The Best Times to Visit Acadia National Park for Good Weather and Affordable Rates

Find out when to hike, drive, and camp along Maine's rugged coastline.

Travelers from near and far flock to Acadia National Park year-round to bask in the panoramic ocean views, hike its extensive trail network, eat the iconic popovers at Jordan Pond House, and watch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain. With more than four million annual visitors, Acadia is one of the country's most popular national parks. It's idyllic in any season, but the best time to visit the East Coast's oldest national park is in the fall when the temps are cooler, the crowds are smaller, and the leaves are all shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Acadia National Park's tourist seasons are as follows:

• High Season: June through September

• Shoulder Seasons: April through May and October through November

• Low Season: December through March

Different times of year provide unique perspectives on Maine's rocky coast, so here are the best times to visit Acadia National Park based on your budget and itinerary.

Best Times to Visit Acadia National Park for Smaller Crowds

Winter is the quietest time in Acadia National Park. While the number of visitors is typically between 600,000 and 800,000 per month between June and September, it drops to as low as 15,000 per month from December through March. January is the quietest month, welcoming only about 10,000 to 15,000 people.

Though you can count on more solitude during a winter visit, be prepared for challenges — particularly with weather and accessibility. In the low season, portions of the popular Park Loop Road driving route close due to potentially dangerous conditions and road repairs. Trails can become icy, so you should check park conditions before your day out and dress appropriately for freezing temperatures.

Facilities like the visitor centers, nature center, campgrounds, and historical museum close for the winter, but park passes and information are available at the Entrance Station in Bar Harbor, Maine. That said, winter in Acadia National Park ushers in a unique set of activities, including ice climbing, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing. Snowmobiling is allowed on the Park Loop Road and most fire roads. Volunteers groom portions of the carriage roads and set tracks for cross-country skiing when snowfall exceeds six inches.

Best Times to Visit Acadia National Park for Good Weather

In the words of Mark Twain: “If you don't like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.” This is particularly true for Acadia, where the conditions are constantly changing. The locals would attest that you should always pack an extra layer — even on the hottest summer days. The weather and temperature at the top of Cadillac Mountain and the park's other peaks can be quite different from that at the park's entrance, so keep that in mind when planning a summit visit.

That said, July and August are the most comfortable in terms of climate. Summer daytime temperatures can range between 45 and 90 degrees, with July and August seeing highs in the upper 60s to mid-80s. Water temperatures are the warmest they'll be all year, though they're still too cold to swim in comfortably (50 to 70 degrees, with lakes being slightly warmer than the ocean).

If you don't mind chillier temperatures, fall is also a beautiful time to visit. September and October bring an array of colors that shouldn't be missed.

Best Times to Visit Acadia National Park for Lower Prices

There's a fee to get into Acadia National Park, no matter when you visit (except for six annual free days). A seven-day pass is $35 per vehicle or less if you arrive by motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot. Alternatively, you can buy an Acadia annual pass for $70 or an interagency National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass for $80. The latter will get you into parks around the country. Senior annual and lifetime passes are available at a discount, and members of the military, veterans, and their families can get in free.

Besides the entry fee, there's the cost of accommodations, activities, and dining. With the exception of the park's four campgrounds — open in the summer only and charging between $20 and $60 per night — lodging is most expensive in the summer. Hotels on Mount Desert Island get so busy that even budget-friendly inns and motels without any amenities can cost upwards of $300 per night. There is no backcountry camping or overnight parking in Acadia.

Unless you're able to snag a campsite, the most affordable option is to go during the off-season. You're more likely to find other travel deals, too, but keep in mind that some businesses that rely on tourism close during the winter.

Best Times to Visit Thunder Hole

One of the most popular stops along the Park Loop Road is Thunder Hole. Waves crash against a cavern along a rocky shoreline, creating a thunderous sound and spraying plumes from the Atlantic high into the air. It's a stunning spectacle that happens daily, year-round, but it can be wildly busy during the summer months. In the off-season, you'll have a quieter experience, but you won't be able to go via the free Island Explorer shuttle, which runs between late May and mid-October. Parking should be less of an issue in the off-season, however.

Ultimately, the time of day matters more than the time of year when planning your Thunder Hole visit. Check the tide chart before you go, and aim to be there one to two hours before high tide for the most dramatic scene and loudest roar.

Best Time to Visit Cadillac Mountain

Cadillac Mountain is known to be the first place in the U.S. to see the sunrise each morning. Its peak (the highest point on the eastern seaboard) is a hopping place at daybreak, offering unspoiled views of Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay illuminated by the rising sun. The free park shuttle does not go to Cadillac Mountain, and the road to the summit is open from around mid-April to early December. It's so popular that the National Parks Service requires a reservation to drive to the top between mid-May and mid-October. When the road is closed, the only way to get there is to hike four to seven miles round-trip on the Cadillac North or South Ridge trails.

Fall is arguably the best time to visit Cadillac Mountain. The road to the top is still open, but the crowds dwindle, providing a quieter experience — plus, you get to see Maine's epic fall foliage.

Best Times to Visit Sand Beach

Swimming at Sand Beach is chilly even at the peak of summer when water temperatures average in the 50- to 60-degree range. It isn't the type of beach you'd find further down the East Coast, packed with swimsuit-clad loungers and people frolicking in the water. But that's a good thing when you consider how it never feels overcrowded.

Sand Beach is along a portion of Park Loop Road that's open year-round, so you can visit anytime. The parking lot often fills up in the morning hours, but you can access Sand Beach via the free Island Explorer bus when it is running.

If you're going to swim or hike one of the popular nearby trails (The Beehive, Great Head Trail, or Ocean Path), then spring through fall would be the most comfortable. You can hike in the winter, but pack proper footwear since ice buildup is common.

Worst Time to Visit Acadia National Park

There is no "bad" time to visit Acadia National Park. It's magical in every season, but some times are better than others for a tight budget or for certain recreational activities. Winter is typically the least expensive season, but it's undoubtedly the most limiting. A large portion of Park Loop Road closes, hikes become difficult when the trails are covered in snow or ice, and temperatures throughout the park are downright frigid. Unless you're planning a trip to commune with nature in solitude or to pursue winter-specific activities like cross-country skiing, you might want to schedule your trip for another season.

Related: 20 Best National Parks in the U.S. That Everyone Should Visit at Least Once