Best Things to Do in Acadia National Park

1. Drive Park Loop Road

The most popular thing to do in Acadia is drive Park Loop Road, a 27- mile scenic drive located on the eastern portion of Mount Desert Island that gives access to all the park’s most well-known features. Park Loop Road begins at the Hull Cove Visitor Center and for the first half, the road hugs the coastline, giving you gorgeous views of the Atlantic and its rugged coastal cliffs.

Some of the best things to see and do in Acadia National Park lie along this road, including:

sand beach best things in acadia — **Sand Beach**

A beautiful cove offering a scenic place to swim…if you can stomach the 55 degree water temperatures *(yes…even in August!).*

Thunder Hole best things in acadia — **Thunder Hole**

One of the coolest natural features in the park found just a few minutes down the road past Sand Beach. A rocky inlet along the coast with a small cavern underneath creates a characteristic thundering noise as waves crash in from the Atlantic…but only at certain times of the day. Try timing your visit as the tide is coming in…about two hours before high tide… to see waves as high as 40 feet crashing into the hole (and, of course, expect to get wet). Even then, it requires some degree of luck to get the real show (so keep your expectations low). But even at low tide, it’s pretty cool to see the tide ebb and flow in and out of the cavern. It makes more of a *gurgling* sound than a thundering sound, but you’ll also be treated to wonderful views of the rocky coastline regardless. Walk all the way out to the end of the boardwalk to get the full effect.

hiking in acadia national park — **Go for a hike**

Park Loop Road gives access to some of the most popular trailheads in the park. We’ll talk more about hikes in Acadia next, but some popular hikes off this road include:
From Sand Beach, take the **Ocean Path Trail** along the coast to Thunder Hole and/or Otter Cliffs for an easy oceanside stroll.
Try the iron rung routes – the **Beehive** and the **Precipice** Trails.
Hike up **Gorham Mountain** for gorgeous ocean views.
Hike one of the many awesome trails around **Jordan Pond** (this area is deserving of it’s own spot on the list…see below!).

cadillac summit road acadia best things to do — **Cadillac Summit Road**

A 3.5 mile road that takes you to the top of the highest point along the eastern seaboard. This is one of the major draws in bringing people to the park, so expect lots of people at any time of day (particularly sunset…more on that below!). At the summit, you can walk a short paved loop trail that gives awesome views over the park.

Some tips for driving Park Loop Road

The first half of the loop portion of Park Loop Road is one-way. Basically, the entire section from the beginning of the loop all the way to Jordon Pond is a one-way road. This area includes Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Point, and the Precipice, Beehive, and Gorham Mountain Trailheads.

This is the most popular section of Acadia National Park. It’s very crowded and congested with lots of vehicles, hikers, and bikers. Take it slow. If crowds aren’t your thing, we really recommend skipping the initial part of the Loop Road by taking route 3 down to the Otter Cliffs area. This will bypass all the craziness.

*A congested Sand Beach parking lot along Park Loop Road in Acadia*

But if you do decide to drive this area…

Our recommendation? Have a map, and have a plan ahead of time of what you want to see, what order you need to see them in, and where to go/park to see them. Understand how the traffic flows and how roads connect to and from Park Loop Road. This comes in handy because it will likely be congested, and there may not be signs (or obvious signs) for something you may want to see, so it’s very helpful to have your route planned out and to already know where you need to go. Because remember: if you miss something, you can’t turn around and go back! You’ll likely have to drive the entire loop road to get back on and start over.

Also note, in the winter most of the Park Loop Road closes, so make sure you check road conditions.

Reservations for Park Loop Road

RESERVATIONS will be required for certain portions of Park Loop Road in 2021 from Sand Beach to the intersection with Otter Cliff Road (this is on top of a normal park pass). The park piloted this reservation system from October 1st to 18th, 2020 for full season implementation in 2021, and we got to experience this new system firsthand.

We explain the reservation system later in this article (click the link to jump right to it), but here are some tips to keep in mind when driving Park Loop Road in light of the reservation system:

The purpose of this system is to keep congestion, crowds, and are impact on the environment down. But, trust us, it is still very crowded. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like without a reservation system in place limited the congestion!
Even with a limit of vehicles coming through, parking lots still fill up early. You can basically expect even the larger lots to be full by 9 am.
Parking is allowed along the righthand sand of the road unless otherwise posted. Guys – if you see a spot, TAKE IT! You can’t go back to it.
I’ll take this opportunity again to say…you really need a plan, especially with the reservation system. Know where to go so you don’t miss what you want to see. Even without the reservation system, you would have to drive the entire loop road back around to the entrance, but this option is out of the question with the reservation system, unless you happened to have another one lined up for later in the day (they allow a max of two per day per vehicle). The reservation system gives just one more reason to really come to this park prepared.

