Acadia National Park—Mailing Address: PO Box 177 Bar Harbor, ME 04609, Phone: (207) 288-3338. Website: https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm
Heading to New England for your RV road trip? Put Acadia National Park on your must-see list. Located on Mount Desert Island and just 50 miles from Bangor, Maine and 264 miles from Boston, Acadia National Park is part of our country’s National Park System. Its more than 47,000 acres includes 35,332 acres owned by the National Park Service and another 12,416 acres of privately owned lands under conservation easements managed by the National Park Service.
According to the NPS, more than 3.3 million people explore its seven peaks above 1,000 feet, walk along it 158 miles of hiking trails, and travel its 45 miles of carriage roads with 16 stone bridges. And there’s plenty to do in Acadia, including Ranger-guided bicycle tours and boat cruises, bus and carriage tours, Ranger programs, and a wide range of kid-oriented and outdoor activities.
Acadia National Park has also made its facilities as accessible as possible for visitors who have physical or mobility issues, deaf or hearing loss or are blind or have low vision. Service dogs or sight-guiding dogs may accompany their owner to all park locations unless the area is closed to all visitors. For details about accessibility in the park, download a copy of the Accessibility Guide.
Here are more details about Acadia National Park from its website.
Entrance Passes and Other Fees
Purchase weekly passes at information centers throughout the park, or online at Your Pass Now, with entrance fees required from May through October. More fee information is available here.
- Vehicle: $30—Valid for seven days: Admits private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less) and all occupants. If the vehicle pass is purchased, no other pass is necessary. Buy and print your pass online
- Motorcycle: $25—Valid for seven days: Admits one or two passengers on a private, non-commercial motorcycle. Buy and print your pass online
- Per Person: $15—Valid for seven days: Admits one individual with no car (bicyclist, hiker, pedestrian). Youth 15 and under are admitted free of charge.
U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are permanently disabled are eligible for the Interagency Access Pass. This free, lifetime admission pass is valid at National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and Bureau of Reclamation sites. For more information or to download an application visit https://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm.
Acadia National Park also has Special Use Permits (SUPs) for specific events or activities that provide a benefit to an individual, group, or organization, rather than the public at large as well as for activities that require some degree of management by the National Park Service to protect park resources and the public interest.
Campgrounds
The park has three campgrounds: Schoodic Woods Campground on the Schoodic Peninsula (with water and electric hookups), and Blackwoods and Seawall Campgrounds on Mount Desert Island (no hookups but each with a dump station). There are also five lean-to shelters on Isle au Haut. For more information on campgrounds, go here.
Parking
Always park in designated areas, and make sure all wheels are on the pavement. Roadside parking outside of designated areas is prohibited. Parking for oversized vehicles (recreational vehicles or vehicles pulling trailers) is only available at Jordan Pond (12 spaces). Cadillac Mountain, Echo Lake and Sand Beach can’t accommodate oversized vehicles. For more information about oversized vehicle restrictions including height, go here.
Rules and Regulations
Visitors are prohibited from bringing firewood from other areas into the park to prevent the introduction of non-native insect species that pose a serious threat to Acadia National Park’s resources. Instead, firewood can be purchased near the Blackwoods, Seawall, and Schoodic Woods Campgrounds. For more information, see the pest alert produced by the National Park Service and the firewood information page.
While pets are allowed in most park locations, they must be leashed and attended or otherwise physically restrained at all times. However, pets may not be brought to ranger-led activities.
For more information about policies regarding alcoholic beverages, ATVs and motorbikes, drones, forearms and other items, visit the Park Rules and Regulations page.
For more about the National Park System, check out our post, Plan a Visit to A National Park.
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