Acadia & Bar Harbor: The Perfect 3-Day Plan

Acadia National Park preserves approximately 50,000 acres along the mid-coast of Maine. Most of it is on Mount Desert Island, but not all: the Schoodic Peninsula is the park’s only mainland section, and there is more on Isle au Haut and the outer islands. NPS puts Acadia among the ten most popular national parks in the country, with more than 4 million visits a year. This 3-day plan hits the icons without the overwhelm: sunrise from Cadillac, the Park Loop Road, classic hikes, and those popovers.

Before you build a September or October trip around this page, check the operating hours and seasons table. In 2026 the Jordan Pond House restaurant closes 26 October, Seawall Campground 12 October, Blackwoods 19 October, the Sieur de Monts Nature Center 17 October, and the Island Explorer’s main routes 12 October. The Park Loop Road itself is open to vehicles 15 April to 1 December.

Day 1: Park Loop Road & Coastal Icons

Morning: Sunrise or Sleep In

Option A: Cadillac Mountain Sunrise (book well ahead)

Driving the Cadillac Summit Road needs a $6 vehicle reservation, required 20 May to 25 October 2026. It is sold on recreation.gov only and is never sold at the park, and it does not replace your entrance pass. You need both.

• Reservations release in two tranches: 30 percent at 10am ET 90 days ahead of the date, 70 percent at 10am ET two days ahead
• Sunrise entry windows are set by month. In September the window is 5am to 6:30am; 1 to 15 October it is 5:30am to 7am; 16 to 25 October it is 6am to 7:30am
• Sunrise itself ranges from about 4:45am in mid-June to 6:15am in mid-October. NPS advises arriving roughly an hour before
• “First sunrise in America” is true from 7 October to 6 March, and only then
• The summit road is three miles long. Vehicles over 21 feet, RVs and trailers are prohibited, reservation or not
• There is no Island Explorer service on the Cadillac Summit Road, so the bus is not a fallback here

Option B: Leisurely Start

Breakfast in Bar Harbor, all within a few blocks:

• Jordan’s Restaurant, 80 Cottage Street, open 5am to 2pm. Started by the Paine family in 1976 around wild Maine blueberry products
• 2 Cats, open 7am to 1pm daily
• Cafe This Way, 14 1/2 Mt Desert Street, breakfast daily 6:30am to 1pm
• Jeannie’s Great Maine Breakfast, 8 Cottage Street, 207 288 4166. Listed by the Bar Harbor Chamber as open seasonally; its own website is down, so call before you go

Late Morning: Park Loop Road Begins

• Buy your entrance pass before you arrive. $35 per private vehicle for seven days, $30 motorcycle, $20 per person on foot or bike (under 16 free), $70 for an Acadia annual pass
• Non-US residents pay an extra $100 per person aged 16 and over, waived only on an Annual or America the Beautiful pass
• Park Loop Road, 27 miles, with one-way sections. Open to vehicles 15 April to 1 December

Late Morning to Midday: Coastal Highlights

• Sieur de Monts (optional). The NPS Nature Center and the Wild Gardens of Acadia. The Nature Center runs 14 June to 17 October in 2026. Note that the Abbe Museum’s Sieur de Monts branch is closed for maintenance; its downtown museum is open
• Precipice Trail parking, a good place to stand and look up at the cliff. The Precipice Loop is 3.2 miles round trip and rises over 1,000 feet in 0.9 miles on iron rungs and open cliff faces. It is closed seasonally while peregrine falcons nest, so check current conditions
• Sand Beach. Water is 50-60°F depending on the season, and there are no lifeguards
• Thunder Hole. Come one to two hours before high tide, which is what NPS recommends. Spray has been recorded over 40 feet. A 55-step stairway drops to a lower viewing area; the upper deck is wheelchair accessible. The parking lot is just under two miles from Sand Beach, and the gift shop runs 9am to 5pm
• Otter Cliff, a 110-foot sea cliff with a roadside pull-out

Live closure, checked 6 September 2026: the southern section of Ocean Path, from the trailhead across from the Otter Point parking lot to the trail’s southern terminus, closed for repairs on 31 August.

