Acadia National Park Planning & Tips

The Art of Smart Timing
Summer is the ideal time to visit Acadia -- days are long and warm, even while a regular sea breeze and the far northern latitudes offer a cooling respite from the heat of more southerly climes. Of course, that's also the time of year that most everyone else visits, as well. The island has a short tourist season, and businesses and tourists alike seem to try and cram as much into it as they can; expect the streets of Bar Harbor to be teeming with pedestrian traffic, especially on weekends in July and August. That said, the popularity of the region as a tourist destination also works in visitors' favor, as there are literally thousands of hotel rooms on the island all competing against each other for business -- so you are bound to find something available even during the height of the season. And once you get out of Bar Harbor or off Park Loop, you've got thousands of acres of parkland to explore, ensuring there's plenty of solitude and scenery to discover if you go looking for it.

The only other time worth visiting Acadia with the family is during fall, especially shoulder season between Labor Day and Columbus Day. Keep in mind that most of the trees here are evergreens, so you won't see the kind of spectacular fall foliage you might find elsewhere in New England. Still, there is something about the crisp fall air mixing with the scent of the ocean and the spaciousness that comes with the recession of the tourist crush that makes this time of year just a bit magical. Come October, most of the island shuts up, returning to the slower pace of local life; most restaurants and hotels close up shop, as do some of the attractions, waiting until March to reopen. As stark and beautiful as Acadia might be in the height of winter, it's not a great time to visit with a family.

In terms of special events, Bar Harbor really gets hopping in late June, starting with the annual Bar Harbor Brass Week, when horn players from throughout the country come to town to study and perform concerts on the town green. July 4th is always a crowd pleaser, with fireworks over the waterfront and much-anticipated lobster races sponsored by local businesses. Other summer events include the Bar Harbor Music Festival, a two-month long concert series of classical and popular music and the Luminaria Evening in early August, when the entire downtown of Bar Harbor is lit with hundreds of candles, a fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Getting There and Around
No mistake, Acadia is a haul -- but that's part of its appeal. By the time you complete the drive (five hours from Boston; nine from New York), you really feel like you have left civilization behind and really gone into the wild. Thankfully, the drive itself is painless, up the Maine Turnpike (I-95 and I-295) most of the way. At Augusta, you have two choices -- taking the more scenic Route 3 inland to Belfast and tracing the coast north, or continuing up 95 to Bangor and then coming back south down I-395 and 1A. Both routes take approximately the same time, depending on traffic, though the coastal route is more stop-start with several streetlights and country drivers along the way.

For a quicker trip, US Airways offers direct flights from Boston to Bar Harbor -- Hancock County Airport; from there, a free shuttle bus will take you the rest of the way into town. Surprisingly, it's not necessary to bring a car to get around Mount Desert Island. The Island Explorer shuttle bus offers routes all over the island, including a route on the Park Loop Road and frequent busses to all population centers, arriving with regular frequency.

Visitor Bureaus
Maine Office of Tourism
Downeast & Acadia Regional Tourism Office
Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce