The Open Road Travel

While national parks aren’t really associated with the east coast of the United States, the handful that exist are destinations well worth more attention than they get. In our Acadia National Park guide, we hope to show you why that is for what may be the best of the bunch.

From tips on things like the best attractions and accommodation, as well as how to get to the park, when to visit, and how long for, we aim to give you everything you need to plan the dream travel itinerary so you can visit Acadia National Park yourself.

So, if you plan to visit the crown jewel of New England’s countryside and don’t want to miss any of the best bits while you are there, this is the article for you.

Located in Maine, Acadia National Park is the easternmost national park in the contiguous United States and the only national park in New England. The next closest national park is Cuyahoga Valley National Park, some 930 miles (1,500 kilometres) away, in Ohio.

With around 4 million annual visitors, Acadia is the 6th most visited national park in the country.

Being established on the 26th of February 1919 also makes it the 14th oldest national park in the nation and the oldest national park east of Wind Cave National Park in western South Dakota.

Its 49,000 acre area makes it the 14th smallest national park in the nation, but it features the highest point on the eastern coastline of the United States.

It is rich in human history, while also being home to an extensive collection of fossils, which will be of interest to archaeologists and palaeontologists.

The park was originally called Lafayette National Park, after the French aristocrat who fought in the American Revolutionary War. However, it was changed in 1929 to Acadia to honour the French settlement of that name that existed in the area from 1604 to 1713.

The Acadia National Park Temperature usually ranges between a low of 15.1°F (-9.4°C) and a high of 79.3°F (26.3°C). The highest temperature ever recorded is 96°F (36°C) and the lowest is -21°F (-29°C).

The highest temperatures in the park occur from mid-June to early September, while the coldest stretch is from early November to the end of March. The park is sees high levels of precipitation throughout the year, which includes heavy snow from late November to early April.

Acadia National Park is located entirely on Mount Desert Island, in Maine, New England. It is known for its mountainous landscape, which has seen erosion, glaciation, and weathering carve various distinctive features like headlands and rock formations into it.

Much of Acadia National Park is covered by forests, lakes, marshlands, ponds, swamps, and wetlands. It is then surrounded by the Gulf Of Maine, on the North Atlantic Ocean, as well as a collection of smaller islands, which makes for some truly stunning, panoramic coastal views.

The park’s forests boast a range of different trees, including ash, aspen, beech, birch, fir, hemlock, maple, oak, pine, and spruce. These are surrounded by a beautiful range of flowering plants and berry bearing bushes.

Then you have the diverse wildlife that lives within the boundary of the park, as well as the waters that surround it.

This includes bats, beavers, chipmunks, coyotes, deer, dolphins, fishers, foxes, frogs, groundhogs, hares, mice, minks, moles, moose, newts, otters, porcupine, racoons, salamanders, seals, shrews, squirrels, toads, voles, weasels, and whales, as well as up to 33 fish and 331 bird species.

The closest major airport to Acadia National Park is Bangor International Airport, which lies 46 miles (74 kilometres) away and take an hour to reach by car.

For international travellers, the best option is Boston Logan International Airport. This is situated 260 miles (420 kilometres) away and takes 4 and ½ hours to drive to.

The best time to visit Acadia National Park is the months of July and August.

Not only is this the warmest, driest period the park experiences each year, but all of the facilities will be open, ensuring you can enjoy the whole park in fabulous conditions, without worrying about the weather.

Now you know a little more about Acadia National Park, it’s time to look at what there is to do when you arrive. This ensures you know all your options when it comes to planning your travel itinerary.

The Park Loop Road is a 27 mile (43 kilometre) parkway that circles much of the park. Open from mid-April to the end of November, dependent on the weather, it provides a fabulous opportunity to see all of the different landscapes the park is known for.

The east and south portion of the loop offers stunning views of the coast, while the west and north sections weave through the mountains and forests. With a chance to see all of the park’s wide range of wildlife along the way, there isn’t a better way to get acclimatised with your destination.

Standing 1,530 feet (466 metres) tall, Cadillac Mountain is both the highest point in Acadia National Park and the highest point within 25 miles (40 kilometres) of the shoreline anywhere on the east coast of the United States.

