Overview

A little known fact: Crater Lake is the fifth oldest national park in the United States. It was created in 1902 after a decades-long effort by William Gladstone Steel, who first visited in 1885. Fifteen years prior, he had read about the lake in a newspaper article – that his lunch was wrapped in. Steel was the driving force behind creating the park, and the main visitor center is named after him.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, and the ninth deepest in the world. It was formed after a volcano, Mount Mazama, erupted in 5700 BC. The eruption caused the volcano to collapse, forming a large caldera. Over time, the caldera filled with water from snowmelt, creating the lake.

Assumedly, most people visit the park for its eponymous lake. That’s why we came – but we left with a greater understanding of the wider ecosystem. The park is not just a lake, but also the surrounding rivers, mountains, and volcanic features. We focused on hiking (and backpacking – though that didn’t pan out due to weather), but fishing, biking, and skiing are also popular.

Guide to Best Activities in Crater Lake National Park

1. Crater Lake Boat Tour – Taking a tour of Crater Lake was one of the highlights of our trip. Experiencing the geological features and vibrant blue color of the water up close was one of the most memorable parts of our trip.

   

2. Mount Scott – A hike to the highest point in the park, with panoramic views of Crater Lake. Our visit happened to coincide with a butterfly migration that only occurs every 5-6 years, which was both surprising and stunning.

   

3. Boundary Springs – An off the beaten path type of hike. This trail features no views of Crater Lake, but the forest, streams, and wildflowers make up for it. We saw where the Rogue River begins, as it emanates from the Earth.

   

4. Crater Lake Lodge – A beautiful hotel complete with restaurant, adjacent to Crater Lake. It’s the only lodging (other than campgrounds) in the park. The view, friendly staff, and easy access to hiking trails make this a special place to stay, or just visit as a day trip.

   

5. Garfield Peak – This trail provides some of the best views of Crater Lake. It was one of our favorite hikes in the park, even though we didn’t reach the top due to snow.

   

Things we wish we did (“Things to do next time”)

• Wizard Island – We imagine this is an epic place to go hiking. We tried our best to get to the island, but shuttles weren’t currently running due to maintenance issues. This is at the top of our list next time we visit.

  

  Crater Peak & Union Peak – Two hikes we wanted to do, but didn’t have time for. Both are located on the south side of the lake and are a bit longer than other dayhikes in the park.

  

  Backcountry Camping – Weather prevented us from doing a backpacking trip this time, but it’s on the list for our next visit. We had planned to do Bald Crater Loop, but a trip up to Union Peak would also make for a nice overnight.

  

Crater Lake Mini Adventures Guide

On our trip to Crater Lake National Park, we visited several places that didn’t get a full post, but are worth mentioning.

• Bert Creek & Sphagnum Bog – This particular adventure was all Travis’s idea. We drove into Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, to Bert Creek Trail. We hiked along the trail into the northwest corner of Crater Lake National Park until we intersected with Bald Crater Loop Trail. After searching for the bog, it turned out you have to bushwhack to find it – and the amount of mosquitoes (even with repellent) dissuaded us enough to head back. Maybe some day we’ll try again (if Travis can convince Kristin).

  

• Lady of the Woods Trail – This short trail goes around Steel Visitor Center, and we didn’t like it. Its claim to fame is a stone sculpture of a woman, made in 1917 by Earl Russell Bush. There are nearby streams, but most of all there are tons of mosquitoes. The trail weaves around park buildings. It doesn’t offer much, though there is a trail guide you can pick up that corresponds to numbered posts along the way.

  

• Phantom Ship – An overlook at the intersection of Pinnacles Road and East Rim Drive offers a clear view of this rocky island in Crater Lake. If you use your imagination, it resembles a sailing ship. The overlook is easily accessible, but you can skip this if you go on a boat tour, since that gives you a closer view.