Afternoon: Jordan Pond

• Jordan Pond House, restaurant open daily 11am to 9pm, running 16 May to 26 October in 2026
  • Do not plan around a reservation. The operator’s own words: reservations are limited and most tables are saved for walk-in guests, with an average 40-minute wait in peak season
  • Popovers, from the all-day menu dated 24 April 2026: a single popover $6, two popovers $10, two popovers with coffee, tea or house lemonade $15
  • There is a walk-up Popover and Prosecco Bar on the lawn if the dining room wait is long
  • Parking is limited 11am to 4pm. The South Lot is for restaurant patrons only; the North Lot is open to anyone
  • Tea and popovers have been served on this site since 1893. The original building burned in 1979 and the current one opened in 1982
• Jordan Pond Path, a 3.3-mile loop on boardwalk, rock and footbridge, with uneven footing. Walking part of it is fine
  • Jordan Pond is 150 feet deep and 187 acres, the deepest and second largest lake in the park
  • Swimming and wading are prohibited. It is Seal Harbor’s drinking water supply. The same applies at Eagle Lake, Bubble Pond and the Hadlock Ponds

Late Afternoon: Summit Cadillac (if you skipped sunrise)

• Drive up Cadillac Mountain. The daytime vehicle reservation is the same $6 and the same booking windows. Daytime entry runs 7am to 7pm in the first half of September
• 1,530 feet. NPS calls it “the highest point on the eastern seaboard of the U.S.”
• Parking at the summit is in two lots, with restrooms, a gift shop and paved overlooks
• Or: carry on round the Park Loop Road to complete the circuit

Evening: Bar Harbor

• Dinner in town. Check the day of the week before you set out:
  • Side Street Cafe, from 11am. Its own site gives two closing times, 8pm in the hours block and 9pm in a banner, so confirm if you are going late
  • Havana, 318 Main Street, open 7 days a week 4pm to 10pm
  • McKay’s Public House, dinner Tuesday to Sunday 5pm to 9pm. Closed Monday
  • Galyn’s, 17 Main Street, serving 11am to 9:30pm daily, with happy hour in the Galley Lounge 2pm to 5pm. Walk-ins welcome, and dining room reservations are taken by phone between 8am and 3pm. Its Chamber listing gives the 2026 season as 2 April to 28 November
• Evening stroll downtown and along the Shore Path
• Mount Desert Island Ice Cream for the creative flavours

Lodging: Bar Harbor rooms are scarce in high summer and during foliage. Book as far ahead as you can. We do not quote a nightly rate here because nobody publishes one that holds.

Day 2: Hiking & The Quiet Side

Plan this day for a Tuesday to Saturday if you want the Thurston’s dinner. The lobster pound is closed Sunday and Monday.

Morning: Choose Your Hiking Adventure

Option A: Beehive Loop (the popular one)

• 1.4 miles round trip, 1 to 3 hours at an average pace
• Granite staircases, rock scrambles and set iron rungs on the ascent. Not for anyone uneasy with heights or exposure
• Pets are not permitted on ladder trails
• The route goes up the Beehive and back down the Bowl Trail, so you are not reversing the rungs. A Bowl Connector shortcut cuts the loop to 1.2 miles but misses the Bowl itself
• Parking is at Sand Beach. NPS warns of congestion and limited parking in summer from 9am to 3pm, so go before that or take the fare-free Island Explorer

Or: Ocean Path (the level alternative)

• 2.2 miles one way, 4.4 round trip. Sand Beach to Thunder Hole is 0.7 miles
• Concrete and packed gravel as far as Thunder Hole, then gravelly and rocky with uneven footing and two staircases 1.4 miles in. It is not a paved path the whole way and it is not a wheelchair route beyond Thunder Hole
• The southern section is closed for repairs as of 31 August 2026, so an out-and-back from Sand Beach is the way to walk it now

Option B: Precipice Loop (experienced hikers only)

• 3.2 miles round trip, 2 to 3 hours, rising over 1,000 feet in 0.9 miles
• Iron rungs, ladders, handrails and exposed granite ledges
• Closed seasonally during peregrine falcon nesting. Check current conditions before you drive out

Option C: Champlain Mountain via the Beachcroft Path (moderate)

• A historic memorial pathway built in 1915, climbing to Champlain for coastal and Frenchman Bay views
• Quieter than the Beehive

Late Morning: Recovery & Bike Hire

• Lunch in town, or pack it
• Bike hire, both shops on Cottage Street:
  • Acadia Bike & Coastal Kayaking Tours, 106 Cottage Street, trading since 1980. Published rates: a basic rental is $41 for a full day reserved, $43 full day walk-in, $36 half day walk-in, $180 for the week. Kids’ bikes $32 reserved. Child trailers $27, and pets are not allowed in them. E-bikes are $105 for a full day, 9am to 5pm, or $80 for a half day. Locks are free
  • Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, 141 Cottage Street, 207 288 3886, sales, service and rental since 1978