The Cadillac Mountain Overlook is therefore able to provide truly breathtaking, panoramic vistas, encapsulating the entire park, as well as the coastline of New England and the North Atlantic Ocean.

Its position also makes it an extremely popular location to watch the sun rise, as from roughly the 7th of October to the 6th of March, it is the first place in the United States for sunrise to occur.

While the peak can be both hiked and driven to, all motorised vehicles will require an additional Cadillac Summit Road Vehicle Reservations permit from late May to late October, which must be purchased from the National Park Service before you arrive at the park.

Those who visit Acadia National Park between the middle of May and the end of October will find an incredible number of ranger guided tours and activities on offer, to help you enjoy the park and learn more about its wildlife and history.

Among the options on offer are things like bike tours, campfire talks, falcon watching, guided walks, hikes up the historic Dorr Mountain, night sky educational talks, and boat tours to Baker Island and the Iselsford Historical Museum.

There are even programs just for kids, where they can visit a historic farm, learn how to be a ranger, or use touch tanks to interact with some of the park’s marine wildlife.

With so many choices on offer, these ranger tours are easily the best way to combine education and entertainment when you visit Acadia National Park.

While not as known for climbing as destinations like Pinnacles National Park, there are a number of rock formations found throughout Acadia National Park that are extremely popular with climbers.

Locations like Great Head, Otter Cliff, Precipice, and South Bubble are the most popular options. Between them they offer a number of different routes, with choices suited to all experience levels, and range in heights up to 60 feet (18 metres) tall.

There are also a variety of smaller, less frequently used routes dotted throughout the park as well. Between them, they offer a well-rounded experience of an exhilarating climb on the way up and down, while allowing you to take in some truly stunning views from their peaks.

While New England isn’t traditionally known for its beaches, there are a number of beautiful, sandy beaches on offer in Acadia National Park.

Echo Lake Beach and Sand Beach are the most popular options for swimming, while Lake Wood Beach is a slightly smaller, quieter alternative. During the summer months, these all provide a fabulous opportunity to relax during your visit.

Whether you want to laze on the golden sands, topping up your tan and taking in the scenery, or enjoy a spot of swimming, you can do so to your heart’s content and let the hours and days roll by.

In addition to the hiking trails and paved roads that weave throughout the park, Acadia also features 45 miles (72 kilometres) of carriage roads. While most commonly used for biking and hiking, they are a great place to explore Acadia National Park by horse.

While you are welcome to ride these trails on horseback if you bring your own horse, there are no horse riding services in Acadia National Park. However, on the southwest corner of the Park Loop Road, you will find Carriages Of Acadia .

A fabulous service operated out of the historic Wildwood Stables, they offer a choice of 1 and 2 hour horse drawn carriage rides.

This makes for a wonderful experience and is one of the best ways to get up close and personal with animals, while exploring the park in the traditional fashion.

Acadia National Park boasts a number of fabulous lakes and ponds, many of which are extremely popular for boating activities, like canoeing and kayaking. It offers visitors a great way to exercise, have fun, and take in the scenery, all at the same time.

With locations like Beaver Dam Pond, Bubble Pond, Eagle Lake, Jordan Pond, The Tam, and both Lower and Upper Hadlock Pond, as well as many other creeks and smaller bodies of water, you have plenty of choices, whether you want a relaxing or fast paced rowing experience.

The Wild Gardens Of Acadia is a beautiful botanical garden filled with wildflowers, ferns, and native species of trees.

With streams and trails like the Hemlock Path Loop and Jessup Path, it is a great place to go for a relaxing walk and take in the local plants and natural landscape.

Held every year in September, the Acadia Night Sky Festival is a celebration of the brilliantly starlit skies that light up the skies above Acadia National Park at the beginning of each fall.

Hosting a range of artists, photographers, researchers, speakers, and workshops, the festival will educate visitors on the stars and our solar system, while introducing them to stunning scenes of Acadia National Park after dark.