  

• Sinnot Memorial Overlook – Near Rim Village, on the south side of Crater Lake, is the Sinnot Memorial Observation Station. Built into the cliffside below Crater Lake’s rim, it offers gorgeous views and a small museum to explore. It’s located down a long flight of stairs, about 0.8 miles round trip. If you’re short on time, this is a good place to learn about the park.

  

• Whitewater Rafting the North Umpqua River – This one isn’t in Crater Lake National Park, but we’re mentioning it anyway. We booked a whitewater rafting trip along the North Umpqua River through Ouzel Outfitters. We drove about an hour and a half northwest of the park to the put-in. The trip went through numerous class II and III rapids, with one class IV near the end. Our guides were great, and we had a blast.

  

Weather

Crater Lake is filled only by snowmelt and rainfall, so naturally a ton of snow falls in the winter. The park is open through the winter, but we prefer warmer weather. July and August are the warmest months, and have the lowest chance of rainfall (though it rained during our trip in July). September might be ideal; it’s still warm-ish and usually too early for snow, so every trail will likely be open. October is a possibility too, but snow could start falling by then.

Visitation Statistics

Not surprisingly, visitation has increased at Crater Lake in the past decade. Nor is it surprising that July and August are the most popular months. If you can swing it, we suggest visiting in September to avoid crowds.

Other Crater Lake NP Tips

• Our plans changed constantly during our visit, so we had to be flexible, due to weather, remaining snow, and concessionaire issues.
• Along the same lines, be aware that some trails don’t become accessible until late July or mid-August due to snow.
• Book the lodge and any boat tours/shuttles as early as you can (and keep your fingers crossed).
• Check out Cleetwood Cove Trail, even if you can’t snag boat tour tickets. You’ll still have a chance to swim in the lake, and even jump in if you’re feeling brave.
• Avoid Annie Creek Restaurant (terrible food) and Rim Village Cafe (overpriced), unless desperate.
• If you have the flexibility, you might check out Lost Creek Campground instead of Mazama Campground. It’s first-come, first-served, and significantly smaller than Mazama Campground. While we didn’t spend the night there, it seemed quiet.
• If your tire springs a leak, like ours did, you can refill it at the gas station in Mazama Campground. If that air filler breaks, like it did when we were there, the next closest station is in Diamond Lake. And if that breaks, well, you might be out of luck.

Our Itinerary

Our trip didn’t go as planned due to weather and the lake tours not running. So we tried to be flexible so we could see as much of the park as possible. It happens sometimes, so be prepared.

Original Itinerary

Day	Plan	Lodging
1	Arrive and explore	Mazama Campground
2	Cleetwood Cove Trail, Wizard Island and Boat Tour	Mazama Campground
3	Mount Scott Trail, Plaikni Falls Trail, Pinnacles Trail	Mazama Campground
4	Garfield Peak, Sinnot Memorial Overlook	Crater Lake Lodge - Lakeside Room
5	North Umpqua Whitewater Rafting	Crater Lake Lodge - Lakeside Room
6	Bald Crater Loop Backpacking	Backcountry Camping
7	Bald Crater Loop Backpacking	Mazama Campground
8	Boundary Springs Trail or Crater Lake Rim Trail

Actual Itinerary

Day	Plan	Lodging
1	Arrive and explore	Mazama Campground
2	Visitor Center, Lady of the Woods Trail	Mazama Campground
3	Boundary Springs Trail	Diamond Lake Motel
4	Bert Creek Trail	Crater Lake Lodge - Lakeside Room
5	North Umpqua Whitewater Rafting	Crater Lake Lodge - Lakeside Room
6	Mount Scott Trail, Plaikni Falls Trail, Pinnacles Trail	Crater Lake Lodge - Parkside Room
7	Cleetwood Cove Trail, Boat Tour, Watchman Peak Trail	Crater Lake Lodge - Parkside Room
8	Garfield Peak Trail

