Overview
A brief introduction to Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park protects the natural beauty of the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the United States, an abundance of habitats, and a rich cultural heritage. At 4 million visits a year, it's one of the top 10 most-visited national parks in the United States. Visitors enjoy 27 miles of historic motor roads, 158 miles of hiking trails, and 45 miles of carriage roads.
Acadia National Park is a national park of the United States located along the mid-section of the Maine coast, southwest of Bar Harbor. The park includes about half of Mount Desert Island, part of the Isle au Haut, the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula, and portions of sixteen smaller outlying islands.
The park contains the tallest mountain on the Atlantic Coast of the United States (Cadillac Mountain), exposed granite domes, glacial erratics, U-shaped valleys, and cobble beaches. Its mountains, lakes, streams, wetlands, forests, meadows, and coastlines contribute to a diversity of plants and animals. Woven into this landscape is a historic carriage road system financed by John D. Rockefeller Jr. In total, it encompasses 49,075 acres (19,860 ha; 76.680 sq mi; 198.60 km2) as of 2017.
Acadia has a rich human history, dating back more than 10,000 years ago with the Wabanaki people. The 17th century brought fur traders and other European explorers, while the 19th century saw an influx of summer visitors, then wealthy families. Many conservation-minded citizens, among them George B. Dorr (the "Father of Acadia National Park"), worked to establish this first U.S. national park east of the Mississippi River and the only one in the Northeastern United States. Acadia was initially designated Sieur de Monts National Monument by proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, then renamed and redesignated Lafayette National Park in 1919. The park was renamed Acadia National Park in 1929.
Recreational activities from spring through autumn include car and bus touring along the Park Loop Road; hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding on carriage roads (motor vehicles are prohibited); fishing; rock climbing; kayaking and canoeing on lakes and ponds; swimming at Sand Beach and Echo Lake; sea kayaking and guided boat tours on the ocean; and various ranger-led programs. Winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing. Two campgrounds are located on Mount Desert Island, another campground is on the Schoodic Peninsula, and five lean-to sites are on Isle au Haut. The main visitor center is at Hulls Cove, northwest of Bar Harbor. Park visitation has been steadily increasing in Acadia over the past decade, with 2021 seeing a record count of 4.07 million visitors. In 2023 the park saw 3,879,890 recreational visitors.
ARE Acadia National Park campsites SOLD OUT?
We can help! Many campsite reservations are cancelled daily. Just tell us when you’d like to camp at Acadia National Park, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll text you when a suitable spot opens up!
Scan for cancellationsContact Acadia National Park
- Recreation.gov
- Booking site: https://www.recreation.gov
Spotted an error?
Whoops! Sometimes we make mistakes. Want to help improve the Acadia National Park listing? Please suggest a correction.
Reviews
Camper reviews for Acadia National Park
Acadia Blackwoods
The campground is close to the entrance to the national park. The campground itself had plenty of space. One thing the campground doesn’t have are shower facilities, but they are conveniently located about a mile from the grounds. However the bathrooms at the facility were very clean. The site itself had plenty of space to setup multiple tents, even though we only setup one tent.
Close to the bathrooms but not too close
I thought the site was great. We were 1 in from the main loop road. Also, two sights down from the bathroom so close but not too close. We did have a larger 6 person tent along without kids two person tents.
Truly a special place
Unfortunately, the northeast US doesn't have much in the way of national parks, but boy does Acadia fill the bill. Such a unique landscape with an equally unique history, it's worth the trip to sightsee and learn about this wonderful stretch of coastline, with its combination of peaceful forests, rolling hills and unforgiving coastline.
Hikes to the Ocean
Great campground to explore!
Map
View a map of Acadia National Park
UNABLE TO RESERVE A CAMPSITE?
Get notified when a sold-out campground has availability
Tell us when, where, and how long you want to camp for. We’ll notify you (via SMS) when a suitable spot opens up at that campground—so you can nab that sold-out campsite reservation!