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There are several visitor centers and museums available. Hulls Cove Visitor Center is open April 15 through June from 8 am – 4:30 pm, July & August from 8 am – 6 pm, and September & October from 8 am – 5 pm (4:30 pm in Oct). It is closed November 1 to April 15. Information is available at Park Headquarters Winter Visitor Center during this time period. Located off Route 3 in Hulls Cove, it offers a free 15-minute audiovisual program shown every half hour – available in English, French, German, audio description, and captioned. A cassette tape tour of Acadia and the surrounding area is available for purchase or rent (CDs also available). A tape player can also be rented. Ask for a schedule of ranger-led activities (mid-June – mid-October) that includes talks, walks, hikes, boat cruises, and evening programs. The visitor center information staff can assist you in planning your visit. Children can participate in the Junior Ranger program during the summer. Free literature and sales items are available and give details about motor vehicle, bicycle, and hiking routes, as well as the cultural and natural history of the area. The Park Headquarters / Winter Visitor Center is open all year November 1 – mid-April from 8 am – 4:30 pm, 7 days a week and mid-April – October 31 from 8 am – 4:30 pm, M-F. It is closed Thanksgiving Day, December 24 and 25, and January 1. It is located on Route 233 near Eagle Lake and offers park orientation information, free literature, and sales items and also gives details about motor vehicle, bicycle, and hiking routes, as well as the cultural and natural history of the area.

The Thompson Island Information Center is open mid-May through mid-September and is located on the causeway at the head of Mount Desert Island on Route 3. It offers displays of park information and area chambers of commerce information. Islesford Historical Museum is open Mid-June – September from 9 am – 3:30 pm and opens at 10:45 am on Sundays. It is located on Little Cranberry Island and can be reached by mail boat or tour boats from Northeast Harbor and Southwest Harbor. It’s closed daily from 12 noon to 12:30 pm and October 1 through mid-June. Ranger-led walks and talks are scheduled periodically throughout the season and the exhibits tell the story of the Cranberry Isles and its people through ship models, navigation aids, dolls and toys, photographs, tools. Park information, free literature, and sales items are available. Sieur de Monts Nature Center is open in June from 9 am – 5 pm, July & August from 9 am – 5 pm and September – mid-October from 9 am – 4 pm. It is closed mid-October through early May and open weekends only beginning in early May. Exhibits reflect Acadia’s natural resources, history, and park research. Park information, free literature, and sales items are also available.

Entwined with the natural diversity of Acadia is the story of people. Evidence suggests native people first lived here at least 5,000 years ago. Subsequent centuries brought explorers from far lands, settlers of European descent, and, arising directly from the beauty of the landscape, tourism and preservation. George B. Dorr, the park’s first superintendent, devoted 43 years of his life, energy, and family fortune to preserving the Acadia landscape. Thanks to the foresight of Dorr and others like him, Acadia became the first national park established east of the Mississippi when, in 1919, President Wilson signed the act establishing Lafayette National Park. In 1929, the park name changed to Acadia and today it sees over 2.2 million visitors a year.

“High Island” is the English translation for Isle au Haut, the name given by the great French navigator Samuel Chaplain during his explorations of the Maine coast in 1604. Although shell heaps along the island’s shores tell of an American Indian presence long before Chaplain’s arrival, it wasn’t until the end of the American Revolution that farmers, fishermen, and boat builders came to the island in large numbers. In the 1880s a small summer community, attracted by agreeable weather and idyllic scenery, was established. In 1943, heirs of the founder of that community donated portions of Isle au Haut to the federal government as part of Acadia National Park. Because of their generosity, much of the island’s beauty and solitude is now yours to experience and enjoy. Although about one-half of Isle au Haut is federal park land, the other half is privately owned, with summer residents and a year-round fishing community. Please respect private property rights.

