Acadia is where the mountains meet the sea on the rugged coast of Maine, a park of pink-granite peaks, surf-battered headlands, spruce forest and quiet ponds, crowned by Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Compact but astonishingly varied, and laced with historic carriage roads, it is New England’s beloved coastal wilderness.
Glaciers rounded Acadia’s granite domes and carved the only fjord on the U.S. East Coast, Somes Sound. Bare pink-granite summits rise above spruce-fir forest and glacial ponds, and the coastline alternates rocky headlands, cobble coves and the famous Thunder Hole, where surf booms into a chasm. It is rich in wildlife, peregrine falcons on the cliffs, seabirds and seals offshore, and deer and foxes in the woods.
Summer is peak season, with warm days, full services and long hours, and crowds. Fall is spectacular, when the hardwoods blaze and the air turns crisp, drawing foliage seekers. Spring is quieter and muddy, and winter is cold and largely unplowed, offering solitude, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on the carriage roads for the hardy.
The main part of the park is on Mount Desert Island, reached via ME-3 through Bar Harbor, with the Schoodic Peninsula and remote Isle au Haut as separate units. In season, the free Island Explorer shuttle links trailheads, beaches and town, easing the notorious parking crunch; a timed-entry reservation is required to drive up Cadillac Mountain.
Drive or ride the Park Loop Road past Sand Beach, Thunder Hole and Jordan Pond, and hike everything from gentle pond loops to the exposed, iron-runged Precipice and Beehive trails. Cycle the carriage roads, catch sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, sea kayak the island’s coves, and finish with popovers at the historic Jordan Pond House.
The ocean is cold and the shoreline rocks are slick and swept by big tides and rogue waves, so keep back from the surf and mind the tide when exploring coves. The famous ladder trails involve real exposure and iron rungs on cliff faces. Know your limits and avoid them when wet. Fog rolls in fast, ticks are common, and coastal weather can change quickly, so pack layers.
A park pass is required, a timed-entry reservation is needed to drive Cadillac Summit Road in season, and campgrounds should be reserved well ahead for summer and fall. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report; always confirm current conditions, reservations and closures with the National Park Service before your trip.
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