Afternoon: Carriage Roads

• 45 miles of carriage roads, the gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and family, built between 1913 and 1940
• Broken-stone construction, roughly 16 feet wide, with 17 stone bridges and granite coping stones known as Rockefeller’s teeth
• Shared by walkers, cyclists and horse-drawn carriages, so ride courteously
• Bicycles are not allowed on hiking trails anywhere in Acadia. The carriage roads are the off-road riding
• Popular loops run around Eagle Lake and Jordan Pond. Use the carriage road user’s guide for maps and elevation profiles rather than guessing at distances

Late Afternoon: The Quiet Side

• The west side of the island, less developed and less crowded, reached on Route 102 south from Somesville
• Seawall. Rocky beach and tide pools. The picnic area took significant storm damage from debris and downed trees, so expect changes on the ground
• Wonderland Trail, 1.4 miles round trip, under an hour, from a lot 3.1 miles along Route 102A

Evening: Lighthouse & Lobster

• Bass Harbor Head Light, in Tremont
  • Built 1858, a 37-foot tower with an 1901 fourth-order Fresnel lens, occulting red, visible 13 miles. There is no public access to the interior
  • NPS calls it the most visited place on the west side of Mount Desert Island and the fifth busiest destination in the whole park, behind Cadillac, Jordan Pond, Sand Beach and Thunder Hole
  • Expect sunset gridlock. Public parking is one small lot, roadside parking is prohibited on the entrance road and on 102A, and there is no public transport to the light station. Buses, trailers and RVs are not permitted on the road
  • Three viewpoints: an accessible packed-gravel overlook, a steep paved driveway to the lighthouse, and a Cliff Viewpoint reached by 37 wooden steps and 27 wide stone steps for the classic photograph
  • NPS’s own drive times, with no traffic and no queue for parking: about 35 minutes from Hulls Cove Visitor Center and 10 minutes from Seawall Campground
• Dinner at Thurston’s Lobster Pound, 9 Thurston Road, Bernard, 207 244 7600
  • Open Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 8pm, Memorial Day weekend to mid-October
  • Awning-covered dining rooms on a dock over Mount Desert Island’s busiest working harbour, with the boats landing at the same wharf
  • Lobster is priced per pound in three size categories: chicks up to 1.39 lb, halves 1.40 to 1.79 lb, selects 1.80 lb and up. There is no fixed dinner price, so budget by weight on the day
  • Sequencing warning. Thurston’s stops serving at 8pm and sunset at the lighthouse is late in summer. You cannot reliably do a sunset at Bass Harbor Head Light and a sit-down dinner at Thurston’s on the same evening. Eat first and go to the light afterwards, or do the light on a different evening

Lodging: Bar Harbor

Day 3: Flexibility & Favorites

Morning: Sunrise or Specialty Hike

Option A: Sunrise from Cadillac (if you skipped it on Day 1)

• See Day 1, and note the reservation releases 90 days and two days ahead

Option B: Guided Sea Kayak

• Acadia Bike & Coastal Kayaking Tours runs guided sea kayak tours, meeting at 48 Cottage Street in Bar Harbor. Published 2026 prices per person:
  • Harbor Tours, ages 8+ and 48 inches tall, $76
  • Sunset Tours, same limits, $76
  • Family Harbor Tours, same limits, $76
  • Half-Day Tours, ages 12+, $93
  • West Side Tours, ages 12+, $139

Option C: Another Hike

• Gorham Mountain Loop, 3.5 miles round trip, taking in the summit, the Bowl Trail and a stretch of Ocean Path. The optional Cadillac Cliff section adds rungs and ladders without adding distance
• Great Head Trail, 1.9 miles round trip and 2 to 4 hours, with a shorter 1.3-mile loop option. Coastal views from the headland
• The Bubbles, a short 1.5-mile hike over North Bubble, South Bubble and the Bubble Rock glacial erratic, looking down on Jordan Pond

Late Morning: Schoodic Peninsula (optional extension)

