**Updated : November 2022**
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Acadia National Park is located in the 23rd state of Maine, in the Northeast corner of the United States. Created entirely by private land donations, Acadia means "heaven on earth" and was established in 1919. Acadia National Park is the only national park located in New England and is bordered by the town of Bar Harbor, and we highly recommend visiting in the late Fall, when most tourists have left. Although one of the smaller parks in the U.S., Acadia National Park receives over 3.5 million visitors a year! In order to enter the park, you'll have to either purchase an Acadia National Parks Pass in person or online, which are $30 per private vehicle or $15 per person. Annual National Parks passes are also accepted!
How to Get There
Arriving to Acadia National Park is pretty easy, and there are a few different ways to get there. The most common, of course, is driving yourself, with the park entrance located about 3 hours north of the larger city of Portland, Maine. The drive is beautiful, and it provided us with many opportunities to see the coastline, lighthouses, and lobster shacks! If you don't feel like a road trip, you can also try flying in to the Hancock County Bar Harbor Airport (10 minutes from the park) or the Bangor International Airport (1 hour from the park). The last option would be to take a cruise! We were told the amount of cruises stopping in Bar Harbor have almost doubled in the last handful of years, so I'm sure you'll be able to find an itinerary that suites your needs!
Where to Stay
Where to Eat
This is a hard one, there are PLENTY of places to chow down in Bar Habor, not so many in Acadia National Park. Actually, there is only restaurant in Acadia National Park - Jordan Pond House Restaurant, and it is only open mid-May through late-October. There are however plenty of picnic spots in the park, so feel free to bring your own food and relax at one of these! (Just make sure to pack out everything you bring in!)
Want to grab a bite in Bar Harbor? A few of our favorites are Fogtown Brewing, Thirsty Whale Tavern, and Choco-Latte Cafe!
Hiking in the Park
Acadia National Park has instantly become one of our favorite places to hike - not only are the views incredible, but a handful of the hikes have iron rungs that require some climbing to get to the top! Below we've listed some of our favorite hikes in the park, as well as a list of hikes we're saving for the next time we make it out east!
Our Favorite Hikes in Acadia :
Hikes we're Saving for Next Time :
Cadillac Mountain :
Another stop we highly recommend is Cadillac Mountain, but it depends on the season you're visiting. If visiting during the peak season of mid-May to mid-October you'll need a reservation to drive up Cadillac Summit Road. These are $6 each and can be purchased here, and are required in addition to the parks pass. These are timed entries, and you need to print your pass and bring it with you, but you can spend as much time on the summit as you'd like. Make sure to get these in advance, 30% of the reservations go on sale 90 days before, and the remaining 70% of the reservations go on sale 2 days before.
*Fun Fact : Cadillac Mountain is said to be the first place in the U.S. where you can see the sunrise! We also recommend heading out to Schoodic point to watch the sunset!
If you aren't able to get a reservation to Cadillac Mountain, then don't worry, you have a few other options! You can either bike up, walk/hike up, or take a taxi up (all of which DO NOT require a reservation! If you do decide to hike up, there are two paths you can take.
Other Things to do in Acadia
If hiking just isn't your thing, or you just need to rest your legs, there are plenty of other things to do in or near Acadia National Park! Read on for our list of adventures!
Watch our adventures in Acadia National Park here!
Check out our National Parks Printable Checklist here!
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Hey there!👋🏽
We're Deborah & Tyler, a pretty average husband and wife duo from a pretty average state that didn't want to live so averagely. After our *Covid wedding we sold everything that didn't fit into the Jeep and moved to Alaska, then decided to take a gap year! We share bucket list itineraries and cost saving guides to help you travel easier and inspire your next adventure! ;) Our favorite travel gear is available on Amazon! Use this link to shop all our favorite products! Our blog and all its content are free to you, however when you purchase through referral or affiliate links on our site we may earn a small commission. Learn more here.
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