We reserved our campsite the day it became available so we wouldn’t miss out. We went through the same process for our stay at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground. Since then, the reservation process has changed, but can still be challenging to navigate.

After our dinner at SeaQuake Brewing in Crescent City, we arrived at Jed Smith campground. Our site, #18, had a bear box, picnic table, and fire ring. It is conveniently located across from one of the three restrooms in the campground. Each restroom has flush toilets, sinks, and showers. There was no soap, or even sanitizer – we definitely recommend bringing your own!

To continue the glamping experience, we also took hot showers. There were two shower stalls, each with a changing area. It cost $0.50 for two minutes (a steal), and $0.25 for each additional minute. The water took about 30 seconds to warm up, and was well worth it. The bathrooms were clean, and we were grateful for a hot shower.

The campground was quiet, which made for a peaceful night’s sleep. When we awoke the next morning, we could see our campsite a lot better. It was a mostly shaded spot with redwoods, though close to some neighbors. Behind us was a stunning view of the emerald green Smith River and sandy beach. Additionally, directly behind our site was River Beach Trail, which winds around the campground.

The northern part of Jed Smith campground has five “hike and bike-in” campsites. There are also 4 sparse cabins in the campground. They cost $100 per night, which seems steep. Still, part of me wishes we had stayed there, just for the experience.

After a quick oatmeal breakfast, we walked to Jedediah Smith Visitor Center, which is centrally located within the campground. It has a small gift shop, and behind it is an amphitheater that hosts ranger programs a few evenings a week. A day use area also allows river access to non-campers for $8 per car. According to the park website, day access is free to those who hike or bike in.

Next we headed to Hiouchi Visitor Center, where we met for a kayaking trip on Smith River. It’s an easy walk along the road, less than a quarter mile from the campground.

After our kayaking trip, we headed to the beach near our campsite to warm up. It was a sunny afternoon in the 70s, and a number of other visitors were enjoying the area too. A log staircase, with no handrail, led to the beach – so we had to be careful.

While we really enjoyed our campsite, we did see larger sites that were closer to the river and nearer to large redwood trees. Those campsites, 47-58, were on the lower level on a smaller loop. I might try to reserve one of those someday when we return. But you really can’t go wrong with any site in this peaceful and well-maintained campground. This was my favorite campground so far on our adventures, aside from the primitive Duck Harbor Campground in Acadia NP.

Jedediah Smith Campground | 86 Campsites | 7 Hike-in Campsites | 4 Cabins

Date Visited: July 20 – 22, 2017
Location: Jedediah Smith State Park, 10 miles east of Crescent City, CA (Google Maps Directions)
Amenities: Hot Showers | Cabins | Potable Water | Fire Pits & Barbecues | Picnic Table | Flush Toilets | Bear boxes | Visitor Center
Dates Open: Year-round
Prices: $35/night for campsite | $100/night for cabin (summer), $80/night (winter)
Highlights: Redwood trees, beach
Best Sites: We recommend any site, but sites 47-58 are closer to the beach with larger redwood trees.
Notes: Reservations are accepted up to six months in advance and no less than 48 hours; otherwise first-come, first served. Check-in time is 2pm, check-out is 12:00 pm. Most popular dates are mid-May through late September.

Places

• Jedediah Smith Campground | 1461 US-199, Crescent City, CA 95531
• Hiouchi Chevron (for supplies) | 2100 US-199, Crescent City, CA 95531

Maps

• Jedediah Smith Campground Map

Links

• Jedediah Smith Campground Reservations

Interactive Map

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Prior to our trip, we made a 2-night reservation at Blackwoods. You can’t specify which campsite you want though, you’re assigned one when you arrive. According to the map, the campground’s two loops, A and B, have very similar layouts. It costs $30 per night, from May through October. If you’re camping off-season, the campsites are cheaper and facilities are limited. Check out the NPS website for more info.  Advanced reservations are highly recommended during peak season, as the campgrounds are often full.

When we arrived at the campground, we checked in with the ranger on-site and got our campsite assignment. Site A137 would be our home for the next 2 days. We were hoping for some privacy, but weren’t really expecting it.

On the journey to our campsite, we passed a multitude of other campsites. Blackwoods is the most crowded campground in the park, and it’s huge with 290 sites. Makes sense, since it’s on the popular east side of MDI. It’s also a great starting point for a variety of hikes and other attractions. The campground was relatively clean and quiet. Our site was simple, with a picnic table and fire ring. Our neighbors were close, but not as close as we feared they might be.

A few sites down from us was the bathroom and potable water source. One odd thing was that the campground bathrooms were equipped with hand sanitizer instead of hand soap. Sanitizer is fine if you don’t have running water, but with it, sanitizer is kind of useless. Campgrounds in our home park, Shenandoah, have soap. Everywhere should have soap! Anyway, moving on…

After setting up our tent and checking our gear, we were ready to head out for a hike. But first we stopped at Otter Creek Market about 0.6 miles away, the closest camp store to get ice and snacks. Shower and laundry facilities are located north on Route 3, though we didn’t end up using them.

All in all, Blackwoods is a nice place to stay for a couple nights. And the location is so great that we were willing to sacrifice a bit of privacy for convenience. One additional benefit is that there are trails that connect to or go through the campground. Specifically the Quarry Trail on the east side, and the Cadillac Ridge on the west side of the campground. So you can just wake up and go without driving to a trailhead.

We thought we’d dislike Blackwoods because it’s so large, but we rather liked it. Mainly because of its proximity to hikes and attractions. I would definitely stay at Blackwoods again, and even though we were close to our neighbors, we were still farther away than we were at Seawall (see our post about that).

Blackwoods Campground | 290 campsites
Location: Mt. Desert Island, 5 miles south of Bar Harbor (Google Maps Directions)
Amenities: Potable Water | Fire ring | Picnic Table | Flushable Toilet
Dates Open: May 15 to October 15
Prices: $30 / night (May – October) | $15 / night (April & November) | Free (December – March)
Highlights: Campground right in the middle of a lot of hikes and things to see/do in Acadia
Notes:  Check-out: 10am | Advance reservations recommended

References:
NPS Website – Acadia Camping
Recreation.gov – Blackwoods Reservations
Blackwoods Campground Map

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