Acadia National Park

Year Established: 1919
Annual Visitors: 4.07 Million
Size: 49,077 Acres
State: Maine

Best Time to Visit Acadia National Park

• September to October

If you are planning to visit more national parks, check out our complete list of all US National Parks.

Best Experiences in Acadia National Park

• Park Loop Road
• Cadillac Mountain
• Hike the Precipice Trail
• Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

A Brief History

In French, Acadia means “heaven on Earth.” This ethereal part of Mount Desert Island was made 12,000 years ago when retreating glaciers carved out a land full of lakes and made the jagged granite cliffs you see today.

John D. Rockefeller Jr., a wealthy businessman, bought an estate here in 1910. He wanted to protect the area, so he gave away 10,000 acres, bought up other properties, and started building carriage roads so that other people could visit.

Today, the park has 120 miles of winding roads and trails that lead to Somes Sound, where you can fish for mackerel, bluefish, and striped bass. You can also get sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean from the park.

And on Cadillac Mountain, which is the highest point along the Atlantic coast north of Brazil, people can see the sunrise one of the first times in America. Acadia can feel like paradise because it has patches of wild blueberries, woods where white-tailed deer live, and a pink-sand beach that leads to waters with porpoises and whales.

Acadia RV Camping

If you are looking for nearby RV camping options for Acadia National Park or in Maine, consider checking out our other post:

• Best RV Parks in Maine
• Best RV Resorts in Maine

Visitor Information

Fees

All Acadia National Park visitors are required to have and display a park entrance pass. Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge.

Weekly Park Passes

$15.00 per person (with no automobile)

$30.00 per vehicle

$25.00 per motorcycle

All passes are valid for up to 7 days.

Annual Pass

$55 per one annual pass

Valid for 12 months from purchase month.

Contacting Acadia National ParK

Phone Number

(207) 288-3338

Visitor Centers

Hulls Cover Visitor Center

The best place to start your trip to Acadia National Park is at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. Here, you can get park passes and talk to park rangers about any questions you have. Large maps that you can read on your own and digital information screens help you plan your trip. The Acadia National Park Store is another place where you can buy things.

Since the center was built in the 1960s, many people’s first “hike” in Acadia has been up its 52 steps. Follow the signs to find a way in. The visitor center is open for part of the year.

Sieur De Monts Nature Center

Here you can find visitor services, information about hiking, and hands-on exhibits. It is the place where many hiking trails in the Sieur de Monts area start. During the spring, summer, and fall, park rangers are around.

Village Green Information Center

The Village Green Information Center has information about parks, passes to get into parks, and access to Island Explorer shuttle buses that take you into downtown Bar Harbor.

Islesford Historical Museum

The Islesford Historical Museum reopened after construction in 2021 with new features and an exhibit put together by the community that will help tell the stories of the Cranberry Isles.

Rockefeller Welcome Center

On Schoodic Peninsula, near the one-way loop road, you can find the Rockefeller Welcome Center. There, you can see displays about the old Navy base and learn about the park.

Schoodic Woods Campground Ranger Station

Information, Camping, Island Explorer buses, and park passes.

Thompson Island Information Center

The Thompson Island Information Center is on a small island next to Route 3 between the mainland and Mount Desert Island. It is a small, seasonal building that is usually run by a park ranger and someone from the local chamber of commerce. This is where you can buy park passes.