"Summer in Maine!" Acadia National Park by Shihar

Acadia National Park Travel Guide: 259 reviews and 494 photos

We spent a long weekend in Maine in July 2005. This was a great birthday trip for me and also my hubby since he had never been before.

My only regret was the weather, of course. It didn't rain but it was overcast and cloudy the whole weekend. Unfortunately, were not able to take in all the beautiful sites at the park because of this reason.Nonetheless we had a great time... because we were traveling and not at home!

The park is open all year round. The main visitor center is open April-October. There is always high traffic July, August and September.

Acadia NP is located about 164 miles from Portland, 270 miles from Boston and 475 miles fro NYC.

Bar Harbor..

Most of the visitors that visit Acadia NP, stay in Bar Harbor. It's a cutesy, touristy little town that has all the MAINE neccessities one could ever imagine.

Getting there...
From Ellsworth, 28 miles SE of Bangor- follow Me. 3 south for 18 miles to Mount Desert Island where most of the park is located.

Another section of the park is located on the Schoodic Pennisula which is an hour from Bar Harbor.

Mount Desert Island ..

Jordan Pond

is the result of over 500 milion years of some sort of geologic activity.

In 1916 Woodrow Wilson designated Lafayette National Park to be the first National Park east of the Mississippi River. The name changed to Acadia in 1929.

The park spreads to about 400,000 acres. There was a huge fire in 1947 that decimated approximately 10,000 acres of original spruce and firs.

Since the Park opened in 1916, it has boasted a number of ""firsts". As stated above it was the first National Park east of the Mississippi. Also,it was the first Park whose land was entirely donated by private citizens.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Great Trails and off-beat activities
Cons:Weather can be difficult

Last visit to Acadia National Park: Jul 2005
Intro Updated Mar 27, 2006
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Reviews (15)

Rain and Fog unpredictable - Acadia National Park

Rain and Fog unpredictable Warnings and Dangers (1)

Summer in Maine is wonderful... just keep in mind the weather can change very quickly so bring your rain gear just in... more travel advice

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse - Acadia National Park

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse Off The Beaten Path (4)

Don't expect the traditional tall standing lighthouse here! We overheard many visitors complain that there is not much... more travel advice

Downtown Bar Harbor - Acadia National Park

Downtown Bar Harbor Shopping (1)

Just about everywhere in downtown Bar Harbor you will be able to find cutesy knick knacks revolving around MAINE... more travel advice

Swimming Sports & Outdoors (1)

Echo Lake Beach provides visitors with fresh water swimming, while Sand Beach has saltwater.Ocean temperatures average... more travel advice

Favorites (2)
See All Entrance Fees
Transportation (1)
Biking around

Comments (5)

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Faiza-Ifrah Oct 21, 2009 at 4:16 PM

very nice tips and pictures taken in weather that made it difficult to capture the background.
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Vulindlela Mar 26, 2007 at 6:52 PM

Wow, What a pretty place! Thank you for sharing.
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SLLiew Sep 2, 2006 at 1:21 AM

Loved Maine, Aradia and lobsters. Nice tips on the park. Too cold to swim. SL
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kazander Feb 28, 2006 at 6:47 AM

Hi Shi! We loved Acadia, nice off the beaten path tips! We are thinking possibly Yosemite for our summer trip...we'll see:)
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richiecdisc Nov 15, 2005 at 5:03 PM

Glad you enjoyed it. Looks like you had a great trip too. Thanks for dropping by. :)