Our Experiences

• Mazama Campground
• Boundary Springs Trail
• Mount Scott Trail
• Pinnacles & Plaikni Falls Trails
• Cleetwood Cove & Boat Tour
• Watchman Peak Trail
• Garfield Peak Trail
• Restaurants and Accommodations

Crater Lake Map Guide

Paper Maps

• Crater Lake National Park Map (National Geographic Trails Illustrated)

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Crater Lake National Park was at the top of Kristin’s bucket list for a long time. We started planning a visit, and decided to include Redwood National Park, since it’s relatively close. And we ended up enjoying Redwood more in many ways. Redwood is unique because it’s not just a national park – it also includes three California State Parks: Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek. Managed collectively, they’re known as “Redwood National and State Parks.”

The primary mission of the park is to protect old-growth temperate rainforest comprised of coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). As with other parks named after one particular species, there’s so much more to see. Most of the redwood trees were logged in the past, but the park contains various “groves” which highlight remaining old-growth trees.

Our Top 5 in Redwood National & State Parks

1. Backpacking Redwood Creek & Tall Trees – We saw large trees and wildlife, and camped on the bank of Redwood Creek. Hiking through the creek was a unique experience, which made this our favorite hike in the park. Also, banana slugs.
   
   

   

2. James Irvine & Miner’s Ridge Trails with Fern Canyon – Our first real experience with large redwood trees, this trail has it all: beaches, forests, and Fern Canyon. It’s a longer hike, but worth it.
   
   

   

3. Lyons Ranch Trail – For something different in Redwood N&SP, Lyons Ranch delivered on experiencing how homesteaders lived in the area. The wide open prairies are gorgeous and we enjoyed exploring historic structures.
   
   

   

4. Kayaking the Smith River – This guided river kayaking experience allowed us to interact with rangers and exercise our arms (for a change). We navigated class I-II rapids, took in the beautiful scenery, and ate lunch on a rocky beach.
   
   

   

5. Damnation Creek Trail – A roadside trailhead leads through redwood forest to a secluded beach. And you’ll understand the name on your return route (but it’s really not that bad).
   
   

   

Things we wish we did (“Things to do next time”)

• Prairie Creek Campground & Mill Creek Campground – The two car campgrounds we didn’t stay at.
• Designated Backcountry Campgrounds – There are seven backcountry campsites in the park; we only had time to backpack in the Redwood Creek area, which has dispersed camping. I’m sure there are some other great backpacking trips!
• Dolason Prairie Trail – Located along Bald Hills Road, this long day hike was high on our priority list, but we didn’t have time. Its old-growth redwoods, history, views, and open prairies are meant to reflect the original vision for Redwood National Park. We got a taste with Lyons Ranch Trail, but would have liked to see more.
  
  

  

• Mill Creek Trail & Grove of Titans – The Grove of Titans is an area that recently became well-known for featuring some of the largest and oldest coastal redwoods. Since it’s off-trail, many unauthorized social trails have caused environmental damage. This is one of the reasons we didn’t visit. The park is hoping to construct elevated boardwalks around the area, so we hope to visit in the future.
• And many more…

Mini Adventures

On our trip to Redwood National Park, we visited several places that didn’t get a full post, but are worth mentioning.

• Lady Bird Johnson Grove – After finishing our Redwood Creek backpacking trip, we had some time. We stopped at Lady Bird Johnson Grove, hoping to learn about forest ecology and the history of the park. The lot is small, and we took the last available parking spot. The 1.1 mile loop has a printed educational guide available for $1. We heard one visitor complain to her friend that she hadn’t been told that the trail was a whole mile long, which made us laugh.
  
  

  

• Stout Grove – After checking out Boy Scout Tree Trail, we headed further down the road to Stout Grove. We had read that sunlight streams through the trees in the late afternoon. The trails around the grove are well-maintained, and you’ll probably enjoy it if its your first hike in the park. By the end of our visit, it felt a bit samey, and we didn’t see the sunlight penetrating the tree canopy. There are good photo ops, and a lot of bang for your buck if you’re short on time or prefer flat terrain.
  
  

  

Our Redwood N&SP Tips

• Bring water shoes and trekking poles if you’re planning to backpack Redwood Creek.
• Check out some of the stops in the park that are right along the road, like DeMartin Picnic Area or Lagoon Creek.
• Check out ranger programs, like kayaking (some are free).
• If you want to see Roosevelt Elk, we recommend going to Elk Meadow or Gold Bluffs Beach. We also saw a herd near the turnoff from US 101 onto Bald Hills Road.

Weather

High temperatures in the winter average in the low 50s, while the average high temperature in the summer reaches the mid-60s. We visited in July for the warmest temperatures and the least rainfall. Not surprisingly, summer is the most popular time to visit Redwood.

Visitation Statistics

As stated above, July through August is the busiest time to visit Redwood. If you can swing it, visit in June or September for cooler temperatures and fewer people. That said, we were there in July and never experienced any issues with crowds. The park is large enough that it disperses everyone well.

Redwood held steady with annual visitation in the past two decades. While many parks have seen a dramatic increase in visitors recently, Redwood hasn’t. In fact, more guests went to Redwood in the 1980s than in the 2000s.

Our Itinerary

We started our exploration of the park in the south, and worked our way north. Our planned itinerary worked out well, but there are countless ways to plan your trip.

Our Experiences

• South Districts (Redwood NP & Prairie Creek)
  • Lyons Ranch Trail
  • Gold Bluffs Campground
  • James Irvine-Miner’s Ridge Trail with Fern Canyon
  • Backpacking Redwood Creek & Tall Trees
• North Districts (Jedediah Smith & Del Norte Coast)
  • Jedediah Smith Campground
  • Kayaking the Smith River
  • Damnation Trail
  • Boy Scout Tree Trail
• Redwood Accommodations & Restaurants

Interactive Map

Paper Maps

• North Redwood National and State Parks Map (Redwood Hikes Press)
• South Redwood National and State Parks Map (Redwood Hikes Press)
• Redwood National and State Parks Map (National Geographic Trails Illustrated)
• National Park Service Maps
  • Redwood National & State Parks Map (NPS)
  • Redwood National & State Parks Map – Northern Half (NPS)
  • Redwood National & State Parks Map – Southern Half (NPS)

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Video Guide

Travis’ Top 3 in Saguaro National Park

1. Backpacking to Manning Camp – What an adventure. Going all the way to the top of the park, from the lower desert elevation to a high elevation conifer forest. It was strenuous, difficult, and a blast. I would return to the park just to do this trip again, and we definitely will someday. I feel we didn’t get enough time to really explore it with only a 3-day backpacking trip.

   

2. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – This is outside the park, but only barely. It taught us so much about the desert ecosystem. It was tremendously important for understanding the plants and animals that live here. Highly recommended.

   

3. Saguaro Cacti – Seeing the namesake of the park, the saguaro, was a highlight. Especially when we saw it blooming! Obviously they are prevalent in many areas of the park, but some trails, like Wasson Peak, have particularly nice views. Others, like Garwood Trail, had unique sights like a cristate version, and a cluster of 11 saguaros.

   

Kristin’s Top 3 in Saguaro National Park

1. Manning Camp – Our three-day backpacking trip took up almost half of our time in the park, and it was well worth it. The route took us through a variety of biomes. The weather was a nice escape from the desert heat, and there are many trails up there to explore. The spring at Manning Camp is breathtaking; it can’t be captured in a photo (believe me, we tried). Plus, as far as I’m aware, it’s the only backcountry campground in the park where the pit toilets are fully enclosed.

   

2. Wasson Peak – This was my favorite day hike in the Tucson Mountain district. The views are gorgeous, the terrain is varied, and there are some cool landmarks along the route that speak to the park’s history. And the breeze at the peak provided a refreshing respite from the desert heat.

