The Best Time to Travel to Acadia National Park
Summer is the most popular season in Acadia National Park, but fall is the best time to visit.
Written by David Ghanizadeh-Khoob
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
If you’re looking for beautiful beaches, delicious seafood, excellent trails, and a welcoming community, Acadia offers a microcosm of
Maine
culture. Summer is the busiest time of year in Acadia National Park, but September is the best time to visit as it retains the heat with less competition for access.Acadia National park is one of the busiest parks in the country. While it may be a no-brainer to go while the weather is nice, visiting in the winter can offer an equally enjoyable experience if you like playing in the snow and don’t mind chilly adventures.
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The best times of year to travel to Acadia National Park
Like any vacation destination, when to travel depends on what you want to experience. While the summer is the busiest time of year with crowds peaking for Labor Day weekend, the park also tends to be crowded in mid-October as people arrive to take in the beautiful changing leaves.
As a result, if you want to avoid the chaos and full campgrounds, September or late spring make for the best times to visit.
Peak season: June to August
The good: Stellar weather and lots of events
The bad: Crowded and congested
The weather: Low 50s to high 70s
Warm weather, beautiful beaches, plentiful outdoor activities, fresh lobster tails, and congestion on Park Loop Road characterize Acadia National Park in the summer. Summer offers the best conditions for hiking, paddling, biking, rock climbing, and all other fair-weather activities.
Summer also marks the best time for stargazing. Acadia has the darkest skies east of the Mississippi, thanks to an ordinance to preserve natural lightscapes.
You will have to plan well in advance for your trip and try to get to popular destinations early. Campgrounds are booked on a 60-day rolling window and fill fast, and it is recommended to book any hotels months in advance.
However, if you want to avoid some of the people you can check out the outskirts of the park on the Schoodic Peninsula and the Isle au Haut, which rarely get crowded.
Summer is also the peak season for events in the park. June hosts the
Acadia Birding Festival
, the Bar Harbor Music Festival
runs from late June to late July, and the Bar Harbor Fine Arts Festival
is usually in August.Off-season: November to March
The good: Solitude and great snow activities
The bad: Cold weather and a lot of closed businesses
The weather: Mid-teens to mid-40s
The winter is without a doubt the slow season in Acadia National Park. By November, the campgrounds close for the season, as do many other businesses. However, this doesn’t mean winter is a bad time to visit.
Winter offers solitude and freedom in the park if you are interested in the available activities. The warm winds coming off the ocean make the snow take a while to stick. When it does stay though, cross country skiing and snowmobiling become available on the 45 miles of carriage roads in the park.
Throughout the winter, hiking is also still an option, though park loop road closes, making some access points harder to get to. On the roads that stay open, winter offers a great opportunity for scenic drives without having to wait in traffic.
Pro-Tip Some areas close in March for raptor nesting season. Keep an eye out for closures, but also for falcon activity when you visit.
Shoulder season: April/May and September/October
The good: Less crowded and beautiful changing leaves
The bad: Fewer events, fall can be busy, and spring can be soggy and buggy
The weather: Mid-30s to mid-60s
Late spring and early fall make for the best times to visit Acadia National Park in many people’s minds. With crisp weather and far fewer people, the shoulder season can give you all of the lovely experiences in summer with less waiting in lines. Most amenities open in full capacity by mid-April and stay open until late October, so there is no issue finding places to stay and eat.
The spring can be soggy and buggy, however. Snow melts make for a muddy experience until some time in May, and black flies are in full mating season in May and June. To help you cope with the wetness, though, you can come during
National Park Week
in April to celebrate the beauty of America's natural spaces.Fall is prime time in Acadia National Park. After Labor Day things die down in the park, but the weather stays warm in September—plus the wildflowers are usually still blooming throughout the month. October sees a return of the crowds as people flock to see the changing leaves which peak in mid-October.
The cheapest time to travel to Acadia National Park
There are only four campgrounds in the park: Two on Mount Desert Island, one on the Schoodic Peninsula, and five lean-tos on the Isle au Haut. Camping typically amounts to the cheapest accommodations, but it is only available from April to October.
If you want to save money on hotels, then book well in advance, or visit in the winter. Though many businesses close for the off-season, those that stay open often have much cheaper rates throughout the slow season to entice frugal travelers.
MORE: Best roadtrips in Maine
Find the best month for your visit
Check out the table below for the best time to travel for some popular activities.
Activity | Best month to visit | Why? |
|---|---|---|
Hiking | September | Good weather with less competition for parking |
Biking | Late spring or early fall | Good weather, dry roads, and less traffic |
Beaches and paddling | Summer | Warm enough weather to enjoy the cool water |
Rock Climbing | September | Good conditions and less competition for parking |
Nordic Skiing | January/February | Coldest months with the most snowfall |
Star gazing | August/September | Best views of the Milky Way, September host the Acadia Night Sky Festival |
Birding | June | Birds nesting for the season and the Acadia Birding Festival |
Live music | July | The Bar Harbor Music Festival |
Find the best prices for your car insurance
To experience Acadia at its best, you will want to drive in. Whether you rent a car or drive your own, you’ll also want to make sure you have adequate
insurance
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FAQ
How long do I need for my trip to Acadia National Park?
Acadia makes for a great weekend getaway. You will definitely want at least one full day and, of course, you could spend much much longer exploring the area.
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