PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 21, 2026
Acadia National Park had one of its busiest years ever in 2025, with the National Park Service recording more than 4 million visitors. The 51,000-acre national park may be one of the the smallest but consistently ranks in the top 10 for visitation. Most come to Acadia between April and October, making the winter months a pretty quiet period to enjoy the bountiful beauty of this island and mountain paradise. Digging into the stats a little deeper, somewhere in the neighborhood of 75,000 people visit Acadia during the wintertime, a small fraction of the annual total. So clearly, to have this amazing national treasure seemingly all to yourself, winter is the time to roam free like you own the place, which as Americans we actually do. ~ Carey Kish