A Complete Guide to Visiting Acadia National Park

Mountains Meet the Atlantic

There are beautiful national parks, beautiful coastal towns, and beautiful stretches of New England. Acadia manages to put all three in the same place.

Located primarily on Mount Desert Island along Maine’s rugged coast, Acadia National Park combines granite mountains, pine forests, lakes, carriage roads, rocky coastline, and small seaside communities into a destination that feels distinctly Maine.

You can hike before breakfast, eat a lobster roll overlooking the harbor for lunch, swim in the ocean in the afternoon, drive to the top of a mountain for sunset, and finish the evening walking through Bar Harbor.

If this is your first visit, here’s how we’d experience Acadia.

When Should You Visit Acadia?

There really isn’t a bad season, but the experience changes dramatically throughout the year.

June through August is classic Maine summer: long days, open-air drives, hiking, boating, beaches, and busy towns. July and August are also peak season, so expect crowds at Acadia’s most popular destinations.

September and October may be our favorite time. Days become cooler, crowds begin to thin, and fall foliage transforms Mount Desert Island. September can still feel surprisingly summery, while October brings quintessential New England fall.

May is quieter and wonderfully green, although some businesses operate on limited schedules early in the season.

Winter is beautiful but entirely different. Many seasonal businesses close and some park roads become inaccessible to vehicles, making it better suited to travelers specifically looking for a quiet winter escape.

Getting to Acadia

Most visitors arrive by car or fly into one of several New England airports.

Bar Harbor sits beside Acadia and is the natural hub for many first-time visitors. Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport is the closest commercial airport, while Bangor International Airport is roughly an hour away and often the most convenient larger airport for Acadia.

Portland is considerably farther south, but that’s not necessarily a disadvantage. Flying into Portland gives you the opportunity to turn the journey itself into a Maine road trip.

And Boston? Even farther—but if you have the time, Boston to Acadia can become an incredible New England vacation rather than simply a transfer between an airport and a national park.

At Berg + Bay, we serve travelers throughout this corridor, including Boston, Portland, Bangor, Bar Harbor, and destinations in between.

Give Acadia More Than a Day

You can see Acadia in a day.

We wouldn’t.

Three to four days gives you enough time to experience the park without turning your vacation into a checklist. With five days, you can slow down, explore more of Mount Desert Island, and spend time in the surrounding communities.

A great first trip combines one major hike, Park Loop Road, Jordan Pond, Cadillac Mountain, the rocky coastline, Bar Harbor, and at least one day without much of an agenda. That last day is important.

The Acadia Experiences We Wouldn’t Miss

Drive Park Loop Road

If Acadia has a signature drive, this is it.

Park Loop Road connects many of Acadia’s most recognizable places. Rather than racing between stops, make the drive part of the experience.

You’ll encounter forest, granite cliffs, mountain views and the Atlantic, with access to destinations including Sand Beach, Thunder Hole and Otter Point.

This is exactly the kind of road where an open-top Jeep or convertible makes sense. Slow down, open the roof, and enjoy where you are.

Walk Ocean Path

For a relatively accessible way to experience Acadia’s dramatic coastline, Ocean Path is hard to beat.

The trail follows the coast between Sand Beach and Otter Point, passing granite cliffs, ocean overlooks and Thunder Hole along the way.

You don’t need to hike the entire route to appreciate it. Park, walk for a while, sit on the rocks, and watch the Atlantic.

Stop at Sand Beach

Sand Beach is tucked between mountains and rocky headlands and is one of Acadia’s most distinctive places.

The water is Maine-cold—even in summer—but on a beautiful July or August afternoon, that doesn’t stop everyone.

See Cadillac Mountain

At 1,530 feet, Cadillac Mountain provides spectacular views across Mount Desert Island and the surrounding Atlantic.

Sunrise gets most of the attention, and for good reason. Watching the day begin from Cadillac can be unforgettable.

But don’t assume sunrise is the only time worth visiting.

Late afternoon and sunset can be equally spectacular, and if getting up at 3:30 AM doesn’t sound like vacation, you have our permission to sleep.

Vehicle access to Cadillac Summit Road requires reservations during parts of the year, so check current requirements before your visit through the  ⁠National Park Service's Acadia website.

Walk Around Jordan Pond

Few views say Acadia quite like Jordan Pond with the Bubbles rising beyond the water.

The Jordan Pond Path loops around the water and gives you a very different Acadia experience from the exposed coastline.

And then there are the popovers.

Jordan Pond House has been associated with tea and popovers for generations. It’s touristy. It’s iconic. And sometimes those two things can coexist perfectly well.

Experience the Carriage Roads

Acadia’s historic carriage-road network offers miles of broken-stone roads through forests, around lakes, across granite bridges, and away from automobile traffic.

Walk them. Run them. Rent bikes and spend half a day exploring them.

They reveal a quieter side of Acadia that you won’t experience from Park Loop Road.

Hiking Acadia

You don’t need to be an experienced hiker to enjoy Acadia, but if hiking is your thing, the park can easily fill an entire vacation.

For something approachable, consider Ocean Path, Jordan Pond Path, or one of the carriage-road walks.

