What to know about getting around Acadia National Park this spring

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 15, 2026

Visitors descending on Acadia National Park this spring will find most trails, roads and amenities open, with a few exceptions. A one-mile stretch of the popular Park Loop Road — a 27-mile scenic drive on the eastern side of Mount Desert Island — will be closed as part of a restoration of the Great Meadow until June 12. Vehicle reservations are needed to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain from May 20 through Oct. 25. Precipice, Jordan Cliffs, Penobscot East and Valley Cove trails have been closed since March 1 to protect peregrine falcons during their nesting. All of the park’s carriage roads are now open. The new $27 million Acadia Gateway visitor center — located just off Mount Desert Island on Route 3 in Trenton — will open Memorial Day weekend. The Island Explorer shuttle service will begin running three routes Memorial Day weekend for the first time.