2. Take a hike

Did you know that there are over 150 miles of trails in Acadia? I didn’t either!

Hiking is one of the absolute best things to do in Acadia! (We may be biased here.) We actually visited the park with very low expectations for what the hiking would be like here, but we were quickly shown that Acadia’s trails are pretty awesome – they’re tough, they’re fun, they’re unique, and there’s really something for everyone.

In our opinion, the best hiking in Acadia is along the park’s famous iron rung routes, which include the Precipice and Beehive Trails. These trails creatively scale the sides of cliff faces using iron rung ladders and narrow cliffside ledges with some pretty crazy exposure – so they’re not for everyone.

*Climbing the iron rungs of the Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park*

Aside from the iron rung routes, there are tons of coastal walks, lake side strolls, and challenging summits to climb.

For easier strolls, Ocean Path, Jordon Pond Path, Ship Harbor, and Wonderland trails are all good options.

For fun summit hikes, Penobscot, Pemetic, and Cadillac Mountains all give stellar views over Acadia.

*Hiking Pemetic Mountain in Acadia National Park*

3. See the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain

Standing at 1,530 feet tall, Cadillac Mountain is not only the highest point in the park, but the tallest point along the entire eastern seaboard.

That’s not its only claim to fame, though. Cadillac Mountain is one of the most popular places to visit because it’s the first place in the country that sees the sunrise…well, sometimes.

sunrise at acadia national park best things to do

Technically, only between October 7th and March 6th is it truly the first place to see the first rays of the morning, but still, even outside these months, the sunrise is no less beautiful from up here.

Catching the sunrise from the summit of Cadillac Mountain is definitely one of the best things to do in Acadia National Park. And there’s two different ways to do it.

Cadillac Summit Road

The first is to drive to it. Yes, there’s a 3.5 mile road that leads to the top of Cadillac Mountain. Along the way, there are a few pull offs to soak in the views, and at the top, you’ll find restroom, a gift shop, and a small loop trail with gorgeous views over Acadia and the Atlantic Ocean.

IMPORTANT: Reservations are needed to drive this road in 2021. So you’ll need to plan ahead of time if this popular activity is on your bucketlist. Skip to the bottom of this article to learn the details.

Hiking Cadillac Mountain

In our humble opinion, hiking to a summit is always far better than driving to it, am I right?

For one, you won’t have to deal with needing reservations, all the congestion of cars, and fighting for parking spots at the top (although vehicle reservations will certainly help with this now). But more importantly, the sense of accomplishment you feel from getting your butt out of bed before the crack of dawn and earning that sunrise is second to none.

If you’re opting to hike (good choice!), we recommend the North Ridge Trail. It’s not the shortest trail up, but it’s the most gradual climb, with no crazy features like boulders or scrambles that would be tough in the pre-sunrise darkness. On the way down, you’ll get awesome open views off the exposed granite.

Note: There is no public transportation or park shuttles that go up to the summit, so if you hike up, you’re gonna have to hike back down.

Some tips for seeing the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain in Acadia

Bring layers. It can be much colder and windier up at the top than down on Park Loop Road.
Sunrise times can vary considerably depending on time of year…make sure to check those time tables and get there at least a half hour early.
Don’t expect solitude. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, with crowds gathering (after all, you can drive there). Usually we say to start early to beat the crowds, but it’s the exact opposite for Cadillac Mountain!
Sunset is also pretty popular from Cadillac Mountain if sunrise isn’t your thing.

4. Go rock climbing

If you’re up for a bit of an adventure, one of the best things you can do in Acadia National Park is to try your hand at rock climbing! There are plenty of places to climb in Acadia, but the most popular area is the Otter Cliffs.

Seen from Park Loop Road rising up to 110 feet tall out of the Atlantic, these cliffs are unique in that they are some of the only ocean-side climbing routes in the Northeast. In other words, to start climbing, rather than approaching from the bottom and climbing to the top (impossible here due to that huge ocean in the way…), you approach the top, repel down and then climb back up!

It’s a cool, but semi-nerve wracking, experience to hear the ocean waves thundering below you as you scale the cliffs, but its definitely one for the books.

If you’re an experienced climber, you can climb in Acadia on your own, but check the regulations here.

Otherwise, there are guides available from private companies in the Bar Harbor area.

5. Visit Jordon Pond

Jordon Pond is a scenic lake along the two- way section of Park Loop Road, and does not require reservations to get to. Score on both counts!

