Accessibility

Photo courtesy of visitor Harold Johnson. Used with permission.

Harold Johnson, of West Hartford, CT, shares a photo from Jordan Pond in Oct 2021. "The NPS does a great job of making as many paths accessible as possible. On this day we were able to wheel all the way down to the  water where we enjoyed a picnic lunch."

Acadia National Park is constantly striving to improve accessibility for all visitors. If you have any questions or comments about accessibility at Acadia, please email or call us at 207 288-3338.

 

Access Pass

U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are permanently disabled may be eligible for the Interagency Access Pass. This free, lifetime admission pass is valid at National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, and Bureau of Reclamation sites.

• Must be obtained with valid identification
• Does not cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessioners

 

Information

Service Animals

Service animals are allowed in all park facilities and on all park trails unless closed by order of the superintendent. National Park Service policy defines a service animal as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. The tasks performed by the animal must be directly related to the person’s disability. Emotional support, therapy, comfort or companion animals are not considered service animals.

Air Quality

Air pollution produced in eastern states is often carried into Maine by the wind. Park staff monitor ozone levels so that they can issue ozone advisories when levels are harmful to people with respiratory conditions. For more information call [phone].

Medical Facilities

Call 911 for emergency medical or police assistance or to report accidents or injuries.

Mount Desert Island Hospital
10 Wayman Lane, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
[phone]
http://www.mdihospital.org/site/

Maine Coast Memorial
50 Union Street, Ellsworth, ME 04605
[phone]
http://mcmhospital.org/site/

Eastern Maine Medical Center
489 State Street, Bangor, ME 04402
[phone]
http://www.emmc.org/

Wheelchair Accessible Carriage is available in Acadia

In 2022, Carriages of Acadia, the operator of the Wildwood Stables in Acadia National Park, and the park received a new, custom-built wheelchair accessible carriage. The carriage has a ramp on the back that should be accessible to most types of wheelchairs. Several additional passengers may join on the bench seats.

Information about the tours offered at Wildwood Stables is available on the Carriages of Acadia website. Reservations can be made by calling 877-276-3622 or 207-276-5721. Prices for tours vary depending on the length of tour and number of people. It is recommended that you call well in advance of the date you would like to reserve as spaces are limited.

The carriage was made possible through the generosity of the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation.

 

A group gets ready to disembark on Baker Island on a ranger-guided cruise.

NPS Photo

Video Experience Accomodation

From mid-June to mid-September, ranger-led boat tours of Baker Island are offered to the public. A tour ship leaves Bar Harbor and a smaller skiff with a boat ramp is used to land on Baker Island. Since this skiff isn't accessible to people who have mobility impairments, the park produced a 29-minute video of the tour as an abridged, equitable alternative experience.

During a typical 4.5-hour tour, a park naturalist guides visitors through the history of the island. Visitors see and learn about coastal wildlife on the boat ride to and from the island, and once on the island, they explore the Gilley family’s homestead and the Baker Island Light Station.

 

Duration:

29 minutes, 13 seconds

Each summer, from mid-June through mid-September, a local company offers a five-hour boat cruise to Baker Island interpreted by an NPS park ranger. A short trip on a motorized launch is required to complete the journey, however. Since some visitors with mobility impairments may not be able to participate in the experience, the NPS commissioned this video by Will Greene, a local filmmaker.