   

3. Signal Hill Petroglyphs – The largest petroglyph site in the park and the reason to drive the Bajada Loop. A brief walk up a rocky hill takes you to a series of petroglyphs that were created between 550 and 1550 years ago by the Hohokam Native Americans. The views are nice for such a short hike, and it’s a good spot for photography, too.

Honorable mention: Tucson food scene. Much like we experienced in Saguaro National Park itself, I was pleasantly surprised – this time by the amount of high-quality and different varieties of cuisine we were able to try during our trip. If you go to Saguaro, take advantage of Tucson’s proximity to the park.

Things we wish we did (“Things to do next time”)

• Hike to Rincon Peak – This hike is near Happy Valley Campground, but we just didn’t have enough time (or extra potable water) to make the trip. Next time, we’ll either do it as a day hike or extend our backpacking trip by one day.
• Other backcountry trails – We only saw a bit of the backcountry on the eastern side of Manning Camp. We’d love to check out trails on the western side of Manning Camp like Tanque Verde or Douglas Spring. We would also like to spend two nights at Manning Camp to explore the trails and beautiful scenery up there. This is doable since Manning Camp has a spring that flows year-round.
• More time in the Cactus Forest – This is located in the northwest corner of the Rincon Mountain (east) District. We got to do a short hike to Garwood Dam there, but there are so many intersecting trails. We were tired from our backpacking trip, otherwise we would have explored more.
• Riding horses – I’m not sure if we’d be interested in this, but we’d investigate the possibility for our next trip.

Mini Adventures

We generally only post about places we visit for a longer amount of time. But we also checked out a few smaller sites, events, and hikes in the park that are worth mentioning.

• Tucson Mountain District (West)
  • Desert Discovery Nature Trail – A 0.4 mile loop, and one of two ADA trails in the park. We stopped here while trying to get a sunset photo and found this short loop with interpretive signs. We were lucky enough to see a woodpecker fly into its nest in a saguaro!

    

• Rincon Mountain District (East)
  • Cactus Forest Loop Drive – This is the paved driving loop in the east district. We found that we liked it more than the Bajada Loop Drive in the west district. There were some overlooks, views, and trails along the way. We enjoyed driving it at sunset.
  • Desert Ecology Trail – The second short ADA trail in the park, which is along the Cactus Forest Loop Drive. It’s only 0.3 miles, so it’s a nice quick walk with some more interpretive signs along the way.

    

  • Freeman Homestead Trail – A short 0.9 mile trail, this was the last hike we did in the park. I really wanted to see a Gila monster and a ranger mentioned they had seen one along this trail. Gila monsters come out more in the early morning or late afternoon, so we went in the late afternoon hoping to see one, but no luck. The trail itself was an easy hike with some history about the area before it become a park.
  • Star Party – An astronomy event held in the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center. A ranger-led presentation discussed Tucson’s dark skies and detailed the history of the park. Afterward, visitors got a chance to stargaze in the parking lot, where members of the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association had set up 5-6 telescopes. The volunteers were knowledgeable and friendly, and it was quite an experience to stargaze this close to an urban area. We signed up for this event ahead of time, and we’re guessing it filled to capacity, so sign up early if you’re interested! Offered October through April, highly recommended.
  • Tanque Verde Trail – We had originally planned to take this trail to Manning Camp, but started at Miller Creek instead. We decided to do an out-and-back hike on Tanque Verde. We were only on the trail for about an hour, and it was similar to other hikes we had done, so we weren’t super impressed with it. But this was at the end of our trip, and we were exhausted, so your opinion might differ. It would be interesting to take the trail further into the backcountry and experience the changing ecosystems as you ascend. This trail is lacking in shade, so we recommend checking it out in cooler weather.

    

• Sunset – We drove around looking for the best place to capture a beautiful orange sunset with saguaros in the foreground. But we missed our opportunity to find the spot that had been recommended to us. Lesson learned – if you see a gorgeous sunset, just stop and enjoy it while you can.

Our Saguaro NP Tips

• Like any desert hiking, start as early as possible. We did the best we could, but still ended up hiking during the hottest time of day.
• Bring more water and snacks than you think you’ll need.
• Go during spring or fall, avoid the summer heat. Winter might be nice too, especially if you see the rare snow on the saguaro cacti.
• Gilbert Ray Campground is a great place to stay to explore the Tucson Mountain District. Grab a tent-only spot if you can.
• Get a high-clearance vehicle, especially if going to the Miller Creek or Turkey Creek trailheads.
• If you only have a couple days, explore the Tucson Mountain District. If you have more time, add a backpacking trip in Rincon Mountain District. Another option: skip Tucson Mountain District entirely and plan a 3-plus-day backpacking trip in the Rincon Mountain District.
• Give yourself enough time to explore Manning Camp and the surrounding area. We recommend at least one full day.
• Tucson is right there – great restaurants and more places to explore.
• Stay alert. This park is wild, and we ran into a western diamondback rattlesnake in the middle of Garwood Trail.

Map of Everything We Did in Saguaro NP

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We don’t like lobster. Normally, we would jump at the chance to try any local or regional delicacy. During our trip to Maine, we did have plenty of blueberries, fish, maple candy, and other tasty local treats. But we didn’t go to Maine solely for the food; our trip was centered around Acadia National Park. This post discusses how we planned for our trip to Acadia. This wasn’t just a random vacation either, this was our honeymoon! Because of competing life events, we only had 10 days in Acadia and were determined to make the most of it. We’ll go over our planning process, what we did and how we did it, and our recommendations. There’s much more to do, this is just what interested us. And even if you only have a day or two, checking out a national park is an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Maine’s Only National Park

Acadia (nps, wikipedia) is located off the coast of Maine, and preserves parts of Mt. Desert Island (MDI), as well as other smaller islands and areas. It was initially established in 1916 as Sieur De Monts National Monument, before being renamed to Acadia in 1929 (with another renaming in between). We were drawn to Acadia’s breathtaking rocky coastline, abundance of hiking, wildlife, and adventures. There’s a lot to do in the park. Many visitors just drive the main Park Loop Road, which is on the eastern side of MDI, but there’s so much more to see. We like to take our time, and see everything we can. Even with 10 days in Acadia, we wish we had more time to explore. The following quote, posted at Hulls Cove visitor center, captures the spirit of the park:

“Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in…where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul.”

–  John Muir

Acadia Districts and Regions

K had been to Acadia before, but hadn’t explored the park much, so we started from scratch when we did our research. All we knew about Acadia was that it was located on an island, and was near the town of Bar Harbor. We started with some basic online research at Wikipedia and The National Park Service’s Acadia site. In our research, we found that there are three main geographic districts of the park. And we wanted to visit them all (spoiler alert: we did).

• Mt. Desert Island – This is the main island that most people visit in Acadia. It’s separated into two “sections” – the more populated east side and the quieter west side. Contains the majority of sights, hikes, and campgrounds. Bar Harbor, the most well-known town near Acadia, is on the east coast of MDI. There are also historic carriage roads, with a series of impressive bridges that you can hike or bike on. You can also hike trails to view some of the bridges.
• Isle au Haut – A small island to the southwest of MDI. You have to take a mail boat to get here. Gorgeous views, amazing campsites, and great hikes. And all without a ton of crowds! This was one of our highlights. Pronounced Isle au Ho (Not Isle au Hot as we said for the longest time…).
• Schoodic Peninsula – To the east of MDI, this small peninsula houses the Schoodic Education and Research Center. In addition, there are hiking trails, a newly-built campground, and the photogenic Schoodic Point, where waves crash into the rocky shoreline.

