New Signup update: please feel free to join the waitlist by emailing me if you are interested in going! (Particularly if you have a car 👍) A trip this size always has turnover, and the likelihood of a spot opening up is high :)

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Camping at Acadia over Memorial Day Weekend 2026 Difficulty rating: Camping Fun

Prerequisites: Be a MITOC member

What

A three-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 Friday May 22, and ends at noon on Monday, May 25

Action Dates

Friday, May 8th at 9am - Trip sign-up close. Welcome email sent after. After this, email Asha to join the waitlist / get a spot.

Update: Thursday, May 14th - Trip fee payment deadline at noon.

Tuesday, May 19: Optional (but highly encouraged) Pre-Trip Meeting at 7:15 pm in the MITOC office. Gear rentals beforehand at 6-7pm.

Friday, May 22: Trip departure!

Monday, May 25: Trip return!

Prerequisites

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

Signups

While previously this trip has run as a lottery, we are trying something new with a first-come first serve signup.

Cost

The non-refundable trip fee ($50 for MIT affiliates, $60 for non-affiliates) includes three 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 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.

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 Tuesday May 17, or email Asha.