Just Go Travel Blog — Acadia National Park

Rugged coastal landscapes, over a hundred miles of hiking trails and stunning sunrises draw crowds of people to Acadia National Park every summer and fall. However, winter in Acadia National Park is an entirely different experience.  

Enjoy all the beauty coated in a blanket of snow minus the people. During the busy summer season, the park can see over 25,000 visitors in a single day. One park ranger told us that a typical winter day brings only a few hundred visitors to the park. We saw far less than that during our December visit and enjoyed every peaceful minute! 

When a national monument gains “national park” status, are they guaranteed to receive an immediate boost in attendance in the following years?

Is there such thing as a “National Park Effect?”

What will happen with attendance at the nation's newest National Parks in the next few years?

We attempt to answer the question.

Regardless of the time of year, a Cadillac Mountain sunrise in Acadia National Park can be an amazing experience. It’s no wonder why it’s one of the most popular activities in Acadia National Park.  

At 1,530 feet, the peak of Cadillac Mountain rises above all other mountains on Mount Desert Island. Although Cadillac Mountain’s elevation is hardly notable when compared to other peaks in New England, the summit is the highest point along the Eastern Seaboard; and, between October and early March, the earliest sunrise in the continental United States can be seen from Cadillac Mountain’s summit.

Acadia National Park is best known for its rocky shorelines, coastal mountains, jagged cliffs and glacier-carved lakes. Although Acadia offers some stunning viewpoints along Park Loop Road, you’d be missing out if you didn’t take advantage of the park’s amazing trail system to experience some of the best views in the park!

With over 120 miles of hiking trails, many which are interconnected, Acadia National Park has a hike for everyone. The best hikes in Acadia are a matter of opinion. However, after several visits and lots of hikes, we’ve put together this list of what we think are some of the best Acadia National Park trails.