• Granite mountains on islands along coast

    Acadia

    National Park Maine

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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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Principle 2: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

People hike on a trail in single file.

The loss of soil and vegetation occurs at very low levels of use. These hikers are preventing damage by walking in single file and staying on the trail.

NPS/Jonathan Gormley

On the Trail - Fight Trail Widening and Braiding

  • Look up for the next blaze or cairn.
  • Stay on established trails to preserve fragile plants and soil, especially on summits, ridges, and open ledges covered with fragile lichens.
  • Hike single file in the center of the tread, no matter how rocky, muddy, or wet. Don't widen the trail by sneaking around the edges.
  • If you must step off-trail or take a break, always choose the most durable surface—bedrock, gravel, and dry grass are the best choices.

Off-Trail in Pristine Areas

  • If you travel off-trail, maintain a higher level of awareness and a stronger ethic and commitment to LNT.
  • Spread your use and impact. Have each person take a different route. Keep your group small: six or fewer.
  • Use the most durable surface. Avoid fragile foliose lichens and reindeer moss, often found on bedrock.
  • Avoid steep slopes, wetlands, stream banks, and subalpine vegetation.
  • Do not add to or build cairns, or flag or otherwise mark your route.

Camping
Backcountry camping is prohibited in Acadia because of its small size, high visitation, and the fire danger for our neighbors, but LNT applies at Blackwoods and Seawall Campgrounds, too!

 

Make every step count.

Did You Know?

The wide carriage road is lined by the spring foliage of birch trees.

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.