Best Time to Visit Acadia National Park

Pick a month. Best months are in bold.

The best months to visit Acadia National Park are May and June — computed from official NPS visitation (2021–2025 average), NOAA weather normals and daylight. August is the crowd peak (798,914 monthly visits); February is quietest at 2% of peak.

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Best months for fewer crowds

The quietest months at Acadia, leaving out harsh weather and months when main access is typically closed.

Monthly crowd curve

Average monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). Amber bar = current month.

Acadia month by month

Crowds: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, mean of 2021–2025 (2020 excluded as a COVID-19 anomaly). Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals, station ACADIA NP, ME US (2 mi from park coordinates). Daylight: computed for the 15th of each month at the park's location. Methodology.

How many people visit Acadia each year

Acadia National Park had 4,079,318 recreation visits in 2025, 3% more than 2024 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). The busiest year since 2015 was 2025, with 4,079,318. Over 2021–2025 it averaged 3,992,045 visits a year, which makes it the 6th most-visited of the 63 national parks.

Calendar-year recreation visits as published by NPS Visitor Use Statistics. 2020 is shown here but left out of the monthly averages above, because the COVID-19 pandemic makes it unrepresentative. See how every park compares: all 63 parks ranked by visits.

What to pack for Acadia in May

Computed from May's weather normals — Acadia's best month above. Visiting another month? Each month page has its own weather-computed list.

• Warm mid-layer (fleece or light puffy) — mornings average 45°F
• Rain shell + pack cover — 4.5″ of precipitation is normal this month
• Waterproof boots — plus navigation and a basic first-aid kit — 4.5″ of precipitation is normal this month

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Common questions

Acadia month by month: notes from the park service

• January: January at Acadia means the Park Loop Road, including the Cadillac Mountain road, is closed to cars; the park keeps it shut from December 1 to April 14, leaving only Ocean Drive and the Jordan Pond Road section open. Winter temperatures run about 14 to 35°F.
• February: February trails at Acadia are routinely icy and snow-packed, so the park calls microspikes, crampons or ice grippers essential and strongly encourages trekking poles. It suggests easier routes such as Ship Harbor, Ocean Path and the carriage roads instead of steep summer climbs.
• March: March is still inside Acadia's winter road closure, which lasts until April 14, and early darkness and unpredictable weather persist. Winter camping, overnight parking and out-of-bounds camping are not allowed anywhere in the park, so stay in a nearby town.
• April: In April you can still drive up Cadillac Mountain at Acadia without booking: the park service's vehicle reservations for Cadillac Summit Road start in late May (May 20 in 2026) and run to late October. Once the season starts, each car needs a $6 Recreation.gov reservation, bought online only, with 30 percent of slots released 90 days ahead and the rest two days before.
• May: Late May is when Acadia's Cadillac Summit Road reservations start: in 2026 the park service required them from Wednesday, May 20. Before that date you can drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain without one.
• June: June visits to Cadillac Mountain fall inside Acadia's reservation season: the park service requires a vehicle reservation for Cadillac Summit Road from late May (May 20 in 2026) until late October. You book it per car on Recreation.gov for $6, separately from the entrance pass, and the park does not sell them on site.
• July: In July, driving up Cadillac Mountain at Acadia takes a vehicle reservation: the park service required one on Cadillac Summit Road from May 20 to October 25 in 2026. There are two kinds, sunrise (a 90-minute entry window, one per vehicle every seven days) and daytime (a 30-minute window, one per vehicle per day).
• August: Planning an August sunrise on Cadillac Mountain? Acadia releases its Cadillac Summit Road reservations in two batches at 10 a.m.
• September: September still needs a booking for the drive up Cadillac Mountain: Acadia's 2026 reservation season ran from May 20 to October 25. Thirty percent of slots go on sale 90 days ahead and the remaining 70 percent two days before, each release at 10 a.m.
• October: October is the last month of Acadia's Cadillac Summit Road reservation season, which in 2026 ran until Sunday, October 25. Until then a $6 vehicle reservation from Recreation.gov is needed to drive to the summit, booked either 90 days ahead (30 percent of slots) or two days ahead at 10 a.m.
• November: November at Acadia is after the Cadillac Summit Road reservation season, which ended on October 25 in 2026, so the drive up Cadillac Mountain needs no vehicle reservation. When the season returns in late May, each car needs a $6 reservation from Recreation.gov, one sunrise slot per vehicle every seven days or one daytime slot per day, and reservations do not allow re-entry.
• December: December at Acadia falls outside the Cadillac Summit Road reservation season, which in 2026 ran from May 20 to October 25, so no vehicle reservation is required then. Reservations, when the season returns, cost $6 per vehicle on Recreation.gov and are not sold in the park; 30 percent of slots open 90 days ahead and the rest two days before, at 10 a.m.

Each month page carries the full note and the NPS page it comes from.

Dive into a month

Comparing parks for the same trip? See how Acadia ranks against all 63 parks in May and June.

Last verified 2026-09-24 · all parks