Mount Desert Island’s present day trail system evolved over centuries of human use and settlement of the land. From American Indians who blazed trails on hunting forays, to European settlers who connected villages and harvested forests, their activities provided transportation routes on the island long before the first roads were built. In the mid-1800s, rusticators came to the island to enjoy its beauty and to escape the bustle of large cities. They followed many of the existing paths and trails up mountains, through the woods, and along the ocean shoreline. Among the rusticators were Hudson River School artists Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. Their renderings of the island attracted city dwellers to experience the Maine coast. By the end of the 1800s, an era of active trail building had begun. Trails lost their utilitarian origins and were transformed into paths that promoted interaction with, and enjoyment of, the natural landscape. Waldron Bates, chair of the Roads and Paths Committee of the Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association 1900-1909, was the first to incorporate stone stairways and iron rung ladders into trails to traverse cliffs, talus slopes, and other steep areas. An example of his work is Gorham Mountain’s Cadillac Cliffs Trail. A plaque at the head of the trail memorializes Bates as Pathmaker. Rudolph Brunnow built the Precipice Trail over the formerly impassable cliffs of Champlain Mountain, and George Dorr promoted memorial paths. By 1915, over 200 miles of trails existed on the island. The Great Depression, however, brought the New Deal and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to Acadia National Park. Two camps were established on the island in 1933. A good deal of their work involved trails. The Perpendicular and Great Pond Trails are examples of work completed by the CCC.

Although Acadia appears immutable, it is in a constantly shifting, dynamic state. Weather and climate change, geologic processes, fire, and human-caused factors such as air and water pollution are only a few of the agents of change that have helped to carve the face of Acadia that we know today. The park provides a “living laboratory” that helps us better understand how these environmental factors have shaped park landscapes and ecosystems. Park staff carefully monitors changes in environmental factors, and can often alert managers to threats to the resources in time to preserve those resources.

Acadia’s landscape had its beginnings long before sunbeams first caressed the slopes of Cadillac Mountain. Titanic forces lifted and warped the bedrock of an ancient sea into a mountain range, a range perhaps as mighty as the Rockies. Today, only schist’s and gneisses, rocks of the Ellsworth formation, remain as testimony to those mountains of long ago. The mountains were built up by tectonic and volcanic forces, and scraped down and shaped by a succession of glaciers. The land sank beneath the weight of mile-deep ice as glaciers inexorably ground their way toward present day Georges Bank, Long Island, and Cape Cod. As the glaciers receded, they filled a vast valley surrounding the mountains with meltwater, creating the Gulf of Maine. Relieved of the great burden of the ice, the land slowly rebounded. These processes, over the eons of time, created the landscape of which Acadia National Park and its mountains are a part.

The shoreline is also a work in progress, constantly being shaped and reshaped by waves and wind and storms. Slowly the ocean works away at the hard edges of the island, carving sea stacks and leaving pockets of beaches filled with surf-rounded cobblestones. The sea constantly reinvents the coastline of Acadia National Park. Waves and currents take material from one point on the coast, only to deposit it somewhere else. Cobble beaches are created in this manner, as rocks are dislodged and smoothed by the force of the ocean then placed on another section of shoreline. Because Acadia’s coast is young, sandy shores are rare. However at Sand Beach, the park’s largest feature of this type, shore currents have shifted the tons of sand that the sea eroded from the rocks. Mixed into the sand are broken bits of shells and the skeletons of crabs, mussels, sea urchins, and other marine life.

Acadia National Park is a land of contrast and diversity. Comprised of a cluster of islands on the Maine coast, Acadia is positioned within the broad transition zone between eastern deciduous and northern coniferous forests, and hosts several species and plant communities at the edge of their geographic range. Steep slopes rise above the rocky shore, including Cadillac Mountain, which at 1,530 feet is the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic coast. While surrounded by the ocean, the entire fabric of Acadia is interwoven with a wide variety of freshwater, estuarine, forest, and intertidal resources, many of which contain plant and animal species of international, national and state significance.

Acadia National Park is blanketed with forests and woodlands that are situated in the transition zone of two ecoregions: the northern boreal forest and the eastern deciduous forest. Much of the park is covered by spruce-fir forests, which is representative of the boreal influence; however, Acadia also contains stands of oak, maple, beech, and other hardwoods more typical of most of New England. There are also several unique, isolated forest communities, such as pitch pine and scrub oak woodlands, that are found in the park at their northeastern range limit. Similarly, jack pine reaches the southern limit of its range in Acadia.