Popular for its picturesque lake views and for the Jordon Pond House, which supposedly serves up famously delicious pop-overs (we can’t speak from experience on that one, but if you try them, tell us how they are!), the Jordon Pond area gets quite crowded in the peak season. Expect the large parking lot at the south of the lake to start filling by midday.

The Jordon pond area offers some of the best hikes in Acadia! You can opt for an easy stroll around the lake via the Jordon Pond Path.

Or, you can try a hand at a lower intensity iron rung route, or climb to one of the many summits that surround the lake to access some amazing views.

6. Swim and hike at Echo Lake

If you’re looking for a scenic lakeside beach, Echo lake is the best place in Acadia for freshwater swimming.

Echo Lake is found on the western side of Mount Desert Island, often called the “quiet side”, compared to the congested east side with Park Loop Road.

Here, relax and swim at the beach, or take a hike on one of the nearby trails, including the Beech Cliffs Ladder/ Canada Cliff Loop (another iron rung route), or pay a visit to the fire tower on Beech Mountain.

7. Visit an iconic lighthouse for sunset

The Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, found at the tip of the western side of Mount Desert, just outside of Bass Harbor, is probably the most photographed lighthouse in all of New England.

bass harbor head lighthouse best things to do in acadia

It’s particularly popular at sunset, when the glow of the day’s last rays provides a gorgeous backdrop to the lighthouse perched upon the rocky cliffside. Expect to battle crowds, though, as tons of people come here to get “the shot”, and we heard that photographers often arrive several hours early to get that prime shooting location. We even read that rangers turn people away at times.

But really, a visit at any time of day is incredibly scenic and quintessentially “New England”. We arrived for sunrise, which was gorgeous, and also quite uncrowded. We were able to enjoy a spot on the rocks in peace as we watched the sun and ate breakfast, only seeing a handful of other people hopping around the rocks.

To get here, there is a small parking lot right at the light house. A short path starts on the far side of the lot, which leads to a set of stairs that will lead you down to the rocky coastline. Once you leave the stairs behind, you’ll be traversing slippery coastal rocks to get the lighthouse in view and to get that iconic shot.

8. Bike or walk along the Carriage Roads

Acadia has 45 miles of historic carriage roads, funded by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in the early 90s as a way to travel via horse and carriage around the island away from cars.

Today, you can use this network of interconnected carriage roads to go on easy strolls or bike rides through the heart of the park. Be on the lookout for 17 architecturally unique bridges scattered throughout the Acadia carriage road system.

best things to do in acadia hike carriage roads

9. Take a ferry to Isle au Haut or explore the harbor on a boat cruise

As you look out into the bays surrounding Mount Desert Island, you’ll immediately notice the abundance of islands that lie directly off the coast.

Several of these islands can be reached by passenger ferries leaving from various points around the island, but the only one that is a part of Acadia National Park is Isle au Haut. Here, you can bike, bird, or hike some of the island’s 18 miles of rugged trails.

A year round ferry leaves from Stonington, which is quite a haul from Mount Desert Island (over an hour), so if you’re looking to do this activity, plan for a full day excursion.

bar harbor ferry best things to do in acadia

Another fun thing to do in Acadia is to explore Frenchman Bay off the coast of Bar Harbor and beyond through a privately operated boat cruise. These sightseeing tours will allow to cruise past the islands that scatter the bay and get beautiful views back toward the park from a unique vantage point.

10. Visit Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor certainly can’t be left off a list of the best things to do in Acadia. It’s a quaint coastal tourist town that serves as the gateway to the National Park.

Enjoy the views, shop for cute gifts, and eat authentic Maine seafood to your heart’s content.

Admittedly we spent very little time here (we spent too much time hiking!...that’s kind of our jam…), and I don’t like seafood (*gasp*, a resident New Englander that doesn’t like seafood?!), but check out the official site to get the inside scoop.

How Much Time Do You Need to Visit Acadia National Park?

We would say that two to three days is enough time to spend at this park and hit all the best things to do in Acadia. It makes for a great weekend getaway!

Acadia National Park Itineraries

One day in Acadia National Park

With just one day in Acadia, expect an early and jam- packed day! See sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, and then spend the morning driving the first half of Park Loop Road. Make visits to Sand Beach, the Thunder Hole and Otter Cliffs, and choose one or two short hikes.

In the afternoon, spend your time at Jordon Pond, hiking one of the many awesome trails in the area.

For those who want to escape the crowds: Catch the sunrise at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse and spend the morning hiking trails on the west part of Mount Desert Island, including the Beech Cliff Ladder Trail, Beech Mountain, and/or Acadia Mountain. Visit Jordan Pond in the late afternoon for a hike or two.

