Parks / Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park
National Park · ME
Acadia National Park protects the natural beauty of the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the United States, an abundance of habitats, and a rich cultural heritage. At 4 million visits a year, it's one of the top 10 most-visited national parks in the United States. Visitors enjoy 27 miles of historic motor roads, 158 miles of hiking trails, and 45 miles of carriage roads.
Official NPS page →Current Alerts (3)
Schoodic Mountain Road Closed for Repairs
Starting Aug 31, the Schoodic Mountain Road will be closed for repairs from Schoodic Loop Road to the summit of Schoodic Head. Workers will be operating heavy equipment for resurfacing, regrading and ditching.
Southern Section of Ocean Path Closed for Repairs
Starting Aug 31, a section of Ocean Path will be closed for repairs from a trailhead across from the Otter Point parking lot to the trail's southern terminus.
Avoid Water Contact at Sand Beach Lagoon (Not for Sand Beach)
Bacterial levels have exceeded public health standards at Sand Beach Lagoon and a Public Health Advisory has been posted. The public is advised against swimming at this beach until bacterial levels return to healthful levels. (Not for Sand Beach.)
Entrance Fees
A park entrance pass is required year-round at Acadia National Park. All vehicles must display a pass clearly visible through the windshield. Display federal lands passes, such as annual and military passes, on your dashboard with the signature and expiration date facing up. Passes are non-transferable and passholder must be present. A separate vehicle reservation is also required to drive Cadillac Summit Road from mid-May into October. Vehicle reservations are only sold online in advance and are not available for purchase at the park. In addition to NPS locations in visitor centers and campgrounds, entrance passes are also available for purchase in-person at third-party sellers. These locations are not operated by the NPS and do not offer federal lands passes -- * Jordan Pond Gift Shop * Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Cottage Street * Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce * Mount Desert Chamber of Commerce * Southwest Harbor/Tremont Chamber of Commerce
A park entrance pass is required year-round. All vehicles must display a pass clearly visible through the windshield. Display federal lands passes, such as annual and military passes, on your dashboard with the signature and expiration date facing up. Passes are non-transferable and passholder must be present.
Campgrounds (4)
Blackwoods Campground
Blackwoods Campground is located on the east side of Mount Desert Island, about 5 miles (8 km) south of Bar Harbor on Route 3. All sites at Blackwoods are wooded and within a 10-minute walk of the ocean. The majority of Blackwoods' sites are for small and large tents; other sites can accommodate travelers with RVs. Flush toilets, running water, and a dump station are provided, as are picnic tables and fire rings. Roads are paved.
Details →Duck Harbor Campground
Duck Harbor Campground is located on Isle au Haut, a rugged island off the coast of Stonington, Maine. This campground has five sites with lean-to shelters and is a great launch point for paddling excursions. Remote and inaccessible to automobiles, Isle au Haut is linked to the mainland by mailboat.
Details →Schoodic Woods Campground
Schoodic Woods Campground is the newest campground in the park and located 1.5 miles (2.5 km) southeast of Winter Harbor on the Schoodic Peninsula. It is approximately 60-70 minutes from Bar Harbor and other areas of Mount Desert Island.
Details →Seawall Campground
Seawall Campground is located on the west side of Mount Desert Island about 4 miles (6 km) south of Southwest Harbor. The campground is approximately 18 miles from Bar Harbor. All sites at Seawall are within a short walking distance of the coastline.
Details →Upcoming Events
Carriage Road Bike Tour
Aug 31, 2026
Hike With a Ranger! Acadia's Trails from the Granite Up
Aug 31, 2026 · Gorham Mountain Trailhead Parking Lot.
Hawk Watch
Aug 31, 2026 · 200 yards down the Cadillac North Ridge Trail from Cadillac Mountain East Summit Parking Lot.
Owl Prowl
Aug 31, 2026 · Available upon reservation
Hike With a Ranger! Valleys and Peaks: Building Acadia's Trails
Sep 1, 2026 · Location given upon registration.