There has been a long history of botanical exploration in and around Acadia National Park. In the late 1880′s, students from Harvard University made their way to Acadia from Boston via train and steamship each summer in search of the unique plants found in bogs, on mountain summits and the many habitats in between. The Champlain Society, as they called themselves, published “Flora of Mount Desert Island, Maine”, authored by Rand and Redfield, in 1894. This benchmark publication cataloged vascular plants, mosses, algae and lichens. Acadia has over 1100 vascular plant species that represent a wide diversity of plant life adapted to thrive in acidic, low nutrient bogs and rocky, treeless mountain summits. Grasses and wildflowers abound in park meadows, and lakes and ponds are home to emergent and floating aquatic vegetation. Almost one quarter of Acadia’s flora is non-native, and about 25 species are state-listed rare plants. It has a long history of botanical study dating back to the late 1880’s.

If you are in a wooded area of Acadia National Park, you are likely to find common, native woodland flowers, such as wild lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum canadense), bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), goldthread (Coptis trifolia formerly C. groenlandica), bluebead lily (Clintonia borealis), and starflower (Trientalis borealis). Bunchberry is a member of the dogwood family and has dogwood-like white flowers in spring and red “bunchberries” later in the season. Notice the arcuate venation (arching veins) on its leaves, a hallmark of the dogwood family (Cornaceae). Bluebead lily has a pale yellow flower in spring and later a striking blue, bead-like fruit that is poisonous. Goldthread gets its common name from its golden thread-like roots. You can take a peak at the gold threads without harm to the plant by carefully pulling the soil or moss away from the roots and then pushing it back.

Visitors to Acadia National Park will find many ferns, an interesting group of spore-producing plants. They thrive in cool, moist, shaded areas, which are quite common on the coast of Maine.

Some of the easier-to-recognize ferns are species of rock polypody (Polypodium virginianum and P. appalachianum), which appear almost identical and are often found growing in leaf litter duff on top of large rocks. The fronds are singular and look like they are growing in a small colony or mat. If you turn one of the fronds over you may see the round sori, clusters of spore-producing structures, on the underside.

Another pair of related common ferns are cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) and interrupted fern (Osmunda claytoniana). These two also look very much alike. Both are large ferns with non-fertile (vegetative) fronds arranged in whorls around the center. Cinnamon fern has separate, fertile, spore-producing fronds which sprout from the center of the plant in spring. These fronds are a cinnamon-like golden brown in color, which accounts for the plant’s common name. Interrupted fern produces fertile leaflets in the upper third of the vegetative fronds, hence the frond is “interrupted” by the smaller fertile leaflets “within” the frond.

Freshwater (also referred to as “aquatic”) plants are probably one of the most conspicuous features of the lakes, ponds, and streams of Acadia National Park. Approximately 80 species of freshwater plants can be found in the park, with an additional dozen species that are considered semi-aquatic shoreline species. Seven of these aquatic or semi-aquatic species are either currently listed or proposed for listing on Maine’s Official List of Endangered and Threatened Plants, while about 30 others are considered “locally rare.”

Some freshwater plants grow completely submerged. Others are rooted in the bottom, but their leaves or flowers may be on or above the water’s surface. These are respectively known as “floating” and “emergent” vegetation.

All freshwater plants are important members of the aquatic community, providing shelter and nesting sites to a variety of fishes and other animals, and serving as an important food source for mammals, waterfowl and turtles.

There are several outdoor adventure activities on the Isle au Hau island. Eighteen miles of trails offer opportunities to explore rocky shoreline, wooded uplands, marshes, bogs, and a mile-long freshwater lake. Be prepared for rough and sometimes wet trails. Bring adequate footgear, warm clothing, and raingear. Duck Harbor provides the best starting point for hiking. During the summer, a park ranger may board the ferry at the town landing to answer questions about Isle au Haut. Upon arrival to Duck Harbor, you may elect to hike with the ranger or explore on your own. Bicycles are prohibited on hiking trails. But there are five miles of paved roads and seven miles of rough, unpaved roads. The ferry charges an additional fee to transport bicycles and will only drop them off and pick them up at the town landing. You can also camp on the island in several lean-to shelters.

Acadia offers 120 miles of hiking trails ranging in difficulty from easy to strenuous. Terrain varies from rugged shoreline and deep woods to open mountain summits with views of the ocean and outer islands. Acadia’s 45 miles of carriage roads are excellent for walking or bicycle riding. The carriage roads have crushed rock surfaces and wind through the heart of the park. Biking is not permitted on hiking trails.