• Schoodic is the only part of Acadia on the mainland, reached round Frenchman Bay through the town of Winter Harbor. It is a separate drive, not a detour, so treat it as its own outing rather than an add-on to a busy day
• A 6-mile one-way loop road runs round the peninsula, with turnouts for stopping. Speed limit 35 mph unless posted
• Vehicles longer than 21 feet are prohibited on the Schoodic Loop Road. Oversized vehicles can park at Schoodic Woods Campground and use the Island Explorer
• Schoodic Point, where the surf hits the granite, plus 8.3 miles of bike paths
• Live closure: Schoodic Mountain Road, from the loop road to the summit of Schoodic Head, closed for repairs on 31 August 2026

Or: Stay on Mount Desert Island

• Abbe Museum, 26 Mt Desert Street downtown. Wabanaki history and contemporary Native art. 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, closed on federal holidays except Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Admission $18 adults, $14 seniors and valid college ID, $10 ages 5-17, free for children 4 and under, and free with a Tribal ID or Military ID. The museum’s Sieur de Monts Spring branch is closed for maintenance
• Shopping on Main Street and Cottage Street

Afternoon: Last Favorites or New Spots

Option A: Repeat a Favorite

• Back to Jordan Pond, or a trail you liked

Option B: New Experience

• Seal watching or a sail from the town pier. Several operators run from Bar Harbor; check what is sailing on the day rather than booking on the strength of a general description
• Swimming at Echo Lake Beach, freshwater rather than the 50-60°F ocean. Open 15 April to 1 December 2026. NPS monitors it for bacteria weekly from June through August

Option C: Town Time

• Downtown Bar Harbor, shops and galleries
• The Shore Path along the harbour
• Village Green, the town park
• Bar Island Trail, 1.9 miles round trip including the gravel bar. The bar is exposed for 1.5 hours before and after low tide, and NPS warns that if you misjudge it, it is nine hours until the bar emerges again. Check a tide chart, not a guess. Downtown parking is paid from 15 May to 31 October, and parking is not allowed on the bar or on Bridge Street

Evening: Final Dinner & Departure Prep

• Dinner, something you missed:
  • Galyn’s, 17 Main Street, 11am to 9:30pm daily, happy hour in the Galley Lounge 2pm to 5pm. Dining room reservations taken by phone 8am to 3pm, and walk-ins are welcome
  • West Street Cafe, waterfront dining with takeaway. The restaurant publishes no hours online, so call ahead
  • Havana or Side Street Cafe if you did not get to them on Day 1
• Last ice cream at Mount Desert Island Ice Cream

Essential Information

What Actually Needs Booking

Cadillac Summit Road vehicle reservation:

• Required 20 May to 25 October 2026, for sunrise or daytime
• $6 per vehicle, recreation.gov only. It is not sold at the park
• It does not replace your entrance pass. You need both
• 30 percent release at 10am ET 90 days before the date; 70 percent at 10am ET two days before
• Not required if you arrive on foot, by bike or by taxi. There is no Island Explorer service on the summit road
• Save or print the QR code. Connectivity in the park is unreliable

Jordan Pond House:

• Do not build the day around a booking. The operator holds most tables for walk-ins and describes online reservations as limited and often full
• Average wait in peak season is about 40 minutes, and there is a walk-up popover bar on the lawn meanwhile

Campsites:

• All Acadia camping is booked through Recreation.gov, not at the campground
• 90 percent of sites release six months ahead on the first of each month at 10am EST; the remaining 10 percent at 10am 14 days ahead
• No backcountry camping, no winter camping, no overnight parking anywhere in the park

Lodging in Bar Harbor:

• Rooms are tight in high summer and through foliage season. Book as early as you can

Getting Around

Island Explorer (fare-free shuttle):

• Fare-free, propane-powered, run by Downeast Transportation under a cooperative agreement with NPS. Entrance pass revenue covered 72 percent of its operating cost in 2025
• 2026 season: the Gateway Center, Loop Road and Schoodic routes started 20 May. Other routes ran 23 June to 12 October. Fall schedules took effect 17 August
• You still need a park entrance pass to enter the park by bus
• Buses serve campgrounds, carriage road entrances and many trailheads, and will stop anywhere along a route where the driver judges it safe
• It does not serve Bass Harbor Head Light Station or the Cadillac Summit Road
• Check the Route Finder on the operator’s site before relying on a specific stop

Driving and parking:

• NPS’s own warning for the Sand Beach area is congestion and limited parking in summer from 9am to 3pm
• Sand Beach, Thunder Hole and Jordan Pond are the hardest lots. At Jordan Pond, parking is limited 11am to 4pm and the South Lot is restaurant patrons only
• Downtown Bar Harbor parking is paid from 15 May to 31 October

