What to DoAcadia National Park
Things to Do in Acadia National Park
Things to do in Acadia National Park: Park Loop Road, Cadillac Mountain, the $6 summit reservation, 2026 fees and the non-resident surcharge, fall colors.
Acadia National Park
Granite coast and Cadillac Mountain on Mount Desert Island, Maine, next to Bar Harbor.
To drive up Cadillac Mountain you need a $6 vehicle reservation from Recreation.gov. It is required from 20 May to 25 October 2026, and you also need an entrance pass. You can hike up without one. The North Ridge Trail is 4.4 miles round trip. The entrance fee is $35 a vehicle or $20 a person, good for 7 days.
Acadia is one of 11 parks that charge non-US residents aged 16 and over an extra $100 each, unless they hold an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Crowds peak from June to September, and midday is busiest. The Sand Beach lot is routinely full by 9 a.m. The free Island Explorer shuttle reaches the Park Loop Road and the carriage roads, but not the Cadillac summit.
The Park Loop Road is 27 miles long. At Thunder Hole, the Park Service suggests coming one to two hours before high tide. Fall color generally peaks in mid-October, says an older NPS page. Fly into Bangor International, about one hour from the park, or Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport, 10 miles away.
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