Photo courtesy of visitor Lauren Farmer of Atlanta, GA. Used with permission.
Getting Started
Weather Changes Fast Around Here. It's always wise to check the Latest Local Forecast from the National Weather Service before setting out for outdoor activities in Acadia. .
Watch for Acadia Alerts. Check out Current Conditions for official alerts about severe weather and emergency closures of roads and facilities. Operating Hours and Seasons provides a schedule of when roads and facilities open and close each visitor season. .
Got a place to stay? There is no backcountry camping, "out-of-bounds" camping, overnight parking, or winter camping allowed anywhere in Acadia. There are many types of accommodations in nearby towns.
Winter in Acadia
From Dec 1 to April 14, the Park Loop Road (including Cadillac Mountain) is closed to vehicles, with the exception of Jordan Pond Road in Seal Harbor offering access to Jordan Pond parking lot, and between Schooner Head Road and Otter Cliff Road in Bar Harbor. .
An Entrance Station along the Park Loop Road at Schooner Head Road is open year round for information and sales of all Entrance Passes. .
All visitors age 16 and above are required to have a Park Entrance Pass year-round. All vehicles must display a pass clearly visible through the windshield. Display federal lands passes, such as senior and military passes, on your dashboard with the signature and expiration date facing up. .
Three types of weekly passes (Vehicle, Motorcycle, Individual) may be purchased by credit card from Automated Fee Machines available year round 24 hours a day. One is located at a pavilion in the parking lot the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. Another is available inside a gatehouse at the entrance to the Schoodic Institute on the Schoodic Peninsula. .
Information and sales of some passes are also available at the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, 2 Cottage Street, at the corner of Cottage and Main streets, in downtown Bar Harbor.
NPS map
Most of PLR Closed to Vehicles, Open to Recreational Uses
Each year from Dec 1 through Apr 14, weather permitting, vehicle access to the Park Loop Road is limited to two maintained sections –
Ocean Drive extends from the intersection of Schooner Head Road to Otter Cliff Road.
Jordan Pond Road connects to a section that extends north to Jordan Pond.
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Microspikes, crampons, cleats, or ice grippers are essential for hiking snow-packed and icy trails in Acadia. Conditions can change quickly here, particularly at higher elevations. Don't hesitate to turn back to safety to try again another day.
Adobe Stock licensed image
Winter Hiking
Have fun, but please put your safety first while exploring Acadia. Your safety depends on your own good judgment.
Expect unfavorable conditions and early darkness. Be prepared to turn back. Please do not rely on your phone as a map or a flashlight. Buy a detailed trail map.
Trails routinely become icy and snow packed. Routes that may be challenging in summer tend to be highly ill-advised in fall and winter. Instead, consider exploring Ship Harbor, Ocean Path, and carriage roads.
Crampons, cleats, ice grippers and other traction footwear may allow you to travel much more safely on icy trails without contributing to trail widening, but they can have the opposite effect and be dangerous walking on slick granite surfaces. Trekking poles are highly encouraged.
Guard against frostbite. Dress appropriately for conditions. Extreme temperatures and windchill can damage exposed skin. Beware of hypothermia, a condition where exposure to cold causes the body’s inner core to lose heat. Untreated, hypothermia leads to mental and physical collapse.
Skating is possible on park lakes and ponds, but they rarely freeze smoothly and are seldom free of snow. You may encounter open water on larger lakes and ponds. Please be sure to check ice thickness before venturing out.
Dog sleds, dog carts, and skijoring with dogs are prohibited due to the 6-foot leash requirement.
Photo courtesy of visitors Kevin and Taylor Rice Abernathy of Alexandria, VA. Used with permission.
Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
Forty-five miles (72 km) of carriage roads in the park offer the perfect setting for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. You may also cross-country ski on unplowed park roads. Be careful, as these are designated snowmobile routes.
Skiing on hiking trails can be difficult or impossible. Light snowfall may obscure trail routes. Usually, snow is too shallow to cover roots and rocks. Many trails are steep, and ice floes may block your path.
Ski equipment and rentals are available in local communities.