Freshwater and saltwater fishing cam be enjoyed at Acadia. Freshwater fishing requires a Maine state fishing license for residents 16 years or older and non-residents 12 years or older. Non-resident licenses can be purchased for the season or for shorter periods in town offices and some local businesses. During July and August, trout and salmon are found deep in the cooler waters of lakes and ponds on Mount Desert Island. Special fishing gear often leads to greater success in catching cold water species in the summer. In the cooler seasons, trout and salmon can be readily caught using common methods. Warm water species can be caught in several lakes and ponds throughout the year using common methods. Ocean fishing requires no license, but be cautious of surf conditions. Also note that seaweed and algae covered rocks are extremely slippery.

Acadia National Park offers a variety of fine climbs on small cliffs created during the last continental glaciations. Most of these cliffs are composed of solid coarse-grained pink granite. The longest routes are three pitches. Otter Cliffs and Great Head provide a spectacular setting for sea-cliff climbing not commonly available elsewhere in the U.S. The most common climbing areas are: Otter Cliffs with 60′ sea cliffs, crack and face climbing, rappel access, and routes up to 5.12; South Wall (Champlain) with 3-pitch routes to 5.12, good corners and thin cracks; Central Slabs with 1-pitch routes, some good beginner routes, and routes to 5.10; South Bubble with 1- to 3-pitch routes, some friction climbing, and good beginner routes and Great Head with high-grade sea cliff climbing and rappel access, but know tides and weather. Many other small areas are used infrequently. Good bouldering can be found along the ocean between Sand Beach and Otter Cliffs, and near Blackwoods Campground.

Wildwood Stables provides a variety of carriage tours along the scenic carriage roads in Acadia daily from mid-June to early October. The roads were built between 1913 and 1940 by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and are the best example of broken stone roads in the United States. Wildwood Stables also offers a horse camp for visitors wishing to bring their horses with them. No horseback riding is offered through Wildwood. Wildwood Stables is located on the Park Loop Road, one-half mile south of the Jordan Pond House Restaurant.

With its spectacular coastal scenery, Mount Desert Island is a great location for ocean kayaking. Beginner paddlers can join a number of private companies for guided kayak tours in Frenchman Bay. Experienced paddlers may opt to head out without a guide; public boat ramps are available in Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, and Southwest Harbor. A number of lakes and ponds on Mount Desert Island permit boating. Each body of water has specific watercraft restrictions. Canoes, kayaks, sailboats, and motorboats can be rented in surrounding communities. A variety of commercial vessels offer ferry service, fishing, nature cruises, sailing, and whale watching excursions.

Water resources dominate the landscape of Acadia National Park. Integral to ecosystem health and function, the waters of Acadia also allow visitors to engage in a variety of recreational pursuits, including fishing, sightseeing, canoeing, sailing, and swimming. Protection of the scientific and scenic attributes associated with Acadia’s lakes, streams and wetlands, and their use as a source of public drinking water, were significant factors in the park’s establishment. Water resources within or adjacent to Acadia include 14 Great Ponds (lakes greater than 4 hectares/10 acres), 10 smaller ponds, more than two dozen named streams and 10 named wetland areas. Lakes and ponds cover about 1,052 ha and wetlands cover about 1,670 ha, equivalent to approximately 7.4% and 10.1%, respectively of the park’s area. Park staff have been monitoring Acadia’s lakes and ponds since the early 1980′s. The program is designed to document current conditions, to assess the effects of threats such as acid deposition and nutrient inputs, and to track long-term trends.

Monitoring data collected since the early 1980′s show that most of Acadia National Park’s lakes and ponds have excellent water quality. Although most watersheds of Acadia lie at least partially outside the park boundary, the majority of upland portions are owned by the park. This makes many of the waterbodies less succeptable to the effects of household, agricultural, and industrial non-point source pollution. The effects of atmospheric deposition are another major concern at the park. Acid precipitation (rain, snow, and fog) can be a major influence on lake and stream chemistry, and can cause nutrient enrichment in estuaries. The major lakes and ponds of Acadia have near-neutral pH levels that appear to be relatively stable over time. The buffering capacities of park lakes are generally very low, making them potentially vulnerable to episodic acidification. This condition occurs occasionally in some of the park’s headwater streams. Recent studies discovered high concentrations of mercury in several freshwater fish species sampled in park lakes. The major souce of mercury in lakes appears to be deposition from the atmosphere, and it then concentrates in the food chain. Consumption of mercury-contaminated fish can be harmful to humans as well as to other wildlife.