Activities and Wildlife

There’s a lot of outdoorsy fun in Acadia, but we focused on hiking, camping, and kayaking. Biking is also a popular activity on the park’s historic carriage roads. There is no backcountry camping in Acadia, sadly. The NPS FAQ for Acadia states that it’s due to Acadia’s small size and fragile environment. Joe’s Guide to Acadia was a great help for the hiking portion of our research. From his site and other sources, we developed a list of hikes that we were interested in, and planned to do as many as possible. One thing to remember is that some areas are closed during the year because of Peregrine Falcon nesting. This typically happens from March through August, but the exact dates vary. This prevented us from doing a couple trails that we wanted to hike (Precipice, Jordan Cliffs, and Valley Cove). That calls for another visit in the future.

There are 4 campgrounds in Acadia. We visited 3 out of the 4. Next time, Schoodic…

• Blackwoods –  Located on the east side of MDI.  290 Sites. $30/night (May – Oct), $15/night (April,November), Free (Dec – Mar).  Reservations available.
• Seawall – Located on the west side of MDI.  About 200 sites.  $22/night for walk-in tent site, $30/night for drive-up sites.  Open Late May – Sept 6th.  Reservations available.
• Schoodic Woods – Schoodic Peninsula.  94 sites.  $22/night for walk-in tent site, $30/night for drive-up sites. Open Late May – Columbus Day.  Reservations available.
• Duck Harbor – On Isle au Haut.  5 camping shelter sites.  $25/stay, maximum 3 nights.  Open May 15 – Oct 15. Advanced reservations required.

For kayaking, there are a number of outfitters on MDI that lead trips around the island. Likewise, there are boat tours for whale watching or bird watching (like puffins). Technically, those aren’t part of Acadia since the park doesn’t extend into any waters. This becomes evident if you’re in parts of Acadia where lobster traps are placed close to shore. And puffins, while featured in Acadia memorabilia, are not actually in the park (though they are found on surrounding islands). Similarly, moose and bears within the park are rare. If you go on a kayaking trip (like we did), you’re much more likely to see plenty of harbor seals.

Weather & Seasons

Before we decided to go to Acadia, we evaluated various factors like weather and insects. We went to Acadia in late June, and weather was forecasted to be in the high 60s / low 70s. The weather during our stay ended up being perfect, with highs in the mid to upper 70s.

You do have to watch out for insects depending on what time of year you visit. Black flies are a problem in the spring (especially when it’s particularly rainy), most common between mid-May and mid-June. When it gets warmer, they generally disappear…and are replaced by mosquitoes. Our trip fell at the end of black fly season, though we only ran into them on Isle au Haut. Likewise, we really only saw mosquitoes on Isle au Haut.

Park Loop Road (the main road) is closed every year from December 1 – April 14 due to snow. There’s always a threat of snow if you visit during winter.

Month	Min. Avg. Temp (°F)	Max. Avg. Temp (°F)	Avg. Precip (in)	Avg. Snowfall (in)
January	11.6	30.6	3.12	17.0
February	11.8	31.6	3.77	29.1
March	21.3	40.2	3.34	12.7
April	31.2	51.6	3.60	1.4
May	42.8	62.8	4.06	0.0
June	50.9	69.5	5.45	0.0
July	58.2	78.0	3.19	0.0
August	57.2	76.3	3.44	0.0
September	49.8	70.0	3.82	0.0
October	40.2	58.9	5.00	0.5
November	28.6	46.3	4.02	7.9
December	21.9	37.2	5.92	15.1

Source: NOAA - East Surry, ME (2011-2016)

Visitors

It’s no secret that National Parks are very popular, and becoming even more crowded. That’s a good and bad thing – it allows more income for the NPS to maintain the park, and hopefully visitors will respect the parks. On the flip side, it’s harder to find peace and quiet with hordes of people everywhere.

The NPS publishes monthly visitation statistics back to 1979, so if you’re flexible, you may want to plan your visit during a time with fewer visitors. We went in June, which isn’t the worst month to go. Check out the chart below for monthly visitation averages to help you plan your trip.

