National parks
Acadia National Park: Cadillac Mountain, carriage roads and lobster
- Where
- Mount Desert Island, Maine
- Best months
- June, September and early October
- Time needed
- Three days
- Nearest airports
- Bangor, Portland, Boston
Acadia is small, coastal and unusually walkable, built on land donated piece by piece by people who wanted to keep it out of development. It is the only national park in the northeast, and it feels different from the western parks: intimate rather than vast, and stitched together with villages.
Cadillac Mountain and the sunrise thing
Cadillac is the highest point on the eastern seaboard and, for part of the year, the first place in the United States to see sunrise. Consequently everyone wants to be there at dawn, and the summit road runs on a vehicle reservation booked through Recreation.gov. They release a batch months ahead and another batch two days ahead. Set an alarm for both.
Location: Acadia National Park
The carriage roads
Forty-five miles of crushed stone roads built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., closed to cars, threaded with hand-cut granite bridges. They are the best cycling in any national park and gentle enough for most riders. Rent a bike in Bar Harbor and spend a whole day on them. This is the part of Acadia people are surprised by.
The rest of the island
- Park Loop Road: 27 miles past Sand Beach, Thunder Hole and Otter Cliff. Drive it once, then walk the good bits.
- Precipice and Beehive trails: iron rungs and ladders bolted to cliff faces. Short, thrilling and closed in spring for nesting falcons.
- Jordan Pond: flat loop trail, clear water, and popovers on the lawn at the Jordan Pond House afterwards.
- Schoodic Peninsula: the mainland piece of the park, quiet and rugged, about an hour's drive around the bay.
- Bar Harbor: the base for most visitors, with the free Island Explorer shuttle running in season.
Book it and check it
- Official park page Hours, fees, maps and the closure notices that actually matter. https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm
- Current conditions and alerts Road, trail and weather status. Read this the morning you go. https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/conditions.htm
- Recreation.gov Campsites, timed entry and permits for most federal land. https://www.recreation.gov
- Cadillac Summit Road reservations Required to drive up. Sunrise slots go instantly. https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10086745
Common questions
- Do you need a reservation for Cadillac Mountain?
- Yes, to drive the summit road in season. Reservations are on Recreation.gov, released in an early batch and a two-days-ahead batch. Walking or cycling up needs no reservation.
- How many days do you need in Acadia?
- Three. One for the Park Loop Road and coast, one for the carriage roads by bike, and one for a longer hike or the Schoodic Peninsula.
- When is the best time to visit Acadia?
- June for long days and green, September for warm sea and thin crowds, early October for colour. July and August are busy and can be foggy.
- Can you visit Acadia without a car?
- Largely yes in season. The free Island Explorer shuttle links Bar Harbor with most trailheads and beaches, and the carriage roads are cycled.
Tip
Acadia's tides matter. The sandbar to Bar Island is walkable for about 90 minutes either side of low tide and then it is not, which has stranded a lot of visitors. Check a tide table the morning of.