Each winter, the landscape of Acadia National Park dramatically changes, as heavy snows sweep across it. While this removes many of the traditional activities that people enjoy in the park, it also opens up a whole host of new opportunities, in the form of winter sports.

Hikers can enjoy exploring the trails with snowshoes and trekking poles, while skiers will have plenty of cross country skiing opportunities on the carriage roads.

Those seeking a faster pace can also go snowmobiling around the Park Loop Road, while those who want to relax can spend time ice fishing on the lakes and ponds.

Once you finish exploring Acadia National Park, many people often head straight for home. However, in doing so, they miss out on seeing the fabulous attractions that surround it.

With that in mind, we will now look at the best things to see and do near Acadia National Park, to help you plan the most comprehensive Acadia National Park travel itinerary possible.

Located adjacent to Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor was once a summer retreat for the wealthy, before it was ravaged by fire in 1947.

What remains is a beautiful little seaside town, filled with quaint businesses and establishments like bars, restaurants, and hotels.

Attractions in Bar Harbor include beautiful, historic lighthouses and buildings, and an abundance of marine wildlife living in its waters. This includes animals like puffins and various seabirds, as well as seals and whales.

Whether you want to go for a walk, hop aboard a boat, see the sights, or simply sit back and watch the waves crash against the shore, Bar Harbor is one of the most relaxing spots in the region.

Bangor is the third largest city in the state of Maine, yet still only has a modest population of around 32,000 people.

Nicknamed the “Queen City Of The East”, what sets it apart is its incredibly natural, picturesque aesthetic, which is unlike anything you will find in most American cities.

The 650 acre Bangor City Forest is the best example of this, while there are plenty of other forests, parks, and waterways, with a diverse range of features.

A perfect option for people who love the great outdoors but don’t want to be cut off from the luxuries of the city, depending on the time of year you can engage in activities like camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, sailing, swimming, skiing, and snowmobiling, all within the city limits.

Bangor is also a fabulous destination for fans of legendary horror writer Stephen King. The location of his Victorian mansion, the town features at least 20 locations that were the inspirations for his books through the years.

The Holiday Inn Bar Harbor Regency Hotel is a beautiful, 4 star property, on the edge of Acadia National Park. Located in Bar Harbor’s luxury resort area, it offers stunning views of the North Atlantic Ocean, as well as easy access to the wide range of amenities that surround it.

Each room is spacious, offers stunning views of its own, and is kitted out with exquisite wooden furniture and headboards, luxury towels and linens, and facilities like air conditioning, tea and coffee making facilities, and a refrigerator.

Throughout the property, features like an oceanfront lounge, on-site marina, outdoor hot tub and pool, two restaurants, and a bar will ensure you are relaxed and entertained throughout your stay.

The property is also completely pet friendly and provides free parking and Wi-Fi for all guests.

For the majority of people, 2 full days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Acadia National Park. This will allow you plenty of time to enjoy both the relaxed and more adventurous activities the park has to offer.

You can spend the mornings taking in the sunrise from atop Cadillac Mountain, climbing the rocks, or spending some time boating on the lakes and ponds. Then, of an afternoon, you can relax on the beaches or enjoy a guided ranger tour to fill your head with all there is to know about the park.

If you are pushed for time and can only spend 1 day in Acadia National Park, you will still be able to enjoy the main driving routes, go on a short hike or two, and perhaps even take a tour.

On the other hand, if you want to stretch the trip out even more, many people find they can happily keep themselves occupied if they stay for three days. This is particularly true if you are visiting to attend the Acadia Night Sky Festival.

If you are visiting in winter, the ideal duration will largely depend on how much you enjoy winter sports. As large sections of the road and beaches will be closed, and all of the ranger programs will have finished, these will make up the bulk of your entertainment.

Acadia National Park is a fabulous destination and one of the most unique natural areas in New England, if not the entire United States. This guide will have hopefully given you all the information you need to plan a perfect travel itinerary for when you visit it yourself.

From when to go and how long for to how to get there, where to stay, and what to do when you arrive, our Acadia National Park guide contains all the ingredients for a dream vacation.

All you have left to do now then is start getting everything booked, so you can begin looking forward to experiencing it for yourself.