Research on fire occurrence in Acadia National Park indicates that large, naturally caused fires are not as common as in many of the western parks. The cool, humid, coastal climate and low occurrence of natural ignition sources such as lightning makes these fires relatively rare.

The 1947 Bar Harbor fire, which was Acadia’s last major fire, burned approximately one third of Mount Desert Island and was human-caused. In all, 17,188 acres burned. Over 10,000 acres of this was in the park. Property damage exceeded twenty-three million dollars. Considering the magnitude of the fire, loss of human life was minimal.

Although the 1947 fire was both sparked and extinguished by man’s actions, nature played the predominant role in the island’s restoration. The forests that exist today regrew naturally. Wind carried seeds back into burned areas and some deciduous trees regenerated by stump sprouts or suckers. Today’s forest, however, is often different than what grew before the fire. Spruce and fir that reigned before the fire have given way to sun-loving trees, such as birch and aspen. But these deciduous trees are short-lived. As they grow and begin to shade out the forest floor, they provide a nursery for the shade-loving spruce and fir, which may eventually reclaim the territory.

At 8:07 p.m. on Monday, October 2, 2006 a minor earthquake of magnitude 4.2 shook the ground around Acadia National Park. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Atlantic Ocean just off Schooner Head, on the eastern side of the park. Damage appeared to be limited to rocks falling on the Park Loop Road, which re-opened on Tuesday afternoon after a brief closure, and some park trails (see Temporary Closures for a list of closed trails). Researchers from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University have installed temporary seismographs on Mount Desert Island in the hopes of recording any additional activity.

This earthquake followed several small aftershocks that have occurred since the first earthquake on September 22 (magnitude 3.4). The epicenter for the September 22 earthquake was located in the park, just off the Precipice Trail parking area on the Park Loop Road. No damage was reported.

According to the Maine Geological Survey, earthquakes in Maine are rare, with just 507 earthquakes occurring in the state from 1747 to 1992. During that time, only one other earthquake originated from Mount Desert Island. Most earthquakes that do occur in Maine are minor, and to date none have caused significant damage.

Mount Desert Island temperatures are more moderate than those of inland Maine. The Maine coastal climate has been ranked second only to the Pacific Northwest in annual precipitation. This moisture occurs in every form at Acadia. Ice storms are regular in winter and early spring, and rain is frequent in every month. Fog is common during June, July and August.

Spring can be foggy with temperatures ranging between 30 and 70 degrees. Black flies are common in late May and June. Mosquitoes can also be bothersome. Wear light-colored clothing, long sleeve shirts and long pants for protection. Annual rainfall is 48 inches. Raingear is beneficial.

Summer daytime temperatures range from 45 to 90 degrees. Evenings are cooler. Dressing in layers is advisable for any boating or hiking activities. Ocean water temperatures range from 50 to 60 degrees. Lake water temperatures range from 55 to 70 degrees.

Fall temperatures can range from low 70s during the day to freezing during the night. Come prepared for all types of weather, from sun to fog, from downpours to flurries. Fall foliage often peaks during the first couple of weeks in October. Weather conditions over the summer, such as drought, may alter the time that the leaves peak.

Winter: Due to Acadia’s coastal location, snow and weather conditions change rapidly. Temperatures vary from mid-30s to below zero. The park averages 61″ of snow annually.

 Current Park Weather

For hiking, stay on the trail, as stepping off-trail tramples fragile plant life and causes erosion. Use the following hiking tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable journey. Carry water, wear sturdy hiking shoes, dress for variable weather, and check for ticks when you are off the trail. Follow the blue trail blazes and use a map. Do not modify cairns or build new ones as changes to trail markers may endanger other hikers. It is helpful to know the difficulty level of the trail and your physical abilities/limitations.