Carriage Roads Are Open To Multiple Recreational Uses
Permitted recreational uses include walking, running, bicycling, snowshoeing, and skiing.
Volunteers set tracks and groom sections of the carriage roads for cross-country skiing when snowfall depth exceeds six inches, and the roadbed is frozen.
Please be respectful of other users
Avoid trampling groomed ski tracks
Federal law requires that all pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
Looking for Current Conditions for Recreational Activities?
Check out the latest carriage road grooming status reports on a Ski Acadia page hosted by Friends of Acadia.
Ice fishing is a popular activity in Acadia when weather conditions permit. Freshwater fishing requires a state license, which can be obtained at town offices, local businesses, and online at www.maine.gov/ifw/
The use of dog sleds, dog carts, and skijoring with dogs is prohibited in the park due to the 6 foot (1.8 m) leash requirement per 36 CFR § 2.15(a)(2).
Snowmobiling
Snowmobile travel is allowed on the 27-mile (43 km) Park Loop Road system (including the road up Cadillac Mountain) and most fire roads. Maps of the east side and west side show snowmobile routes and parking.
Snowmobile regulations include:
All Maine state snowmobile laws are enforced in the park. Maine registration is required. As a reminder, tracked side-by-side (ATVs) are not permitted in Acadia National Park.
Snowmobiles are not allowed on carriage roads, except for the east side of Eagle Lake to make the connection to the Park Loop Road at Bubble Road.
Snowmobiles are not permitted off-road or on any hiking trails.
Maximum speed is 35 mph (56 km/h) on Park Loop Road and 25 mph (40 km/h) on all unpaved roads.
Yield to anyone not on a snowmobile (skiers, snowshoers, and hikers).
Turn on your white headlight and red tailight 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise, and whenever visibility is less than 500 feet (152 m).
Towing people on sleds or skis is prohibited.
It is illegal to operate snowmobiles while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Drivers must be an least 14 years old to operate snowmobiles in the park.
Anyone under 18 years old must wear approved protective headgear.
Snowmobilers are encouraged to utilize the Hulls Cove Visitor Center parking lot to access the winter snowmobile routes. Snowmobile rental is not available on Mount Desert Island.
Off-season vehicle access throughout Acadia is more limited while most of the Park Loop Road is closed for the season, typically from Dec 1 though April 14.
NPS Map by Rebecca Holdhusen
Scenic Drives
Although state and county roads on Mount Desert Island are plowed throughout the winter, only two short sections of the Park Loop Road are open to vehicles in winter, with the rest serving as designated snowmobile routes. Park roads are plowed and sanded only during daylight hours. Be prepared to encounter heavy snow and icy conditions.
Coastal Scenic Drive:
(Includes shoreline from Sand Beach to Thunder Hole and Otter Cliff.)
Follow Route 3 one mile south from downtown Bar Harbor. Take a left at Schooner Head Road and continue for 2.5 miles. At the intersection, turn right. At the next intersection after 0.1 mile, turn left onto Park Loop Road and into the entrance of a park fee station, which is open year-round for full-service sales of all types of park entrance passes. The next two miles of the Park Loop Road are open to one-way traffic along the scenic North Atlantic coastline. All vehicles must exit at Otter Cliff Road. The entrance to the Fabbri Picnic Area, with a restroom maintained year-round, is about 0.1 mile on the left. Continue west along Otter Cliff Road to Route 3 and turn right to return to Bar Harbor.
Jordan Pond Area:
Follow Route 3 from Bar Harbor to Seal Harbor. In Seal Harbor, take a sharp right turn at Jordan Pond Road. In about a mile, this road joins a short section of the Park Loop Road which remains plowed to the south end of Jordan Pond. Exit by backtracking.
Sargent Drive:
Sargent Drive skirts the shore of Somes Sound. Carved by glaciers, the steep granite walls drop to the sea forming a fiard, a coastal inlet similar to a fiord. Follow Route 198 toward Northeast Harbor. Continue past the junction of Route 233, driving 1.2 miles. Turn right at a sign indicating Sargent Drive.
Public Restrooms
Seven public restrooms are maintained across the park through winter –