Drop-in Stewardship Volunteering with Friends of Acadia
Sep 1, 2026 · Park and meet at the Hulls Cove Storage Facility, located near the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Visitor Center Rd, Bar Harbor, ME 04609. (This is the same location as in 2024. Park HQ is under construction.) Enter via the Hulls Cove Visitor Center entrance off Route 3 in Bar Harbor. Continue past the Visitor Center parking lot on Paradise Hill Road. When the road splits, bear left to the Hulls Cove Storage Facility. (Note: There is an “authorized vehicles only” as well as a “do not enter” sign, b
Blackwoods Campground Program: Be Like a Beaver
Sep 1, 2026 · Blackwoods Campground Amphitheater
Evening Program: Acadia's Night Sky
Sep 2, 2026 · Sand Beach
Blackwoods Campground Program: The Tree of Life – Exploring Acadia's Animal Connections
Sep 2, 2026 · Blackwoods Campground Amphitheater
Schoodic Evening Program: The Secret Lives of Alewives
Sep 2, 2026 · Event is located at the Schoodic Woods Campground Amphitheater.
Schoodic Family Program: Soil Science and Art
Sep 2, 2026 · Event will take place at the Schoodic Woods Campground Amphitheater.
You talkin' to me? Bilingual Program (English/Français)
Sep 2, 2026 · This program meets in the grassy area in front and to the left of the Jordan Pond House. Le point de rendez-vous se situe sur la pelouse, devant et à gauche du Jordan Pond House.
Twilight Talk: Seafaring Ships and Safety
Sep 2, 2026 · Program will take place on Sand Beach. Visitors must descend a staircase to reach the program location.
Bird Walk
Sep 2, 2026 · Location given with reservation
Wetland Walk
Sep 3, 2026
Sharing the Family Story at the Carroll Homestead
Sep 3, 2026 · LAT/LONG: 44.000000, -68.000000
Hike With a Ranger: To See it All...
Sep 3, 2026
Blackwoods Campground Evening Program
Sep 4, 2026
Pines of Acadia
Sep 4, 2026 · Eagle Lake Parking Area
Walk to Waterfall Bridge
Sep 5, 2026 · Parkman Mountain Parking Area
Things to Do
Bike Carriage Roads
Winding through the heart of the park, the 45 miles of historic carriage roads have crushed rock surfaces perfect for miles of bicycling.
Birding at Otter Point
Enjoy Acadia's rugged coastline along Otter Point and search for passing seabirds and listen for songbirds in the nearby forest.
Birding at the Precipice
View the cliff for nesting peregrine falcons (mid-April through early August) and for other raptors passing by and explore the wetland across the street.
Birding at Thompson Island
Explore migratory shorebirds, terns, and gulls (August-October) on the mudflats of Mt. Desert Narrows.
Birding Cadillac Mountain
Enjoy excellent birding opportunities from Acadia's highest point. In the fall (late August-October), join park rangers and volunteers daily at the Cadillac Mountain Hawkwatch.
Birding Isle au Haut
Explore this downeast offshore island that is home to spruce-fir forests, rocky coastlines along with a variety of songbirds, shorebirds, and terns.
Birding Jordan Pond
Explore Jordan Pond before the crowds by searching for breeding loon and songbirds in the morning at this popular Acadia destination.
Birding Schoodic Peninsula
Spend a day driving and birding the mainland section of Acadia National Park. Located near Winter Harbor, Schoodic Peninsula provides some of the best birding habitat in the park.
Birding Seawall
Seawall provides great birding opportunities on the west side of Mount Desert Island at Acadia National Park.
Birding Sieur de Monts Springs
Explore the Wild Gardens of Acadia and Great Meadow, or take a walk on Jesup Path, Hemlock Trail and Stratheden Trail for birding opportunities.
Birding the Carriage Roads
Grab a bike and binoculars and take a ride. Just about everywhere you go you can find a feeding flock of songbirds. Great starting locations and loops: Eagle Lake, Witch Hole Pond Loop, Aunt Betty Pond, Jordan Pond, and Bubble Pond.
Birding the Western Mountains
Explore the rugged side of Acadia National Park to find and listen for boreal breeding songbirds.
Birding "with" the Champlain Society
In the early 1880's members if the Champlain Society documented bird species breeding on Mount Desert Island. Follow along the same trails they took and observe what birds we find in those places. Are they the same, or different?
