Acadia National Park is one of the most visited parks in America. Why wouldn’t it be? It is beautiful and worth visiting. What is more important is when is the best time to visit Acadia National Park? Summer is the most crowded and popular season to visit there but it is surely not the very best time to visit Acadia National Park. So when is the perfect time you can plan your trip to Acadia national Park? Well, Autumn is the best time to visit Acadia National Park.
Do you know: Acadia National park was established on July 8, 1916. It covers an area of 198.6 km².
Let’s see a month by month guide on what is the best time to visit Acadia National Park. Later in this article, you will also know why Autumn is the best time to visit Acadia National Park.
Month By Month Travel Guide to Acadia National Park
May – June: Spring
May and June both are dry and warm months however in May you won’t be able to see a lot of greenery. The water is quite cold to take on with water activities but you can have your time with other outdoor activities like hiking as it is a pleasant time for such activities. May is the season you will experience very few tourists but as soon as June comes in action, the crowds start arriving. As long as you do not mind the foggy mornings, the mud and temperature, May can be a good time for you to enjoy spring in Acadia National Park. The temperature in June ranges from 11 degrees centigrade to 22 degrees centigrade. The drawback you might face these months is that you may be troubled by biting bugs that born in these two months depending on how rainy the previous month was.
July – August: Summer
July and August are quite pleasant months. These are two of the best time to visit Acadia National Park due to warm moderate temperatures ranging from 50 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This time of the year gets extremely crowded and it is very difficult to find accommodations at the last moment so it is better to book them earlier before the spots are filled. The parking lots are also compacted and the viewpoints are quite busy with tourists. The best time to take a look at these breathtaking views is early in the morning or in the late afternoon. This is a peak season of the year.
Tip: Be sure to get yourself some warm clothes due to the cool nights because of the Canadian Arctic winds.
September – October: Autumn
This is the best time to visit Acadia National Park as the summer crowd ends as soon as the temperature drops to chilly in September and you can enjoy a crowd free fall time. The weather is quite pleasant and the temperature ranges from 9 degrees centigrade to 20 degrees centigrade. The crowd starts arriving again in Late September to early October to enjoy the colors of Fall that makes it an exotic view to watch. This leaf-peeping time of the year is the best time to visit Acadia National Park due to the explosion of the fall colors that makes it dramatic and worth eyeing period. The Columbus day in mid-October ends the heavy crowd and rates drop. You can still have a sweet spot time to watch the fall if not the peak time of fall. One concern is that during this offseason, some harbor businesses close down their shops after Columbus day weekend.
November: Late Autumn
This is not the very best time to visit Acadia National Park for everyone due to the below-freezing temperatures ranging from 1-degree centigrade to 9 degrees centigrade. It is almost quiet as you won’t see any crowd and can enjoy your time in solitude even though you will not be able to experience the beautiful fall colors. Most of the facilities like dining, lodging are hard to find as most of the hotels and restaurants are closed due to off-season.
December – March: Winter
December takes a turn to extreme winters as well as January as the temperature drops to -10 degrees centigrade to 0-degree centigrade. Most of the campsites, attractions, hotels, and restaurants are closed due to offseason. If you are a winter sports enthusiast, this might prove to be a great time for hiking and skiing as carriage roads are still open.
April: Early Spring
Even though it is an offseason but this is the best time to visit Acadia National Park due to its breathtaking view. You do not have to worry about the crowd and can enjoy the best time in solitude. However, it is the time when snow melts and the grounds are muddy but it is still highly recommended to visit in April as you can have the best view of the fascinating sceneries that are open this month especially the scenic Park Loop Road. The average temperature in this month lies between 1-degree centigrade to 11 degrees centigrade.
Why is fall the best time to visit Acadia National Park?
Fall is an incredibly amazing season, the best time to visit Acadia National Park and here are some reasons why you should consider this time of the year to plan your trip.
Picturesque Autumn Foliage
At this time of the month especially early to mid-October is the best time to see those breathtaking colors of fall, the vibrant foliage makes a beautiful eye worthy view to experience. The deep reds and splashes of oranges make it a wonderful scenic view to land your eyes at. It might be a challenge to visit at just the right time of leaf-peeping moment but even the weeks surrounding it are spectacular to enjoy the moments. This fall brings the best foliage experience in Acadia National Park that should not be missed.
Reduced Crowd- Solitude
It is true that its hard to find solitude in the best time to visit Acadia National Park but here is the good news, there are times you can experience a lot fewer crowds than in Summertime like in early September. Even though during September the fall colors are not into full bloom but it is the most pleasant time when you will find breathtaking viewpoints all by yourself. Even during October, it is not a very difficult situation to save yourself those views as most of the visitors are weekend tourists so you can find plenty of time during the weekdays to enjoy the best time and enjoy beautiful sights.
High Time To Go For Hiking
Acadia National Park has exceptional hiking trails that are over 120 miles. You can track the trail to hike as your liking as you can find the most ‘exhausting’ and ‘easy to go’ ones. Fall is the best time to hike in Acadia National Park due to mild temperatures that make the experience mesmerizing so if you are a hiking enthusiast then grab your shoes and get on the mountains.
Thunder Hole is a natural wonder that you should definitely check out if you go for hiking and exploring the park. This is best known for creating loud thunder sounds and huge waves. Make sure to be there 2 hours before the high tide to have the full experience, it’s worth experiencing.
Seasonal Food and Cozy Dining Areas
Fall brings the best seasonal food for you to enjoy, much of which is traditional, freshly harvested in this season. You can enjoy the cozy dining areas like in restaurants, seaside pubs, and hotels to have the best flavors of Maine. Lobsters, clams, chowders are high trend specialties during fall and fruits like apples, pumpkins and squash adds great flavors to sweet and savory dishes. You can not miss mouthful flavors of fall. Seafood is best served in fall here.
Acadia’s Night Sky Festival
The Night Sky Festival in Acadia is celebrated every year around the same time when you can see the glory of stars shining right above your head making this a memorable moment for you to watch. You know its very especial when it is celebrated once in a year. This does not only offer the star-gazing experience but also this festival is mainly held for educational purposes that can give you a lot more knowledge about the galaxy during this event.
Hot Tubs In Chilly Nights
You now know that the nights in Acadia during the fall are quite chilly and after the whole exhausting day you need to relax and calm. The bath in a hot tub is just the perfect way to relax and relief your stressed muscles. You can find accommodations that offer the jacuzzis to enjoy hot baths. Not only this will release your stressed muscles but also it will be a romantic time for you to spend with your partner.
I hope you found this article “When is the best time to visit Acadia National Park?” helpful, if you did then do share with the ones you are planning your Acadia National Park trip with.
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