Acadia itinerary

Here is how to spend one to three days in Acadia, built from the hikes and activities the National Park Service lists and the time it says each takes. Short on time? Do Day 1. Times are for the activity itself; add time for driving, parking and shuttles between stops, and swap anything that is closed or out of season.

Day 1

About 3 hours of listed activity time, plus stops with no listed time.

Start at Hulls Cove Visitor Center for maps, current trail conditions and ranger advice.

Morning

• Hike Beehive Loop (1 to 3 hours). This is a 1.4 mile loop trail that ascends a 450 ft cliff face. (best in spring, summer, fall)

Afternoon

• Waysides at Schoodic Woods Ranger Station (time not listed). There are two waysides featured on a wall at the Schoodic Woods Ranger Station.
• Hike Jesup Path and Hemlock Path Loop (30 to 60 minutes). This forested path continues to a boardwalk with multiple interpretive signs and benches.
• Oldfarm Video Tour (time not listed). George B. (dogs OK)

Day 2

About 5 hours of listed activity time, plus stops with no listed time.

Morning

• Hike Double Bubble Nubble Loop with Island Explorer (4 to 5 hours). The trek to summit both Bubbles and Conners Nubble summits three peaks and accesses iconic park locations. (dogs OK; best in spring, summer, fall)

Afternoon

• Explore Historic Carroll Homestead (time not listed). Head towards the west side of the island to visit an example of 1800s island life at Carroll Homestead, a time capsule of early Euro-american settlement before Mount Desert Island became a tourist... (dogs OK; best in spring, summer, fall)
• Hike Kurt Diederichs Climb (20 to 30 minutes). Kurt Diederichs Climb is a memorial path at Sieur de Monts. (best in spring, summer, fall)

Day 3

About 2.5 hours of listed activity time, plus stops with no listed time.

Morning

• Hike Perpendicular and Razorback Loop (1 to 2 hours). The loop features a gravel shoreline path along Long Pond and a steep ascent on granite staircase of over 300 stone steps built by the CCC to reach the summit of Mansell Mountain. (best in spring, summer, fall)

Afternoon

• Swim Lake Wood (time not listed). Lake Wood is a secluded pond with a small beach area, just a short drive away from Hulls Cove Visitor Center. (best in summer)
• Hike Bar Island Trail (45 to 90 minutes). Walk along a gravel sand bar during low tide to reach Bar Island.
• Swim Sand Beach (time not listed). Acadia’s only sandy ocean beach, at the beginning of the Park Loop Road’s coastal section, is one of the park’s most heavily-visited areas. (best in spring, summer, fall)

Make it work

• When to go: May, June and September. See the best time to visit.
• Where to stay: 4 campgrounds in the park; see camping and lodging.
• Before you go: check today’s alerts and read know before you go. More ideas: all things to do.

Sources

• National Park Service: things to do in Acadia National Park (Data API, public domain)

Last checked 1 November 2026.