Let a professional park ranger introduce your group to the natural wonders and rich history of Acadia National Park. Whether you want a ranger to step aboard your bus or provide a personalized program on a specific topic, we can assist you in planning the perfect visit for your group. Join a ranger and discover the nature of Acadia.
TOURS AND PROGRAMS
Step-On Tours
Enjoy a park ranger-narrated tour from the comfort of your bus as you visit Maine's rocky shoreline and boreal forests along the scenic Park Loop Road system (27 miles including Cadillac Mountain Road). Grab your camera and disembark from the bus at Thunder Hole and Cadillac Mountain, the highest point along the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Step-on tours last a minimum of three hours. The cost of the ranger is $50 per hour ($150 total) plus the park entrance fee.
Other Programs
Other walks and specialized programs include:
- Beaver Trek (September and October) - Discover why these aquatic engineers are so well suited for their work and how they have changed Acadia's landscape. Dress warmly. Two hours, easy walking. ($100)
- Carriage Road Ramble (September and October) - Autumn colors bring a special beauty to the landscape. Enjoy a leisurely stroll along one of Acadia's carriage roads and discover flora and fauna and the people and practices that contributed to Acadia's distinctive character. Two hours, easy walking on firm roads. ($100)
- Peregrine Falcons: Return of the Wanderer (May - July) - From the verge of extinction to Acadia's cliffs, endangered peregrine falcons once again call Acadia National Park their home. View the nesting site and learn more about these wanderers of the sky. Viewing scopes will be available at the nesting site. One hour, talk. ($50)
- Seastars, Barnacles, and Periwinkles—Oh, My! (June - October) - Discover the unique marine environment of Acadia National Park while exploring the intertidal zone and tidepools. Dress in layers. Three hours, some walking on uneven rocky surface. ($150)
- Shaping the Landscape (June - October) - Acadia is a living textbook of the region's 500 million year geologic history. This four-hour caravan and hike will explore the geologic actions that have shaped Acadia's landscape. Dress in layers. Bring lunch, snack, and water. Moderate to strenuous hiking. ($200)
- Warbler Walk (mid-May through early June) - Spring is an excellent time to see and hear song birds in Acadia National Park, where 21 nesting wood warblers make their home. Learn to identify these symbols of spring by their markings and songs. Binoculars and field guides suggested. Two hours, easy walking. ($100)
FEES AND PAYMENT
Ranger-led group tour fees are in addition to park entrance fees (see below).
Group tour fees are payable two weeks in advance of tour date, by U.S. check or money order, or charged to Visa or Mastercard. Make check or money order out to the National Park Service for the exact amount of the fee.
The park entrance fee is paid by U.S. check or money order, or charged to Visa or Mastercard, on the day of the tour. do not apply to situations involving educational groups for whom a has been approved. Waiver must be shown at the entrance station upon arrival.
RAIN OR SHINE
Programs will be given rain or shine. Passengers should dress in layers and be prepared for changeable weather.
REFUND POLICY
A group may cancel their ranger-led group tour up to one week in advance and receive a full refund. Cancellations less than one week in advance will result in a forfeit of the tour fee.
TOUR REQUESTS
Requests for ranger-led group tours should be made no later than one month in advance to allow for scheduling of staff. To schedule a tour for your group, fill in the request form below.
For further information, call 207-288-3338 or contact the park by e-mail.
RANGER-LED GROUP TOUR REQUEST FORM
The request form for a step-on guide can be opened by clicking on the link below. The form is fillable so you can enter the information on your computer and then print the completed form. Or, you can simply print the blank form and then fill it in by hand. Either way, once the form is completed, please mail it to the address below or fax it to 207-288-8813.
(pdf - 47 kb)
Mail your completed form to:
Acadia National Park
Division of Interpretation
Ranger-Led Group Tours
P.O. Box 177
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Remember, for all commercial tours, the bus company and the tour company must have a valid commercial use authorization on file at Acadia National Park in order for a ranger to be on-board the coach. Applications must be on file before we can confirm your trip.
