Everything you should know about Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park’s popularity is rooted in natural grandeur and cultural heritage. Forested mountains, glacier-scraped peaks, crashing surf on granite shores, spruce-fringed islands, and tranquil ponds and lakes drawing more than 4 million visitors in 2025. Complementing this awe-inspiring landscape the Park Loop Road, hiking trails, and carriage trails for bicycling, walking, and horseback riding.

The first national park on the East Coast of the U.S., established in 1916 on Mount Desert Island (MDI), now sprawls over approximately 50,000 acres, protecting more than 64 miles (102.9 km) of Maine’s coastline. Unlike most parks, Acadia was created from hodgepodge parcels of donated land, rather than from large government-owned tracts. The park borders private backyards and wraps around towns and villages.

Somes Sound, a natural fjärd, a long  glacier-formed inlet that's shallower than a fjord, splits MDI nearly in half. Most of the park’s starred attractions are on the island’s eastern side and accessible from the Park Loop Road. The western side offers quieter trails and lesser-known sights, including a natural seawall and Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. 

Acadia includes a mainland section on the Schoodic Peninsula and a remote one on Isle au Haut. The free, seasonal Island Explorer bus system serves most areas of the park on MDI and the Schoodic peninsula. 

(These are the 10 most popular national in the United States.)

Best times to visit Acadia National Park

Acadia is busiest in July and August, when everything is open. To avoid the peak summer crowds, visit from May through June, but the weather can change rapidly from warm and dry to cold and wet, and not everything is operational. September and October are the golden months, although they’re increasingly popular. From November through March, many park sights are closed, but the hiking trails, carriage roads, and sections of the Park Loop Road remain open, and you’ll likely have them to yourself. 

Where to find the best views in the park 

Enjoy Acadia’s scenic beauty by driving or bicycling the Park Loop Road. This 27-mile (43- kilometer) loop through the park’s eastern section offers visitors views of Sieur de Mont, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, and Jordan Pond. A vehicle reservation is required to drive the section of road that ebbs and flows to Cadillac Mountain’s summit, which offers jaw-dropping views of Frenchman Bay, the Schoodic Peninsula, and, on clear days, a view of mile-high Katahdin. The Island Explorer doesn’t serve Cadillac’s summit, but a commercial shuttle operates from Bar Harbor. 

On clear nights, Sand Beach, the Ocean Path, and Otter Cliffs along the Park Loop Road and Seawall, on the western side, are prime stargazing locations.  

Where to find the best hiking trails 

Thanks to the Island Explorer, hikers can start at one trailhead and link trails and peaks before finishing at another. For example, a number of trails converge on Cadillac's summit, allowing hikers to ascend one trail and descend another, using the Island Explorer bus to complete the loop. 

The easy, 4.4-mile (7.1 km) out-and-back Ocean Path parallels to Park Loop Road from Sand Beach to Otter Cove, offering ocean views, and passing Thunder Hole and Otter Cliffs. 

Despite its low elevation, Flying Mountain’s moderate 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) loop has spectacular views over the Cranberry Islands and Somes Sound. 

The Civilian Conservation Corps cut many trails, lining them with coping stones and cutting massive granite blocks into steps to make the trails easier for hikers of varying skill levels. The moderate, 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) out-and-back Beachcroft Path, known for its 1,500 pink granite steps, ascends Champlain Mountain. The views from Huguenot Head over a shallow and weedy pond, Dorr Mountain, and Bar Harbor are lovely, but continue to the 1,058-foot summit for vistas with grander views. 

Avoid driving to Cadillac’s summit by hiking the moderate 7.1-mile (11.4-kilometer) out-and-back Cadillac South Ridge Trail. Hikers may opt to take a more challenging route, but either way, they can retrace their steps and/or use the Island Explorer to return. To see the sunset or sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, consider hiking (with headlamps) the 4.4-mile (7.1-kilometer) out-and-back Cadillac North Ridge Trail. 

(This is the most scenic route through Acadia National Park.)

The best spots to see wildlife 

The best wildlife viewing is usually at dawn or dusk. Sieur de Mont, often called the heart of Acadia, allows visitors a chance to see white-tailed deer along the Jesup Path. To spot porcupines, look up in the trees, particularly hemlocks. You may spot evidence of beaver activity in the park’s wetlands. Jordan Pond Trail and Witch Pond Carriage Road are good places to view them. 

Go tide pooling to view small sea creatures, such as snails, crabs, periwinkles, urchins, barnacles, and sea stars, in coastal low-tide pools. Explore the areas found along the Wonderland Trail, Ship Harbor Trail, and Ocean Path.  

Acadia’s boreal forests, coastal cliffs, and location on the Atlantic Flyway—a 3,000-mile (4,823-kilometer) north-south migration route stretching from Greenland to South—attract birdwatchers, who’ve identified more than 300 species in the park. Renowned ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson called MDI the “warbler capital of the world.”  Sieur de Mont Springs’ diverse landscapes, including wetlands, meadows, a pond, and the Wild Gardens of Acadia, attract songbirds, woodpeckers, and woodland species such as Blue-headed Vario, Barred Owl, Great-crested Flycatcher, and Pine Warbler. Seawall is also a hot spot for wildlife watching, with open ocean, a brackish pond, and the nearby Big Heath, a coastal bog system, where visitors might hear various warblers and spy American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, and, in the bog, carnivorous pitcher plants.  

