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Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME

Photo: Plh1234us, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorIconicOutdoor Adventure

Acadia National Park

Hulls Cove Visitor Center, 25 Visitor Center Road · Bar Harbor, ME

Why you should go…

Acadia covers about half of Mount Desert Island plus part of Isle au Haut, the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula and smaller islands on the Maine coast. The 27-mile Park Loop Road crosses the eastern side of the island, and Cadillac Mountain, at 1,530 feet, is the tallest mountain on the Atlantic Coast. You can hike about 125 miles of trails or bike 45 miles of carriage roads financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr. Driving Cadillac Summit Road takes a vehicle reservation from mid-May into October.

  • #national park
  • #hiking
  • #scenic drive
  • #carriage roads
  • #cadillac mountain

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Acadia National Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Downeast Acadia

    Free

    Maine's Downeast and Acadia region, from Acadia National Park to the tidal bays of Washington and Hancock Counties.

    2.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Cadillac Mountain

    $25–$50

    Drive or hike to Cadillac's summit for sweeping views of the coast and islands, a popular sunrise spot in Acadia.

    4.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Bass Harbor Head Light Station

    $25–$50

    See an 1858 lighthouse perched on the rocky southwest tip of Mount Desert Island from overlooks and a cliffside stairway.

    14 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory

    Under $25

    Ride an elevator up a bridge tower to a glass-walled observatory 447 feet above the Penobscot River.

    29 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Fort Knox State Historic Site

    Under $25

    A granite 1800s fort on the Penobscot River, paired with an elevator ride up the Penobscot Narrows Bridge observatory.

    30 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Camden Hills State Park

    Under $25

    Drive or hike up Mount Battie for a view over Camden Harbor and Penobscot Bay, then roam miles of wooded trails.

    41 mi awayMore like this