For more elevation and views, trails around Gorham Mountain, Beehive, South Bubble, or Cadillac Mountain offer progressively bigger adventures.

And then there’s Precipice Trail.

Acadia’s famous iron-rung routes can involve steep exposed sections, ladders and scrambling. They’re fantastic for the right visitor and absolutely unnecessary for anyone uncomfortable with heights.

Choose the hike for the experience you want—not because social media told you which photo you’re supposed to get.

Always check current trail conditions and closures with the National Park Service before setting out.

Don’t Spend Your Entire Vacation Inside the Park

Acadia is the reason many people come to Mount Desert Island.

Mount Desert Island is the reason many people come back.

Bar Harbor

Spend an evening in Bar Harbor without an itinerary.

Walk downtown, explore the shops, wander toward the water, and follow the Shore Path past the Bar Harbor Inn. Find dinner, grab ice cream, watch the boats, and enjoy being somewhere you don’t need to rush.

Bar Harbor can get busy in summer, but early mornings and evenings have a completely different personality.

Explore the Other Side of the Island

One of the biggest mistakes first-time visitors make is assuming Mount Desert Island equals Bar Harbor.

Drive west.

Southwest Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Somes Sound and the quieter roads around the island show you another side of MDI.

The drive along Sargent Drive beside Somes Sound is particularly beautiful. It’s the sort of road that doesn’t need a destination at the end.

Visit Bass Harbor Head Light

Bass Harbor Head Light Station is one of the classic images of coastal Maine.

Combine it with a day exploring the quieter western side of Mount Desert Island rather than driving across the island solely for the lighthouse.

Eat Like You’re in Maine

This is not the vacation to avoid butter.

Have the lobster roll. Eat a whole lobster at least once. Try blueberry pancakes. Find chowder. Stop at a roadside seafood shack because it looks interesting.

And yes, get ice cream after dinner.

Maine summers are short. Act accordingly.

Getting Around Acadia

Having a vehicle gives you tremendous flexibility, particularly if you’re exploring beyond Bar Harbor or visiting at sunrise and sunset.

But once you’re here, don’t assume the car needs to go everywhere.

The seasonal Island Explorer bus system connects many destinations around Mount Desert Island and Acadia and can be a great way to avoid parking headaches during peak summer periods.

Bikes, carriage roads, walking and the shuttle can all become part of the trip.

The best approach is often a combination.

Parking and Crowds

Acadia is popular, and July and August can be busy.

Popular trailheads and destinations may fill early, particularly on beautiful summer mornings. Start early when there’s something you absolutely want to see, but don’t allow a full parking lot to ruin your day.

Have a Plan B.

One of Acadia’s great advantages is that there is almost always another beautiful road, trail, harbor or piece of coastline nearby.

Sometimes Plan B becomes the favorite part of the vacation.

What to Pack

Maine weather can change quickly, even in summer. Bring layers, comfortable walking or hiking shoes, sunscreen, bug spray, reusable water bottles, and something for rain.

A 75-degree afternoon along the coast can become a chilly evening surprisingly quickly.

If you’re opening the Jeep roof or putting the convertible top down, keep a sweatshirt somewhere you can reach it.

You’ll probably use it.

Our Ideal First Acadia Trip

If we were sending friends to Acadia for four days, we’d keep it simple.

Day One: Arrive, get settled, explore Bar Harbor, walk the waterfront, have seafood and ice cream.

Day Two: Start early and drive Park Loop Road. Explore Sand Beach, walk Ocean Path, see Thunder Hole and Otter Point, then spend the evening somewhere with a harbor view.

Day Three: Cadillac Mountain, Jordan Pond, popovers, and time on the carriage roads. Finish with an open-top drive around the island.

Day Four: Go west. Explore Southwest Harbor, Bass Harbor and the quieter side of MDI. Stop when something looks interesting. Don’t schedule every hour.

If you have another day, don’t necessarily add more attractions.

Add more Maine.

The Road Is Part of the Vacation

At Berg + Bay, this is the part we care about.

The drive from Bangor toward Mount Desert Island when you catch your first glimpse of the mountains. The morning you open the Jeep roof because the weather is too perfect not to. The detour down a road you’ve never heard of. The lobster shack you weren’t planning to stop at.

Those moments don’t show up particularly well on an itinerary.

They’re often the moments you remember.

That’s why we built Berg + Bay around more than handing someone a set of keys. We want airport pickup to be easy, communication to be personal, and the vehicle waiting for you to feel like the beginning of the adventure.

And once you’ve found the Jeep, loaded the luggage, and opened the roof, there’s only one thing left to do.

Turn on Welcome to Maine — The Way Life Should Be, roll down the windows, and head toward the coast.

Welcome to Vacationland.

Explore New England with Berg + Bay

At BERG + BAY, we believe the right vehicle is part of the adventure. From Acadia and the Maine coast to Cape Cod and New Hampshire’s White Mountains, our fleet of Jeeps, convertibles, premium SUVs, and family-friendly vehicles makes exploring New England easy. With convenient service from Boston to Portland, Bangor, Bar Harbor, and destinations in between, we combine great vehicles with easy pickups, detailed communication, and personal service.

Wherever the road takes you, start your New England adventure with BERG + BAY.

Every road. With purpose. With presence.