Lottery Probability?

Just to clarify: We have 100 spots available for this trip. And, even once the lottery runs, lots of people drop out after being offered their spot due to making other plans. The lottery is there to handle what happens if signups go beyond 100. So, if you're wanting to sign up but don't know the odds of getting in... I'd say it's likely very high. Feel free to email Asha with any questions!

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Camping at Acadia over Independence Day Week(end) 2025

Difficulty rating: Camping Fun

Prerequisites: Be a MITOC member

What

A four-day, multi-activity tent camping holiday weekend.

Where

Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island, a 108 square-mile island off the coast of Maine.

When

Our campground reservation at Bass Harbor Campground begins at noon on Thursday, July 3 and ends at noon on Sunday, July 6.

Action Dates

Thursday, May 8th - Sign up for the lottery opens

Friday, June 20 - Trip sign-up closes and lottery runs at noon

Monday, June 23: Trip fee payment deadline at noon for participants that cleared the lottery at the first run. Participants added from the waitlist have 3 days to pay the fee to secure their spot on the trip

Wednesday, June 25: Optional Pre-Trip Meeting at 6:00 pm in the MITOC office.

Thursday, July 3: Trip departure!

Prerequisites

To participate in this trip, you must be an MITOC member. If you are not yet a member, click here to join.

About the Lottery

The campsite has a capacity limit of 100 total participants. When the lottery runs, an initial population for the trip will be selected and placed on the cleared list by the lottery. Anyone not selected by the lottery will be placed on a waitlist. As participants withdraw or are removed from the cleared list (as always happens) during the next ten days, participants from the waitlist will be cleared to replace those who have withdrawn or been removed.

If you would like to bring a friend, partner, spouse, etc. on this trip, make sure that both of you include each other's names in the lottery preferences before the selection runs. Lottery preferences can be submitted to your profile page.

Cost

The non-refundable trip fee ($70 for MIT affiliates, $80 for non-affiliates) includes four nights of camping at our reserved campsite. It does not include food, transportation, or firewood, nor does it include rental fees for gear (tents, sleeping bags, and other gear are available for rent from MITOC at below-belief prices).

To provide transportation, we organize rideshares through which members who have cars share space and operating costs of their cars with members who need rides to and from the island, as well as free on-island shuttles such as the Island Explorer to trailheads and activities. At an additional cost of $35 per vehicle, the National Park Service sells permits, valid for 7 days, for parking at some locations on the island. MIT students, faculty and staff can rent cars for the rideshare under an MIT corporate discount program as described here.

Please do not let cost be a reason not to attend. MITOC is committed to making the outdoors equally available to all of our members and has waivers available for the trip and membership fees. Contact the Acadia chair if you would like to request a fee waiver. If you are an MIT undergrad, we can definitely help with the trip fee and now help with gas costs. Please reach out if you’d like to take advantage of this assistance.

Activities

Popular activities during this tent camping weekend may include hiking, climbing, biking, boating, surfing, sailing, swimming (if you dare), bird watching, whale watching, sky watching (mostly at night), people watching (anytime), eating, sleeping, and invent-your-own activities in the company of 100 other outdoor-driven MITOC members. MITOC will provide the organizational energy and resources necessary to make the Acadia Weekend Trip happen, including participant registration, rideshare organization, and a reserved group campsite (with hot showers), but scheduling activities and deciding what to do on a day-to-day basis will be left to you and other participants to develop either individually or collaboratively.

More information about activities and opportunities for collaboration will be provided at the pre-trip meeting on Wednesday, June 25.

About the Island

Acadia's bold mountains and stunning coastal scenery make it one of the most unique hiking and climbing destinations on the East Coast. Only in Acadia can you scale sheer cliffs that rise precipitously out of the sea. From an ecological standpoint, Acadia is one of the most diverse national parks in America. With elevations ranging from sea-level to 1,500 feet, the landscape boasts rugged mountains, forests, lakes and wetlands. Outside of a tropical rainforest, there are few places in the world with so much natural diversity packed into such a small space.

Check here for updated information from the National Park Service, including maps, regulations, temporary trail closures, and current conditions for specific activities.

Check here for a map of the island with links to points of interest and commercial support services and facilities.

Questions?

Bring your questions to the Pre-Trip Meeting on Wednesday, June 25, or email Asha.