Birding Wonderland and Ship Harbor
Enjoy two beautiful walks through boreal and mixed-wood forests out to the rocky coast on the quietside of Acadia National Park
Drive Cadillac Mountain
Cadillac Mountain is a popular destination for visitors to Acadia National Park. Accessible by car, it is the highest point on the eastern seaboard of the U.S., and offers magnificent views of a glaciated coastal and island landscape. The short, paved Cadillac Summit Loop Trail, interpretive waysides, restrooms, and gift shop are located at the summit.
Drive Park Loop Road
Wind your way through forests, past lakes and mountains, and along the shoreline on scenic Park Loop Road. The 27-mile (43 km) road also provides access to popular areas such as Sieur de Monts, Sand Beach, Otter Point, Jordan Pond, and Cadillac Mountain.
Explore Historic Carroll Homestead
Head towards the west side of the island to visit an example of 1800s island life at Carroll Homestead, a time capsule of early Euro-american settlement before Mount Desert Island became a tourist destination and Acadia National Park came into being.
Go Earthcaching At Acadia
Embark on an exciting journey through time to discover how glaciers have shaped Acadia National Park. Using your GPS unit and a set of clues obtained from this website and hidden along the journey, you can guide yourself to a series of sites in the park.
Hike Bald Peak and Parkman Mountain Loop
A short, challenging loop hike to the summits of Bald Peak and Parkman Mountain, each over 900 feet.
Hike Bar Island Trail
Walk along a gravel sand bar during low tide to reach Bar Island. Once on the island, hike another mile to the highest point on the island for views of Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay.
Hike Beachcroft Path
The Beachcroft Path is an historic memorial pathway, constructed in 1915. Take this trail to reach Champlain Mountain for panoramic coastal mountain views of Mount Desert Island, Frenchman Bay, and the outlying islands.
Hike Beech Cliff Trail with Island Explorer Bus
The Beech Cliff Trail climbs a steep rock face from the southern end of Echo Lake to the top of the cliffs. Continue north along the short and fun Beech Cliff Loop to be treated to even more views from the top of the cliffs. The descent is more gradual and goes down a forested area via the Canada Cliffs Trail back to the beginning of the hike.
Hike Beech Mountain South Ridge Loop
This loop hike traverses a forest before ascending Beech Mountain, where there is a fire tower and views of Long Pond, Mansell Mountain, and the west side of Mount Desert Island.
Hike Beech Mountain Trail
This short, moderate loop on the west side of Mount Desert Island provides hikers with views of Long Pond and Mansell Mountain on the way up and access to one of the few remaining fire towers in the area.
Hike Beehive Loop
This is a 1.4 mile loop trail that ascends a 450 ft cliff face. Exposed cliffs, iron rungs, and granite staircases climb this trail revealing scenic ocean views.
Hike Bubbles
This short 1.5 mile hike offers views of Jordan Pond and the surrounding mountains from the iconic North Bubble, South Bubble, and Bubble Rock.
Hike Bubbles Nubble Loop
This hike traverses the summits of North Bubble, South Bubble, and Connors Nubble and crosses varying terrain of forest paths, steep granite sections, and a level carriage road. Visitors can enjoy views of Eagle Lake, Jordan Pond, Pemetic and Sargent Mountains, and the Cranberry Isles.
Hike Cadillac North Ridge Trail
A moderate out-and-back hike to the highest point both in Acadia and on the eastern seaboard. The trail is mostly exposed, providing hikers with sweeping vistas of Bar Harbor, Frenchman Bay, and the Schoodic Peninsula.
Hike Cadillac South Ridge Trail
This out and back trail is the longer option for hiking Cadillac Mountain with spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and outlying islands before reaching the summit.
Hike Cadillac Summit Loop
The Cadillac Summit Loop, located on the eastern side of Mount Desert Island, is well known as one of the most scenic paths at Acadia National Park. Starting at the top of Cadillac Mountain, which is accessible via car, this path provides a walk with breathtaking 360-degree views of Frenchman Bay, the Porcupine Islands, and Downeast Maine.
Visitor Centers
- Acadia Gateway Center
- Hulls Cove Visitor Center
- Islesford Historical Museum
- Schoodic Institute Welcome Center at Rockefeller Hall
- Sieur de Monts Nature Center
- Winter Information: Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce
Webcams
Source: National Park Service.