Two days in Acadia National Park

With two days in Acadia, you can squeeze a bit more in. On the first day, catch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, spend the morning driving the first half of Park Loop Road, and the afternoon at Jordon Pond.

On the second day, explore the western half of the island, hiking trails near Echo Lake and checking out the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise in Frenchman Bay.

Three Days in Acadia National Park

With three days in Acadia, you can head out on longer day trips to the Schoodic Peninsula or Isle Au Haut on the third day.

Planning Your Visit to Acadia National Park

Where is Acadia National Park?

Acadia National Park is located about three quarters up the Maine Coast, about an hour from Bangor, ME. Most of it is located on Mount Desert Island (don’t worry…you can drive to it, it’s not too far off the mainland, separated only by a small channel of water).

How to get around Acadia National Park

Most of Acadia National Park is found on Mount Desert Island, although small portions lie on the Schoodic Peninsula about an hour away, and on Isle Au Haut, accessed by a ferry out of Stonington, which is an hour and 15 minutes from Mount Desert Island.

Mount Desert Island is where all of the main attractions (and crowds) are. The east side of the island is the busy congested side – Park Loop Road, the Thunder Hole, the Precipice and Beehive trails, Jordon Pond – they’re all found here. The west side is the quieter uncrowded side. Each has its own set of hikes, attractions, and coastal views.

The eastern side of Mount Desert Island can get quite crowded and congested. To limit this, the park has a free park shuttle called the Island Explorer. It operates from late June to early October between bar harbor and nearby towns, destinations, trailheads, carriage roads and campgrounds.

NOTE: The Island Explorer is closed indefinitely due to current circumstances.

The best time to visit Acadia National Park

The peak season at Acadia National Park are the months of July and August, as well as October as leaf peeper descend onto the park. Big crowds, full parking lots by early morning, and heavily trafficked trails are the norm.

Good to know: The peak colors of fall vary year to year. Usually, peak falls around Columbus Day weekend, but expect huge crowds then. We went the weekend before Columbus Day weekend to avoid the holiday and were very happy with the changing colors. Make sure to use foliage trackers if you’re chasing those fall colors!

Consider visiting in the spring, and September, if you want to increase your chances of a less chaotic time.

Keep in mind that during the winter (Dec. 1 – Apr 14), most of Park Loop Road closes and trails become dangerous due to ice and snow. But carriage roads are available for cross county skiing. Be sure to check conditions before you visit.

Reservations for Acadia National Park

Reservations will be required for two of the park’s most popular areas in 2021 (this is on top of a normal park pass). The park piloted this reservation system from October 1st to 18th, 2020 for full season implementation in 2021, and we got to experience this new system firsthand.

Some important things about the Park Loop Road reservations:

Reservations are required for a short 2-ish mile portion got Park Loop Road, from the Sand Beach entrance station to the intersection with Otter Cliff Road, from 7 am to 5 pm. This small portion has Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and the Beehive and Gorham Mountain Trailheads. They are also required for Cadillac Mountain Road from 4:30 am to 6:30 pm.
Reservations must be made in advance for a timed vehicle entry through recreation.gov for $2 each. Bring a printed or digital copy of the reservation to show at the gate.

TIP: Cell service is extremely limited throughout the entire park. Preload any digital copies before you drive to the entrance!

For last minute trips, they do reserve a certain number of slots for release two days in advance, starting at 10 am. In our experience, the Cadillac Mountain sunrise slots fill up fast as do the morning slots for Park Loop Road.

For more information on the reservation process, visit the NPS site.

Where to stay in Acadia National Park

Bar Harbor is the best place to stay in Acadia, as it sits right at the entrance to the park, but this means it can be pricey, and crowded. Bass Harbor on the west side is a little bit quieter of a place to stay in Acadia away from the crowds. Ellsworth is about 45 minutes away from the island where you can find cheaper accommodations.

Camping in Acadia National Park

Four campgrounds can be found within Acadia National Park, two of which are on Mount Desert Island. Make sure you reserve well in advance on recreation.gov

NOTE: Campgrounds inside of Acadia are closed indefinitely due to current circumstances, but there are still options…

If the park’s campgrounds are booked, there are tons of privately owned campgrounds around and near the park. We stayed at Bass Harbor Campground on the quiet west side and had a nice stay. We booked one day before our impromptu October weekend trip and got probably what was the last available campsite on Mount Desert Island. Book early when possible!

We hope this helps you plan a perfectly adventurous getaway to Acadia! Have you been to this unique National Park? If so, what did you think was the best thing to do in Acadia?

10 Awesome Things to Do in Acadia National Park