Acadia

Overview

Acadia National Park covers 49,000 acres on Mount Desert Island and the rugged coast of Downeast Maine, where granite mountains plunge directly into the Atlantic Ocean. Cadillac Mountain, at 1,530 feet, is the highest point on the eastern seaboard north of Brazil and from October through early March is the first place in the United States to see the sunrise. The park's rocky coastline, sculpted by waves and glaciers, creates a dramatic meeting of mountain and sea unmatched on the East Coast. The Park Loop Road circles the eastern portion of Mount Desert Island, passing Thunder Hole (where waves compress in a narrow chasm and explode upward with a booming sound), Sand Beach (one of the few sand beaches in the park, with water temperatures rarely above 55°F), and Jordan Pond House, where popovers and tea have been served with views of the Bubbles mountains since 1893. The carriage roads, 45 miles of broken-stone paths built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. between 1913 and 1940, offer car-free walking, biking, and horseback riding through forest and past stone bridges. Acadia packs an extraordinary amount of variety into a compact area. You can climb iron-rung ladder trails up granite cliff faces in the morning, kayak among harbor seals in the afternoon, eat fresh lobster in the village of Bar Harbor for dinner, and watch the sunset from Cadillac Mountain — all without driving more than 20 minutes between activities.

Things to Do

• Watch sunrise from the summit of Cadillac Mountain
• Walk the Shore Path along the rocky coast
• Bike the historic carriage roads through the forest
• Climb the iron rungs on the Precipice Trail
• Have popovers at Jordan Pond House
• Listen to Thunder Hole at mid-tide
• Kayak among harbor seals in Frenchman Bay
• Hike the Beehive Trail via iron rungs and ladders

Wildlife

Keep an eye out for these animals during your visit:

Weather & Best Time to Visit

Cool summers with highs of 70-80°F and foggy mornings. Fall is crisp and colorful. Winter is cold and snowy with limited road access. Spring is wet and muddy but uncrowded.