From March into summer, peregrine falcons nest on Jordan Cliffs and the Precipice cliffs. Look skyward to find bald eagles perched in tall trees near waterways. From late August into November, park rangers and volunteers are stationed on Cadillac Mountain’s summit for Hawk Watch, which monitors migrating raptors, including hawks, vultures, eagles, and falcons.  

On the park’s Islesford Historic and Scenic Cruise, a ranger points out sights, explains the landscape, and identifies birds and sea life, which may include seals, porpoises, and dolphins. The cruise includes a visit to the park’s museum on Islesford, one of the Cranberry Islands.  

Expert recommendations and tips

“Advance reservations for your Acadia trip are a must. This beloved but busy park is one of the smallest but among the top 10 in visitation, so expect things to be crowded in high season,” says Carey Kish, an MDI resident and author of Best Day Hikes Along the Maine Coast. “Timing is everything. Do your research ahead of time, make reservations, and always have a plan B or C available: If Sand Beach is too crowded, I’m going to go to Hunter’s Beach. Maybe instead of hiking Cadillac, I’ll hike Penobscot or Cedar Swamp Mountain.”  Here’s a hint: The farther you are from Park Loop Road, the less busy a trail will be.   

Rise early and get to a trailhead before most others start breakfast. Or start when morning hikers will likely be having lunch on the summit or heading back down. “I love starting a hike in the late morning. I get to the summit, and nobody’s there: Bingo! It can be done, even in a crowded park like this,” he says. “It’s a way to get more solitude on well-traveled trails, no matter where you are in the park.” Or consider late afternoon: Most hikers are done by 4, and in summer it’s light longer, so go prepared and hike when others are finishing. 

“Know your abilities. Acadia’s mountains aren’t really high, but you start at sea level and gain a good deal of elevation. Many are steep and rugged. Hikers need to respect that,” Kish says. He advises against following social media recommendations. “Beehive and Precipice aren’t for the faint of heart. They’re tough and can be scary, even hazardous if you’re not careful.” 

To avoid crowds, Kish suggests visiting in winter. “On weekends, trail heads are crowded with locals, but midweek is always good.” When snow blankets the park, you can snowshoe, ski, or fat-tire bike along the carriage roads. “Some 30 miles of the carriage roads are groomed and tracked by Friends of Acadia volunteers when conditions allow. It’s quiet, snowy, beautiful, and looks and feels different; it’s truly special, and all it costs you is the price of a park pass.”  

Things to do in Acadia

Drive the Park Loop Road, which takes visitors to or by most of the park’s highlights. Stop for tea and popovers on the lawn at the Jordan Pond House, a tradition since the 1890s. 

Walk, bike, or go horseback riding along the carriage roads. Kish says, “You can lose people pretty fast on these historic roads, like hiking. The farther you get from the Park Loop Road or a hub like Jordan Pond, the fewer people you’re going to see.” These well-signed rustic roads, created by John D. Rockefeller Jr., are lined with coping stones (nicknamed Rockefeller’s teeth) and accented by two gate lodges and 17 unique stone-faced bridges. Wildwood Stables provides carriage rides. 

Many of Acadia’s lakes and ponds allow boating. Eagle Lake, Long Pond, Echo Lake, and Jordan Pond are good choices for paddling. Freshwater swimming is permitted in Echo Lake and Lake Wood. 

See Acadia from the water aboard a boat excursion or on a day trip to the Schoodic Peninsula aboard the passenger ferry connecting Bar Harbor with Winter Harbor.  

Best things to do for families

Interpretive signs explain the varied habitats along the easy, 1.3-mile (1.2-kilometer) Ship Harbor Nature Trail loop. Pack snacks or a picnic basket to enjoy on the granite ledges, explore tidepools, and watch for raptors, sea, and shore birds.  

Park ranger programs include guided hikes, cruises, bike-and-boat tours, stargazing, and campfire talks. Kids can become junior rangers by attending programs and completing activities. 

Other family-oriented activities include Cultural Connections programs highlighting Maine’s Indigenous Wabanaki Nations and Scavenger Hunts, which use a bingo card with activities for specific locations. For example, at Sieur de Monts, activities include:  find and take a picture of the Sieur de Monts spring house, find a tree with a hole in it, find a trail with a boardwalk, and most activities require thoughts, answers, or actions.  

Where to stay 

Lodging is not available in the park, but visitors can find several options in surrounding communities. Be forewarned that lodging on MDI can be very pricey during peak season.  

