I'm no stranger to parks and beautiful natural places, but Acadia is like a dreamscape. There's…read morestunning ocean views from crumbling gorgeous cliff sides. There are lakes, streams, ponds, scenic lighthouses, boats, bikes, trails, gardens, crazy hikes with vertical iron rungs, rolling forest hikes, lighthouses, and more! The main issue you'll run into is crowds.. lots of people want to come here, especially in July and August. Best thing to do, go in as early as possible, do some things, take a break, go back again after 3. If you're early, you can get a parking spot then work from there. If you are flexible on time, take advantage of the shuttles, but be warned, they may be full, and they don't run every 10-15 minutes, so plan accordingly. I would be in the park by 7, have plans maybe on a tour in Bar Harbor late morning or early afternoon, then head back after 4, and I got to all the must-do's, ie hiked the Beehive, the Bubbles, Cadillac Mountain sunrise and sunset (reserve this early as spots sell out, I booked mine 3 months in advance the minute they released and they were sold out shortly later, especially sunrise tickets), Jordan Pond and popovers, Bass Harbor Lighthouse, as well as some boat tours in the area, including very successful whale and puffin watching. For more hints and tips, I watched some YouTube videos, there's great info out there, especially the videos from Ash, a former park ranger, who has loads of helpful tips to get around and not spend your trip sitting in traffic or waiting in a parking spot.

Did we go in a wrong entrance or something?!…read more I was underwhelmed for sure. We walked a few trails and took some photos but ??? Im very glad we hit Cadillac Mountain - that's where it's at!!!

While in Acadia we stopped in at the main visitor center to grab some pamphlets as well as prepare…read morefor our hiking trip. This visitor center is fairly large and had a decent selection of information including a topographical exhibit. The staff here was also polite and had some interactive displays for children.

Acadia National Park has been on my list of "must visit" parks for years. I've been talking to…read morevarious friends about a trip there for a while. While searching for a last-minute 4-day weekend birthday trip - the timing seemed to work out to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia. I was here from 30 April - 03 May and loved it. Not everything was open, but enough was open that I was able to explore and see most of what I wanted in Acadia (Cadillac mountain opened ON 30 April so, we were able to drive to the top, park and walk around without a permit/pass before season starts in a few weeks. We hiked Beehive, Jordan Pond, Ocean Path, Homan's Trail and a few other short park and walk items. By far, my favorite was Beehive as it's just scary/steep enough to give you a thrill, gorgeous views. I also loved Homan's trail - easy and short, but beautiful rock work. The ranger also told me that one of the women who originally donated a ton of the land for Acadia and wanted to do so anonymously was last name Homan, so this is honor of her. And what a beautiful trail it is! The visitor's center is small but as always, friendly and helpful rangers who helped me prioritize my must-sees and map out the best use of time/driving to get to everything I wanted to do in two short days. Schooner Point lookout is also an easy/quick stop off before entering one of the park entrances - and a beautiful view of the ocean. Bar Harbor is charming and fun and welcoming and at that time in late April/early May - no waits for anything as season is just beginning. Can't wait to come back!

Visiting Acadia National Park was one of the highlights of my summer. The views were breathtaking!…read moreI kept telling myself to stop taking pictures yet two seconds later there wouldbe something else that I just had to get a shot of. In order to go to the summit during peak season, you have to make a reservation at least 48 hours in advance. I did not know this and once I tried, I was not able to get a reservation and thought there was no way that I was going to see the top of Cadillac Mountain. The evening before I left, I drove up to the gate for the summit and spoke with the Park Ranger, and he said that they had openings in the next hour and to go around the corner. Find some bars and register online.i was so excited when I got my confirmation code. Cadillac mountain is the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic coast. Did I mention that I am afraid of heights? I drove the road, gripping the wheel trying not to look over the edge at each hairpin turn. From October through March, it's famously one of the first places in the United States to see the sunrise. While I was there, the sun was rising at 4 AM and for some reason I was wide awake with a piano panoramic view from hotel high up in Bar Harbor. It was well worth the price per pictures that will be frozen in my mind forever.

Cadillac Mountain is a must-see when traveling to Bar Harbor, Maine…read more It gives a great overview of the harbor and a real rugged experience. But be prepared. Make reservations in advance online; you can't make them in person. You must buy park tickets, which are $35 (kind of ridiculous for a state park), and $6 bucks to tour the top of the mountain. They had a small gift shop and only one working restroom with two portalets close by. Some people drive it, some hike it to see the sunrise and some bike it. I would only recommend driving it given how narrow the road is and it's off the side of a cliff. It was a nice overall experience.

We opted for the one and a half hour shore excursion that takes you to the top of the highest peak…read moreon the North Atlantic Seaboard. You enter Arcadia National Park. Today it was foggy yet as we ascended up we climbed above the clouds: surreal and beautiful. There is a gift shop and a restroom.

Less than an acre, this is a nice short stop along the Park Loop Road. During our visit in late…read moreJune, there were a few flowers blooming. The plants are labeled for easy identification. Parking is readily available.

A beautiful garden with labeling of the plants. There is an on-site nature center. There was also a…read morebeautiful easy trail that loops back to the garden. The Holman / Dorr paths were easily accessible from the garden trail. These two trails were more difficult since vertical hiking and climbing were required. Due to miscalculation of time and prior commitment, our party of six didn't summit and cross the pass of Dorr Path. We had to turn back. My family will return and take care of this unfinished pleasure. Parking was plentiful.

