other campers were also gathered around the singer and sipping their beverages.
The staff at this place was also super friendly and helpful. We received great local wisdom from them all week long and they treated our kids like gold. Max and Theo loved the free train ride around the campground. The rest of us loved the super clean bathrooms and showers.
On their website this KOA brags that "sunsets are our speciality." Those campers werent kidding. Check out these photos from our stay. All of them were shot about 20 to 30 feet away from our campsite.
The sunsets were magical and memorable. But the pie was even more delicious. Twice during our stay a local couple drove their station wagon filled with handmade pies through the campground. We purchased the strawberry rhubarb on both of these nights and ate every last crumb from those tins.
Everything about our stay at the Bar Harbor/Oceanside KOA was perfect but the price. Our campsite was about 80 bucks a night and those delicious pies were about fifteen bucks apiece. But while the price wasnt perfect, you might ask, was it fair? Absolutely. I am already saving my pennies for a return trip. Furthermore, if that station wagon filled with pies drove down my street right now I would buy two of them.
And I wouldnt tell anyone else that I did.
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