Climbers assume responsibility for personal safety. Please sign daily use logs at Otter Cliffs, Canada Cliffs, and the South Wall. Daily use logs help monitor annual climbing use and ensure climbers know regulations and guidelines. On some routes local climbers maintain fixed protection or rappel stations. As always, evaluate them before using. At Otter Cliffs, the park maintains fixed anchors on top that must be used instead of trees to belay several climbs. Evaluate these anchors as well, and notify the park immediately of safety concerns. Climbers at Great Head and Otter Cliffs should know tides and weather forecasts; climbing at these areas is more difficult and dangerous at high tide or in heavy seas. Climb within your limits. Dogs are prohibited at climbing areas to the extent that they may not be tethered or allowed to run loose while their owner is climbing. Dogs can harass wildlife, disturb other visitors, damage vegetation, and accelerate erosion by digging. A maximum size of 12 persons, including guides, applies throughout the park to all organized climbing groups. Groups of friends are not considered organized groups. Groups must make reservations for Otter Cliffs from Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day. Two groups per day may reserve Otter Cliffs. Organized groups of five persons or less do not need reservations. Group leaders should approach other climbers about sharing routes. The Precipice Wall, Jordan Cliffs, and Beech Cliffs are usually closed to protect nesting peregrine falcons between early April and mid-August. Exact dates will vary annually.

New route development is defined as installing fixed protection (including piton use) or cleaning routes (route cleaning is the systematic and comprehensive removal of soils and vegetation from climbing routes). It is permitted only with the prior approval of the superintendent and only at the Precipice Wall, South Wall of Champlain, Jordan Cliffs, Beech Cliffs, Canada Cliffs, Great Head, Dorr Mountain (pinnacle), Enoch Mountain (upper area), and Mansell Mountain. The climbing advisory group reviews new route development proposals and makes recommendations to the superintendent. If approved, climbers will be issued a permit that covers fixed protection, route cleaning, and the use of a power drill. The advisory group also reviews proposals for the replacement or removal of fixed protection. New routes without fixed protection or route cleaning may be established freely. Effects of these new routes should be similar to those of a cross country hiker: no blazing or clearing of a trail, and largely incidental (not deliberate) effects from passing through. Removal of soils or vegetation from these new routes should be minimal.

Follow these low impact guidelines. Avoid using trees for belays to prevent continued soil erosion, especially at Otter Cliffs. Use established access trails and walk on solid rock to reduce impacts to soils and vegetation. In May and June, black guillemots nest at Otter Cliffs. Check for them and consider using other routes. Social trails are proliferating on top of Otter Cliffs because climbers are using vegetated areas as toilets. Use the port-o-john in the parking lot or urinate in the intertidal area.

Recreational vehicles in Blackwoods and Seawall Campgrounds may not exceed 35’ in length and 11’ 8” in height. Extension pull-outs must fit within the site pads provided.

All camping must be done in established campgrounds. Overnight backpacking is prohibited in Acadia National Park because the park is small and fragile.
No person may camp in the park for more than a total of 30 days in a calendar year. From May 1 through October 31, camping is limited to 14 days total in Blackwoods and Seawall Campgrounds.

Contained charcoal and wood fires are prohibited except in provided fireplaces or receptacles or private grills in established campgrounds and picnic areas. Firewood brought in from other areas may contain non-native insect species that pose a threat to Acadia National Park’s resources. Please leave your firewood at home if you live in the affected areas: portions of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana (emerald ash borer) and portions of Illinois, New York, and New Jersey (Asian long horned beetle).

Pets must be kept on a leash six feet or less in length and may not be left unattended. Please do not leave pets locked in the car. On an 85-degree day, the temperature inside a car—even with the windows cracked—can reach over 100 degrees within 10 minutes. There are 100 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads in the park where pets are permitted. Otherwise check with the park.

Please store all human and pet foods and cooking equipment in an enclosed vehicle or a hard-sided food locker whenever you are not present. This precaution will limit the opportunity for wild animals to be attracted to your camping site, tent, or vehicle.

During eagle and seabird nesting season, some islands are closed to the public. Please respect posted closures, which include:

February 15 to August 31 – Bar Island (Somes Sound), Long Porcupine Island, Rolling Island, Schoodic Island, and Sheep Porcupine Island are closed to protect nesting bald eagles or seabirds.

April 1 – July 31 – Heron Island and Thrumcap Islands are closed to protect nesting seabirds.

All towns have launching areas for saltwater near town docks and municipal piers. The law requires you to carry a Coast Guard approved life vest for each passenger. A better idea is to wear them. It could save your life! Additional access sites for kayaking include: Seal Cove (sponsored by state of Maine), Bass Harbor (sponsored by state of Maine), Seal Harbor Beach, Hadley Point, and Bar Island Gravel Bar.

When parking at any of these areas, please obey all posted signage regarding parking and other regulations. Respect private property. Remember that the difference between low tide and high tide can reach twelve feet; the spot where you park at low tide may be under water at high tide.