In Bar Harbor, the island’s hub, the waterfront and full-service Bar Harbor Inn has two restaurants, a pool, and a spa; the harbor-view  West Street Hotel has an adults-only rooftop pool and access to its sister property’s outdoor pools, spa, and tennis courts; the Saltair Inn bed and breakfast occupies a handsomely restored summer cottage with a lawn rolling down to the sea; the Edenbrook Motel, comprises four buildings tiered on a hillside about a mile from downtown; the Cromwell Harbor Motel, on the southern end of downtown, has an outdoor pool; Rose Eden Cottages on Route 3 north of town, offers simple, clean, pet-friendly budget-friendly cottages. 

In Northeast Harbor, the recently restored and updated Asticou Hotel, located across from the Asticou Garden, offers rooms, suites, and cottages and a restaurant and lounge overlooking the pool to the yacht-filled harbor; at the classic Harbourside Inn, dating from 1888 and tucked on a wooded hillside, enjoy a light breakfast on the porch. 

In Southwest Harbor, the masterfully restored and updated Claremont Hotel, a grande dame dating back to 1884, offers rooms and suites in the main inn and adjacent buildings, as well as private cottages, a restaurant, spa, waterfront lounge, dock, and a pool, all overlooking the mouth of Somes Sound. 

On the Schoodic Peninsula, the frills are few, but the views over Frenchman Bay are fabulous at Bluff House Inn and Cabins, located about 5 miles from the park; every room has an ocean view at Elsa’s Inn on the Harbor, a charming bed-and-breakfast located across from a lobstering wharf, about 3 miles from the park. 

If day-tripping to Isle au Haut, the closest lodgings to the ferry are in downtown Stonington, a classic fishing village; both are within walking distance of the ferry. The Inn on the Harbor delivers on its name with accommodations ranging from small rooms to a two-bedroom apartment and a huge deck hanging over the harbor; just across the street is Boyce’s Motel, offering simple accommodations ranging from rooms to apartments. For a dreamy stay, reserve at Aragosta, an oceanfront inn and cottages with a private beach and nationally lauded restaurant, adjacent to a land preserve, and about a 15-minute drive to the ferry. 

Make reservations online for the park’s campgrounds: Blackwoods is on MDI’s easter side and is a great base for those wanting to hike Cadillac, and Seawall on western side, feels more remote and is a good choice for birdwatching; hiking and biking paths as well as the Park Loop Road connect the Schoodic Woods campground to all the park’s sights on the Schoodic peninsula; and for self-reliant campers who really want to escape and hike in relative solitude, Duck Harbor’s five lean-tos on Isle au Haut await. Backcountry camping isn’t permitted anywhere in Acadia. 

Commercial campgrounds on MDI  include Bar Harbor’s Hadley’s Point Campground, located 4 miles from the Hull’s Cove Visitor Center, has tenting and RV campsites, a heated pool,  playground, and coin-op laundry and is walking distance to a saltwater beach with boat ramp, and for glampers, Terramore Outdoor Resort, about 6 miles from the Visitor Center, has tents with private full baths and beds with bedding, a pool, play area, and lodge with food and beverage service.

On MDI-s western side, Mount Desert Campground at the base of Somes Sound, caters to tenters and small RVs, has a gathering place, dinghy and kayak dock, boat ramp, and saltwater swimming; Smuggler’s Den Campground in Southwest Harbor has sites for tent, pop-up, and RV sites, rental RVs, rustic and deluxe cabins, and vacation rentals and offers a playground, pools, and laundry.  

What else you should know  

Access: Parkgoers can take Route 3 to reach Acadia on MDI. The Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton doubles as a welcome center for the park and for Downeast Maine. It’s a stop for the Island Explorer, provides plenty of free parking for daytrippers, and has an information desk staffed by park staff and another staffed by experts in the Downeast region. The Hulls Cove Visitor Center has exhibits, information desks, and free parking, and is on the Island Explorer bus shuttle service.

To reach the Schoodic Peninsula from Route 1, take Route 186, which loops the peninsula and accesses the park at its tip. A passenger ferry operates between Bar Harbor and Winter Harbor, where the Island Explorer meets it and continues on a loop through the park. Parkgoers can reach Isle au Haut via a passenger ferry from Stonington, Maine.  

Entrance fees cover seven days in the park: $35 per vehicle, $30 per motorcycle, and $20 per pedestrian or bicyclist; an annual pass valid for Acadia only is $70. National pass options include the annual $80 America the Beautiful pass and the free Every Kid Outdoors 4th Grade Pass. 

Are pets allowed: Pets are permitted at most places within the park. Dogs must be on a fixed leash not exceeding six feet. They are eligible to become B.A.R.K. Rangers.

How accessible is the park?

The America the Beautiful Access Pass, available for free to U.S. citizens or residents with permanent disabilities, provides free lifetime entry to all national parks.   

The park brochure and Essential Acadia can be downloaded in Braille-ready format and in four audio-described formats. Assistive devices, interpreters, and other accommodations for park programs are available with advance notice, as are a wheelchair-accessible carriage for horse-drawn tours and a beach wheelchair for summer use at Echo Lake.

Island Explorer buses and regular stops are wheelchair accessible. Service animals are permitted in the park, but pets used for emotional support, therapy, comfort, or as companions are not.