NPS/Ginny Reams

Fall colors stand out in Acadia no matter what the weather.

Each fall, thousands of people come to Acadia National Park to see the explosion of color in the park's forests. Once covered primarily in spruce-fir forests, more than 17,000 acres of Mount Desert Island burned in the fire of 1947. This fire made room for pockets of deciduous trees, which change to rich shades of red, orange, and yellow in the fall.

The biggest question we hear in the fall is "When is the best time to see fall colors?" Unfortunately we can't provide an exact answer, as peak color varies each year. In general, the peak comes in mid-October, but the best time may be anywhere from the first to the third week of the month. Some leaves start to change in late September. To see the status of fall colors throughout Maine, visit the state's fall foliage website. The site is updated every Wednesday during the foliage season.

To get an idea of some of the fall views you might see in the park, view the seasons photo gallery.