Acadia National Park in Maine is amazingly beautiful. You’ll find rugged coastlines meeting the ocean and forests of trees covering hillsides. I had pretty high expectations for our one day in Acadia and our experience FAR exceeded those expectations! And this list is here to give you the top 8 things to do in Acadia National Park for your first visit! Acadia is full of loads of amazing things to do, however, these Acadia National Park things to do will give you a great overview of the park plus you can fit them all into one day.

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If you are traveling with a group, it may be a good option to book a private bus tour to see the top highlights of the park or to get a general overview of the park to return another day.

We visited Acadia National Park while on a short weekend trip up from Providence, Rhode Island, however, Acadia also makes a great weekend trip from Boston, Massachusetts or many other New England towns.

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8 Things to do in Acadia National Park

1. Visit Acadia National Park in the shoulder season

Acadia National Park is one of the top-visited national parks in the states, and for good reason! The busiest months in Acadia are July, August, and September with another peak in October for the changing of colors.

During these times, roads can be congested and parking lots full. However, if that’s the only time you can go- still go!

We visited Acadia National Park in late April and it was just perfect for us. The weather was definitely chilly (we are talking jackets and beanies) but hiking kept us warm. You can find seasonal information and up-to-date weather on the park’s website here.

I’ve heard many people rave about going to Acadia (and New England in general) during fall to see the colors change. I’m sure it’s a beautiful time to go, but we actually LOVED the landscape (and the severe lack of crowds) in April.

Many trees were bare emphasizing the rugged coastlines and the rocky landscape. And, we easily found parking and didn’t hit traffic in the park.

PRO TIP: All National Parks (that usually charge entrance) have 5 free entrance days per year! And one of those days lands in April. You can check out their updated list here!

Also, if you plan on visiting more than 2 national parks in one year, I recommend buying the National Park Annual Pass. That way, every park you visit after the second or third park is free!

Kids in the fourth grade also get a free national park annual pass through the ‘Every Kid Outdoors’ initiative! Get your fourth grader’s free pass here!

2. Bring Along your pup

Acadia is pup heaven! It is pretty rare for a national park to allow dogs on many trails. However, Acadia has over 100 miles of hiking trails that are dog-friendly! Our main hike with our dog was the Great Head Trail from Soft Sand Beach.

As you may guess, dogs must be kept on a 6-foot leash and must be picked up after. Our pup enjoyed the entire day with us and it made our trip even more memorable!

The Acadia website can be confusing about whether dogs are allowed on Sand Beach or not. I’ll explain- dogs are ALWAYS allowed to cross Sand Beach to get to any trailheads on the other side (Great Head Trail). However, dogs can only hang out at Sand Beach from September 9th-June 14th (otherwise they cannot sit and hangout).

You can also camp with your dog in three park campgrounds: Blackwoods, Seawall, and Schoodic Woods. You’ll find this info on the park’s pet page and the park’s hiking page.

We did not camp in Acadia, we stayed in an Airbnb about 30 minutes outside the park entrance. Unfortunately, that Airbnb looks like it’s no longer available to rent. But, there are tons of other great Airbnb options.

3. Enjoy the only soft-sand beach in Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is full of rocky and rugged coastlines and beaches (which are so so majestic). However, Sand Beach (as the name implies) is full of soft and smooth sand. It is the only soft-sand beach in Acadia!

In the summer, it is a great place to relax and play in the chilly water. Lifeguards are even available from early June-Labor Day. When we went in April, we parked at the Sand Beach parking area and enjoyed the crystal blue color of the water as we walked to the other side.

If the tide is low enough, you can even scamper along some of the rocks on the far shore. Just be sure to do so safely!

4. Hike Great Head Trail from Sand Beach

Hiking Great Head Trail was my favorite thing we did in Acadia! Great Head Trail is the perfect mix of coastal views, rock scrambling, and forest! And, it’s only 1.9 miles (3 km) roundtrip.

If you only have one day in Acadia, I highly recommend Great Head Trail because you get to experience Sand Beach (that I talk about above) at the same time since the trailhead is on the far side of the beach! That way you can knock two places off your list at once. Which, can be important if you only have one day to experience Acadia.

It’s even great for older kids that can do some rock scrambling because you can shorten the hike to 1.3 miles (2.1 km), if needed, by following the directions found on Acadia’s website. You’ll just want to make sure you keep a close eye on your kids in a few segments as there are some steep drop-offs.

PRO TIP: The rocky and wild coastline you come to on the Great Head Trail is a perfect area to relax and enjoy a picnic lunch. You can meditate and take in the views or clamber along the huge ocean rocks.

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5. Hike the Ocean Path Trail along Acadia’s rugged coastline

Ocean Path Trail is a beautiful trail that maximizes your time on Acadia’s coast. You will see pink granite, awe-inspiring cliffs, and sweeping ocean views at Sand Beach, Thunder Hole and Otter Cliff. I’m swooning just thinking about it.

There are also areas where the nimble can hop down onto the large ocean rocks to play. Just be sure to watch for slippery seaweed and incoming waves.

This trail is a 2.2 mile (3.5 km) out-and-back trail from Sand Beach making the total 4.4 miles (7.1 km) roundtrip. However, you can hike for as long or short as you would like since you can access the trail from 3 different parking areas (Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and Otter Point).

PRO TIP: Each of these 3 parking areas (Sand Beach, Thunder Hole and Otter Point) take you to unique spots to visit. Make sure to swing by even if you don’t have time to hike the entire Ocean Path!

Hiking with babies/kids

If you are looking for a beautiful trail you can take a stroller on, look no further! The Ocean Path Trail is a stroller/wheelchair-accessible trail but only from Sand Beach to Thunder Hole.

This means there are no stairs and the trail is either concrete or packed gravel. Read more about the accessibility at the bottom of this link.

We ALWAYS bring our Baby Trend Expedition Jogger Stroller with us wherever we go (road trips, plane rides, and all). Its big tires make it a perfect choice for a trail like this. And even better, it’s SO inexpensive! We have put over 500 hundred miles on ours and it’s still going strong.

Also, the car seat clips in so easily that you may not even wake up the baby when transferring from the car to the stroller (always a win in my opinion). Check it out here!

Anyway, because of the pretty level terrain (minus a couple of staircases), this entire trail is great for families with young kids that need to keep up. Just be sure to keep a close eye on them near steep edges!

6. Relax on a scenic drive through Acadia National Park on Park Loop Road

Park Loop Road is the main scenic thorough way through this area of Acadia National Park. I recommend taking the drive from the Hulls Cove Visitor Center past Sand Beach and turn off to visit Cadillac Mountain (which I talk about below).

There are many beautiful scenic pullouts on this road where you can catch glimpses of more of Acadia. You will also pass Jordan Pond and Eagle Lake on Park Loop Road.

7. Soak in the views of Acadia from Cadillac Mountain

Cadillac Mountain is the highest peak in Acadia National Park at 1,530 feet (466 meters). From here, you have breathtaking views of Acadia, the city of Bar Harbor, and the Porcupine Islands in Frenchman Bay.

There are two ways to access Cadillac Mountain Peak: hiking or driving. Since we only had one day in Acadia, we opted to drive to the peak. However, if you want to hike, you can hike Cadillac North Ridge Trail (4.4 miles/7.1 km) or Cadillac South Ridge Trail (7.1 miles/11.4 km).

If you drive, you take Cadillac Summit Road right to the parking at the top. There is a trail around the peak so you can walk to experience your favorite view or find a quiet spot to meditate.

If you go in the summer months know that it can be very crowded at the peak. When we went in April it was not crowded at all. However, it was COLD! So be sure to have some extra layers just in case.

PRO TIP: Cadillac Mountain is known for its beautifully striking sunrises (also sunsets but the sunrises look killer). And, it’s the first point to see the sunrise in the country between October and March. I am totally wishing we could have snuggled up and watched the sunrise here. Please experience this for me and let me know how it is!

You can check current sunrise/sunset times for the area here.

8. Swing by Bar Harbor for some fresh Maine Lobster

After a full day of exploring we were hungry for a good dinner! And, when you’re in Maine, you’ve got to try some Maine Lobster! Or, should I say Lobstah?

The great news is, the cozy town of Bar Harbor is only a short car ride away (17 minutes from the peak of Cadillac Mountain).

We chose to eat at Geddy’s because of their cute location near the harbor and obviously- they serve Maine Lobster! Geddy’s also has gluten-free/vegan options to satisfy all members of your group.

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Those are my top 8 things to do in Acadia National Park for your first time!

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about Acadia National Park you have and I’ll be sure to answer! I’m a real person who loves to talk travel 🙂

Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:

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