Biking:

• Carriage roads only. Bicycles are not allowed on hiking trails
• Rates from Acadia Bike, 106 Cottage Street: basic bike $41 full day reserved, $43 full day walk-in, $36 half day walk-in, $180 weekly. E-bikes $105 full day, $80 half day

What to Pack

• Layers. Mornings on an exposed summit are much colder than an afternoon at sea level
• Rain gear
• Sturdy shoes. NPS recommends closed-toe shoes with good traction on almost every trail here, because most surfaces are uneven
• Sunscreen
• Water. NPS says carry at least a litre, more on warm days
• Binoculars
• A headlamp, if you are doing sunrise
• Bug spray
• Your printed or saved pass and reservation QR codes. Connectivity in the park is unreliable

Best Time to Visit

July and August: warmest and busiest June and September: quieter, and most facilities are still running October: foliage, and the point at which things start closing. In 2026 the Cadillac reservation ends 25 October, the Island Explorer’s main routes 12 October, and the Jordan Pond House restaurant 26 October December to mid-April: the Park Loop Road is closed to vehicles and services are minimal. It stays open to walkers, cyclists and skiers

Park Passes

Straight from the NPS fees page:

$35 per private vehicle, valid seven days, for a non-commercial vehicle of 15 passengers or fewer and everyone in it, rental cars and RVs included $30 per motorcycle, valid seven days, up to two motorcycles and four people $20 per person on foot or by bike, valid seven days. Youth 15 and under are free $70 Acadia annual pass, valid 12 months from the month of purchase

Free with: an America the Beautiful annual pass or another federal lands pass.

Non-US residents pay an extra $100 per person, everyone 16 and over, on top of the entrance fee. It is waived only if you enter on an Annual or America the Beautiful pass, which makes the $70 annual pass much the cheaper route for an overseas visitor.

Cadillac Summit Road needs a separate $6 vehicle reservation, required 20 May to 25 October 2026, booked through recreation.gov and never sold at the park. Not required anywhere else in the park, and not required if you arrive on foot, by bike or by taxi.

Passes must be printed before you arrive so they can go on the dashboard, and a Cadillac reservation needs its QR code downloaded or screenshotted.

What Makes Acadia Special

• Mountains meeting ocean in one compact park
• 45 miles of carriage roads, car-free and shared with walkers and carriages
• Granite peaks and pink granite shoreline
• A range of difficulty, from level shoreline paths to iron rung climbs
• Highlights in two or three days, with far more if you stay longer
• Coastal variety: one sandy beach, a lot of rock, and tide pools

Safety Notes

• Iron rung trails: stay off if they are wet or icy, or if heights bother you. Pets are not allowed on ladder trails
• Thunder Hole: stay behind the barriers. Wave spray has been recorded over 40 feet, the lower deck is often wet and slippery, and rogue waves can wash over the granite ledges even in calm weather
• Water temperature: the ocean is 50-60°F depending on the season, and there are no lifeguards at Sand Beach
• Cliffs: many are unfenced
• Tides: the Bar Island bar is walkable only 1.5 hours either side of low tide. Miss the window and it is nine hours before it reappears
• Weather: changes fast, and fog is common
• Public water supplies: swimming and wading are prohibited at Jordan Pond, Eagle Lake, Bubble Pond, the Hadlock Ponds and part of Long Pond

Budget Estimate (per person, 2 sharing)

The two figures below that are quoted from an operator are the pass and the activities. Lodging, meals and fuel are rough planning estimates, not researched prices, and they move a lot with season and taste.

Park pass: $18 per person, a $35 vehicle pass split two ways. Add $100 per person if you are not a US resident Activities: a bike for the day is $41 reserved, a harbor kayak tour is $76, two popovers with a drink at Jordan Pond House is $15, and a Cadillac reservation is $6 Lodging, meals and fuel: budget separately. Bar Harbor room rates in high season are not published anywhere reliable enough to quote

Budget Tips

• Camp. Blackwoods tent, camper and motor home sites are $30 a night and group tent sites $60. Seawall walk-in tent sites are $22, drive-up sites $30 and group sites $60. Fees are paid when you reserve, not at the gate
• Ride the fare-free bus instead of hunting for parking
• Picnic. The Jordan Pond House lawn is not the only view in the park
• Buy the $70 annual pass if there are two adult non-US residents in the car; it wipes out the $100 per person surcharge

Extend Your Trip

Add Days For:

• Schoodic Peninsula: the mainland section, with its own 6-mile one-way loop road
• More hiking. NPS is inconsistent about how much there is: the Acadia FAQ says 125 miles of hiking trails, while the Hiking page says more than 150. Either way it is far more than three days’ worth
• Islands: the Cranberry Isles. The park’s Islesford Museum on Little Cranberry runs 15 June to 19 September in 2026
• More towns: Southwest Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Tremont
• Relaxation: beach time

Combine With:

• Midcoast: Camden and Rockland, see the Midcoast itinerary
• Bold Coast: Lubec and Machias, see the Bold Coast itinerary
• Portland: see the Portland food weekend

Hiking Difficulty Guide

Distances are NPS’s own.

Easy, good for families:

• Ocean Path, 2.2 miles one way. Concrete and packed gravel to Thunder Hole, rougher and stepped after that
• Jordan Pond Path, a 3.3-mile loop with uneven footing on boardwalk and rock
• Wonderland Trail, 1.4 miles round trip
• Ship Harbor Trail

Moderate:

• Great Head Trail, 1.9 miles round trip, or 1.3 on the short loop
• Gorham Mountain Loop, 3.5 miles round trip
• The Bubbles, 1.5 miles
• Champlain Mountain via the Beachcroft Path

Challenging:

• Beehive Loop, 1.4 miles round trip, iron rungs and exposure
• Precipice Loop, 3.2 miles round trip, over 1,000 feet in 0.9 miles
• Cadillac South Ridge Trail, 7.1 miles round trip

Pro Tips

1. Cadillac reservations: two release windows, 90 days ahead and two days ahead, both at 10am ET
2. Parking: NPS flags congestion and limited parking at Sand Beach from 9am to 3pm in summer. Use the Island Explorer if you can
3. Thunder Hole: check a tide chart and go one to two hours before high tide
4. Popovers: the restaurant opens at 11am, and walking in is the normal way to get a table
5. Bass Harbor Light: one small lot, roadside parking prohibited, and no bus. Go at a quieter hour than sunset if parking matters more than the photograph
6. Bar Island: 1.5 hours either side of low tide, and set an alarm
7. Fog: common, and the Park Loop Road is still worth driving in it
8. Carriage roads: better on a bike than on foot
9. Crowds: June and September are quieter than July and August, but check what is still open
10. Two passes, two things. The entrance pass and the Cadillac reservation are not the same purchase

Family-Friendly Adjustments

With Young Kids:

• Skip the ladder trails, where pets are also banned
• Ocean Path as far as Thunder Hole, the carriage roads, and Sand Beach
• The Jordan Pond Path, or part of it
• A harbour cruise
• More ice cream

With Teens:

• The Beehive, or the Precipice if they are experienced and it is open
• A guided kayak tour, from $76
• The carriage roads by bike
• Sunrise on Cadillac

Rainy Day Plans

If the weather turns:

• Abbe Museum, downtown, Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm
• George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History at College of the Atlantic, half a mile north of downtown on Route 3. Admission by donation. Closed 6 to 20 September 2026 for the changeover into the academic year, with fall hours resuming 21 September
• Shopping in Bar Harbor
• Reel Pizza Cinerama, open daily 4pm to 9pm, 207 288 3828
• Atlantic Brewing Midtown, 52 Cottage Street, 207 801 9700, open year round. Its website could not be read past a bot check on the day this page was verified, so ring ahead rather than assuming a tour is running
• Drive the Park Loop Road. Fog suits it

Why Acadia?

Acadia offers something rare: mountain scenery and ocean coastline in one compact package. You can swim at Sand Beach in the morning, walk up a granite peak by lunch, ride the carriage roads in the afternoon and eat lobster on a working wharf in the evening.

It is level enough on the first stretch of Ocean Path for almost anyone, and steep enough on the Precipice to need iron rungs. It is small enough to see the highlights in three days and large enough to keep returning to.

Tea and popovers have been served on the Jordan Pond House lawn since 1893. Cadillac is the first place in the country to see the sun rise from 7 October to 6 March. At Thurston’s you can watch the boats land the catch at the same wharf your lunch comes off.

Come for the Park Loop Road. Stay for the iron rung climbs. Return for the mountains meeting the ocean, the pink granite and the surf.

One last thing worth repeating, because it is the mistake visitors make most often: your entrance pass and your Cadillac Summit Road reservation are two separate purchases, and the reservation is only ever sold online in advance.