If heading out on your own, be careful. Kayaking in the ocean is for experienced paddlers only. It is easy to get in trouble in the waters off the coast of Maine, where tides, rough seas, fog, and cold water temperatures (less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit) often create difficult conditions. Know how to perform a self-rescue and always travel with a partner.

From the brook trout breaking the surface of Bubble Pond to the peregrine falcon soaring high over Jordan Cliffs, the land, water, and sky at Acadia are filled with a wide variety of animal life. Some call the park their home, others are simply passing through en route to a far-off destination, but all are closely tied to this unique and fragile environment.

With a record of 338 bird species encountered, Acadia National Park is considered one of the premier bird-watching areas in the country. Through the years, park staff and countless amateurs have observed the gradual extension of southern and temperate bird species to the region. Twenty-three species of warblers alone have been recorded as breeding in the park!

Acadia’s offshore islands are also important nesting grounds for many birds, often marking the southern breeding limit for the species. Due to their secluded location and productive marine environment, the offshore islands administered by the park also serve as a critical nesting habitat for eiders and other sea birds, raptors, colonial birds (herons) as well as providing important wintering habitat for northern shorebirds (purple sandpipers) and harlequin ducks.

Both the swift peregrine falcon and the bald eagle actively use areas within Acadia National Park. Eagles have been studied for several years to determine their breeding activity and population changes, and their response to environmental contaminants and human-caused disturbance. Peregrine falcons have rebounded since being on the brink of extinction in the mid-1960′s. The falcons were reintroduced into the park in 1984, and have been returning of their own accord to nest successfully from 1991 to the present.

Historic records indicate that 31 fish species have been encountered in the lakes, ponds, and brooks of Acadia National Park, although only 28 species can be found today. Fifteen of these species are considered to be native, while the remainder are non-indigenous, often the result of stocking programs. The “missing” species are all non-natives that are no longer stocked. While brook trout, lake trout, landlocked salmon, and smallmouth bass are perennial favorites of anglers visiting the park, many of Acadia’s fish are non-game species. The American eel, the banded killifish, and 3 species of sticklebacks are only part of the diversity of freshwater fish varieties found at Acadia.

The lakes, ponds, streams, and ephemeral vernal pools of Acadia National Park are rich in amphibian life. Eleven amphibian species, including frogs, salamanders, and one toad, have been identified on park lands and three other species have been historically reported in the park.

You don’t have to spend much time in Acadia before being alerted to the presence of amphibians by the distinctive chorus of the spring peeper or the gutteral croak of the bullfrog. Salamanders find clever hiding spots in wooded areas, wetlands, and streams, but can be seen by the astute observer!

Several mammals are found in the park. There are shrews, moles, bats, snowshoe hares, squirrels, woodchucks, chipmunks, beavers, coyotes, black bears, red foxes, Harbor seals, Gray seals, raccoons, Northern River otters, fishers, minks, white-tailed deer, moose and weasels.

Do not approach the wildlife. Remember to keep all foodstuffs in a vehicle or hard case.

Entrance fees are $20 for 7 days for a vehicle or $5 for 7 days for individuals (pedestrians, motorcycles, or bikes). There is an annual pass for $40 for vehicles.

Blackwoods Campground is $20/night and Seawall Campground is $14/night for walk-ins and $20/night for drive-ins. The fees vary during off-season as some amenities are not available.

There are two campgrounds in the park: Blackwoods and Seawall Campgrounds. Both campgrounds offer individual and group campsites. Group campsites contain two or three fireplaces, picnic tables, and a nearby restroom with cold running water and flush toilets. Rates are $50 per night per site. All park camping sites are situated in woods within a 10-minute walk of the ocean; Both allow for RV camping.

For individual campsites at Blackwoods and Seawall Campgrounds, they are limited to two tents and one vehicle at each site. Tents must fit within the site pads provided. Party size is limited to six persons per site. The party size limit may be exceeded to include one immediate family (parents and children). All sites are wooded and within a 10-minute walk of the ocean. The majority of sites are for tents, small and large, but other sites can accommodate pop-ups, vehicle campers, and RVs up to 35 feet. There are four group sites that can accommodate 15 campers per site. Blackwoods Campground is located on Route 3, five miles south of Bar Harbor. Reservations for individual sites at Blackwoods Campground are necessary from May 1 to October 31 and can be made through the National Recreation Reservation Service. (USA and Canada 877-444-6777). It is open year-round and has showers within ½ mile, restrooms and a dump station, but no hookups. In the off-season, Blackwoods Campground is first come, first served.

