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Park Loop Road opening
May 17, 2013: The entire Park Loop Road and all other paved roads in the park open today. All dirt roads in the park, including the Seal Cove Road, will open on June 3.
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Trail closures
April 22, 2013: The Precipice, Orange and Black, Valley Cove, and Jordan Cliffs Trails are closed until further notice because of nesting peregrine falcons. All other trails in the park are open, whether accessible from the park or from state roads.
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Hulls Cove Visitor Center
May 17, 2013: The visitor center will open on May 19 and will be open 9-5 every day. All park passes are available there. There is an accessible entrance at the back of the building for those who have trouble climbing stairs.
Cross-Country Skiing
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Cross-Country Skiing - When snow blankets Mount Desert Island, forty-five miles of carriage roads offer a scenic setting for cross-country skiing in the park. Ski tracks are sometimes laid down by volunteers on sections of the carriage roads; nearly 32 miles are designated for grooming when conditions and time permit. For the grooming status of these areas, see the table below, which is updated as the volunteers report any grooming performed. The Carriage Road User's Map (pdf-784kb) can help you find your way on the carriage roads. You may also cross-country ski on unplowed park roads. Be careful, as snowmobiles are permitted to use most of these unplowed park roads. Download a copy of the Winter in Acadia brochure (pdf-691kb) to see where the different activities are permitted. Skiing on hiking trails is not recommended because of the uneven and steep nature of trails, ice falls blocking the path, and trail routes obscured by snow. Please do not snowshoe or allow dogs to walk in cross-country ski tracks. Dogs must be on a leash six feet or shorter. Ski equipment and rentals are available in local communities; area Chambers of Commerce can provide the names of outfitters. Ski Grooming Map - To view or download a current ski grooming route map, visit Cross-Country Skiing Grooming Routes map (pdf-581kb). Ski Grooming Status - When available, two sets of volunteer groomers with the Acadia Winter Trails Association, a committee of Friends of Acadia, may maintain cross-country ski routes if new snow exceeds four inches. The routes listed below are in priority order for each set of groomers, who are based at the visitor center and at Brown Mountain. For example, the route north of Eagle Lake is the highest priority for the visitor center groomers, while the Upper Hadlock Loop is the highest priority for the Brown Mountain groomers. While groomers generally follow these routes, as illustrated on the map, Cross-Country Skiing Grooming Routes (pdf-581kb), some areas within the routes listed may not be groomed. The information on this chart is accurate to the best of our knowledge; conditions may change between the time the routes are groomed and the information is posted. You can help us keep this information current. If you are out skiing and notice that conditions are different from what is listed here, please contact us. 2/12/13: There's snow and the skiing is good in most places. Some bare spots due to high winds and Monday's rain--use caution on Upper Around Mountain and Witch Hole near the Duck Brook Bridge.
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Did You Know?
Acadia National Park's carriage road system, built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., has been called “the finest example of broken stone roads designed for horse-drawn vehicles still extant in America.” Today, you can hike or bike 45 miles of these scenic carriage roads in the park.