Absolutely gorgeous trail through stunning forest that goes around Jordan Pond in Acadia National…read morePark. The trail is a little over 3 miles around. Jordan Pond trail connects to several other trails too, including the trail to Bubble Rock. A portion of the trail is on sturdy wooden planks to easily walk on, a very short section of the trail does have large boulders to navigate but most of the trail is a level dirt path. There are obvious signs of wildlife everywhere, such as beavers having chewed through trees, frogs along the waters edge, birds, wild turkey & roaming deer. We saw people of all ages walking (with their dogs too) the entire trail & we brought 4 little girls (ages 5-12) who all easily navigated the trail! No swimming allowed in this pond & bring a water bottle! There is a gift shop, food & bathrooms by the parking lot only.

The walk around Jordan Pond is beautiful and stress free. We stopped here with a group of 5 and 2…read moredogs. We made sure that we got to the parking lot early (8 AM) on a weekday to ensure easy parking. During a past trip, we arrived in the parking lot at 11 AM and it was utter chaos. We did not want to make that mistake again. The early start meant that the trail was very quiet with low traffic when we visited in early June.

Very nice narrative of the area, history and some "fun facts". It was neat to see Acadia from the…read morewater after visiting from land the day before.

Rich took our family on a full day tour of Bar Harbor/Acadia. The kids are ages 7 and 9 and he…read moreadjusted the content of the tour based on the likes and dislikes of my kids that I described to him over the phone prior to arriving. We started the morning on 1+ hour hike through a spruce forest to arrive at the edge of a cove. Seals were in the water and birds in the distance. We literally didn't see a single other person on the hike which is incredible given that it was high season (August). It was a testament to Rich's knowledge of the island. We did visit Sieur de Monts Spring and did a flat loop walk on the long boardwalk trail which was also fairly deserted given its proximity to the tour buses pouring tourists out in front of the nature museum there. Lastly, we made a visit to a tidal pool where we spent a solid 2 hours in the water looking under every rock for starfish, crabs, sea anemones, sea urchins and snails galore. Rich knew each species and explained the good and the bad (green crabs -- invasive, not good; Jonah crabs - native, good) Rich did all of the driving and it made for a relaxing exposure to Bar Harbor/Acadia that we would've never been able to do as quickly on our own. Well worth the money.

This is one of the best places I visited on my end of summer Maine vacation. Had no clue that I…read morewould get to see the bowels of a civil war era fort that was built to defend against British invaders that never showed up. The observatory at the top of the bridge was amazing!

Not to be confused with the Fort Knox that holds the gold. This was a cool side trip…read more Located on the west bank of the Penobscot River in Prospect, Maine, in an area known as the Penobscot Narrows. Fort Knox is one of the best-preserved military fortifications on the New England seacoast. The fort has many unique architectural features and a rich history behind its walls. It is America's first fort named after Major General Henry Knox. ​ During the country's infancy, Maine was repeatedly involved in northeast border disputes with British Canada. In fact, the area between Castine and the rich lumber city of Bangor was invaded and occupied by the British during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Fort Knox was established in 1844 to protect the Penobscot River Valley against a possible future British naval incursion. It was designed by Chief Engineer Joseph Totten, with a number of other engineers serving as superintendents of construction from 1844 - 1869, among them Isaac Ingalls Stevens and Thomas L. Casey. The fort was named for Major General Henry Knox, America's first Secretary of War, who was born in Boston but retired to Thomaston, Maine, in 1796. The fort garrisoned its first troops from 1863 to 1866. These troops were mostly volunteers undergoing training before being sent to their active posts and included members of the celebrated 20th Maine. Troops were briefly stationed at the fort during the Spanish-American war in 1898 but never saw military action. If you're in the area and enjoy history, especially military history it's worth your time to tour.

We stayed at Tide Watch Cabins for our anniversary and had a great time. The cabin space is perfect…read morefor a couple and a dog. The view is spectacular, and we had a great time watching the tide come in and go out. They also put flowers in the room for our anniversary! The restaurant next door (same owners) brought us food on the patio outside the cabin, so we were able to have a private little dinner. The cabins are very close to the Hull's Cove Entrance of Acadia and about five minutes drive to downtown Bar Harbor, but still nice and quiet. Definitely a place to return to!

Stayed for a short visit to Bar Harbor/Acadia recently. The cabins are small but cute. We stayed…read morewith our pup and there was plenty of room for the three of us. Rooms were clean and had everything needed (microwave, mini fridge, toaster, coffeemaker with thier own coffee blend). They all have water views and a small, covered, outdoor sitting area (with 2 chairs and table for our cabin). The thing I most appreciated was the staff ... service was outstanding. Everyone was very friendly and as helpful as could be. We really enjoyed our stay! BTW, the attached restaurant is very good too!

Great place to stop before starting the day at Acadia National Park. Pick up a map or get…read moreinformation on Park Ranger Programs. Make sure to stamp your National Park Passport with the Acadia Centennial Stamp.

From the owner: Acadia National Park & MDI Chambers Information Center and Fee Station at Thompson Island contains…read morepark and Mt. Desert Island Chambers information. This Thompson Island Information Center is located on Route 3 at the head of Mount Desert Island. Displays of area information can help guide your visit to the area. Facilities include restrooms and drinking fountains. A picnic area is available nearby. Open from mid-May to mid-October