Seawall Campground is located on Route 102A, four miles south of Southwest Harbor. In 2005, Seawall Campground is open from May 15 to September 30. No reservations are accepted. During late July and August, plan to arrive at Seawall early in the morning. There is a great demand for camping sites and a line forms each morning. As campers check out, others from the waiting line are assigned available sites. There are showers nearby, restrooms, and a dump station, but no hookups. Five group campsites accommodate 15 campers per site. Group campsites are reserved through the park.

Isle au Haut also offers camping opportunities. It is open from mid-May to mid-October. Remote and inaccessible to automobiles, Isle au Haut is linked to the mainland by mail boat from Stonington, Maine. No automobile ferry exists. Five lean-to shelters at Duck Harbor Campground can be used on an advance reservation basis from May 15 through October 14. Shelters have three sides, roof, and floor, and accommodate up to six people. Dimensions are 8’ tall, 8’ deep, and 12.5’ wide. Use of tents is limited to what can fit inside the shelters. A small free-standing tent may be erected inside lean-to only. Facilities include a fire ring, picnic table, pit toilet, and hand pump for water. Bring containers for water. There is no trash disposal. All trash must be carried out. Pets are not permitted in the campground. Checkout: 11 a.m. and quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Generator use is prohibited. A $25 Special Use Permit fee must accompany each Reservation Request Form regardless of how many nights you wish to camp. There is no additional camping fee. Obtain a Reservation Request Form by phoning the park at 207-288-3338. Reservation requests must be postmarked April 1 or later. Requests before April 1 will be returned without action. Telephone requests are not accepted. You are more likely to receive a reservation if you apply for alternate dates and/or indicate you will accept fewer days than the number requested. Six people permitted per site. Larger groups need additional request forms. Only one request form and fee accepted per envelope. When you contact the park for reservations make sure you put “Attn: Isle au Haut Reservations “on the address. Maximum stay is 3 nights from mid-June to mid-September, and 5 nights before and after these dates. Campers are limited to one stay per calendar year.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail is 120 miles away. Saint Croix Island International Historic Site is 125 miles away. Roosevelt Campobello International Park is 110 miles away. Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is 280 miles away. Camden Hills State Park is about 70 miles away and Lowell National Historical Park is 270 miles away. The cities of Bangor, Trenton, Ellsworth and Bar Harbor are all fairly close to the park and offer further entertainments.

From Boston take I-95 north to Augusta, Maine; from Augusta take Route 3 east to Ellsworth and on to Mount Desert Island or take I-95 north to Bangor, Maine; from Bangor take Route 1A east to Ellsworth; from Ellsworth take Route 3 to Mount Desert Island.

Direct flights from Boston’s Logan Airport land at Hancock County Airport, located just 10 miles from Acadia National Park. From June 23-October 11, Island Explorer shuttle buses link the county airport with Mount Desert Island, its villages, and the park. Among the many benefits, shuttle buses eliminate the stressful search for parking and contribute to clearer air by burning propane fuel, all while being free. National airlines serve the Bangor International Airport, about 45 miles from the park. Car rentals are available at both airports.

Concord Trailways (800-639-3317) and Vermont Transit (800-552-8737) offer bus service between Boston’s Logan Airport and Bangor. Vermont Transit operates between Bangor and Bar Harbor during the summer months.

Local businesses operate bus tours and scenic boat trips. The towns of Ellsworth, Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Northeast Harbor have taxi service. Downeast Transportation runs a local service that connects Mount Desert Island towns and Ellsworth. Local businesses operate ferries and scenic cruises.

Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to Acadia National Park:

By car:

Augusta, ME – 130.77 miles

Bangor, ME – 50 miles

Portland, ME – 161 miles

Kittery, ME – 211 miles

By Airplane:

Hancock county Airport – 20.01 miles

Logan International Airport – 282.73 miles

Bangor International Airport – 58.80 miles

Car rentals are also available through the following airports.

By Boat/Ferry:

Portland, ME – 183.55 miles

Yarmouth, ME – 171.67 miles

Acadia National Park, P.O. Box 177, Eagle Lake Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609-0177
Visitor Information (207) 288-3338

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