[visualizer id=”98″]

Transportation

There are a few airports around, including Hancock County Airport (15 minute drive), Bangor International Airport (1 hour drive), and Portland International Jetport (3 hour drive). Based on availability and price of flights, we decided to fly into Bangor and rent our car there. Driving into the park is an option as well; there are bridges connecting MDI and Schoodic to the mainland. However, to travel to Isle au Haut, you’ll need to go by boat.

In MDI, there are a variety of roads to get around the park. The main park road is the Park Loop Road, which is on the east side of MDI. Annoyingly, this road is one-way at specific points. Make sure you have a map, so you know where and how to get it around it – you may not have a cell signal. Go slowly, especially on the one-way section, since people will randomly stop (either legally or illegally) on the right side of the two-lane road.

During peak season, I would recommend using the Island Explorer shuttles. They travel to a variety of locations throughout the east side of MDI, parts of the west side of MDI, and Schoodic Peninsula. We didn’t end up using the shuttle, but probably would have had it been more crowded.

Maps

If you don’t plan to do much hiking, the official park map (free at the visitor center) will work just fine. If you plan to hike, I recommend that you get the Map Adventures Acadia National Park waterproof trail map. It was really wonderful for finding our way on MDI and seemed to be very accurate with a lot of information. The only the problem is that it doesn’t include Schoodic or Isle au Haut.  We created our own maps that show details pertinent to hiking, available on each respective blog post.  Additionally, we created a detailed map of Isle au Haut that showcases the hiking trails, which is available here.

We also purchased the National Geographic Acadia map, since it did have maps for Isle au Haut and Schoodic. In hindsight though, I don’t think we really needed it. We recommend that you print the National Park’s map of IaH or ours. You can buy a detailed map of Schoodic for $0.50 at the information centers in that region of the park, or you can grab a trail map from npmaps.com.

Visitor Centers & Entrance Payment

Acadia’s only “true” visitor center, Hulls Cove, is on the east side of MDI. You can pay your entrance fee, get maps, and get trip planning tips from the park rangers. There are other locations where you can purchase entrance passes too, but this was the easiest for us. Passes are also available online. For $25, you get a 7-day park pass and a hang tag. Most other parks we’ve been to have a booth at the entrance where you pay, but Acadia is different.

The park has many entrances, so they can’t have an attendant at every one; the hang tag system shows that visitors have paid they entry fee. If you enter the park outside of the main operating months (November – April), you don’t have to pay. We used our “America the Beautiful” pass, which gets you into most national park sites for 13 months. It can easily pay for itself, and it supports our national parks!

Besides Hulls Cove, there are a couple of ranger stations and pseudo visitor centers too. The notable ones are Sand Beach Entrance Station, Park Headquarters on Route 223, Isle au Haut Ranger Station, and Schoodic Woods Information Center (near the campground).

Our Itinerary

Now that we knew what we were getting ourselves into, we could properly plan our trip. We decided to split our trip into 4 sections: East side of MDI, West side of MDI, Isle Au Haut, and Schoodic Peninsula. Below is our overall itinerary and lodging. Our other blog posts further detail our adventures in Acadia.

Day	Plan	Accomodations
1	Arrive in Bangor, Drive to Bar Harbor, Explore	Quality Inn in Bar Harbor, ME
2	Explore East Side MDI (Visitor Center, Jordan Pond House, Hikes)	Blackwoods Campground
3	Explore East Side MDI (Hikes)	Blackwoods Campground
4	Kayaking trip around MDI, Driving to Stonington, ME	Boyce's Motel in Stonington, ME
5	Ferry boat to Isle au Haut, Explore island	Duck Harbor Campground
6	Explore Isle au Haut	Duck Harbor Campground
7	Explore Isle au Haut	Duck Harbor Campground
8	Take mail boat back to Stonington, drive to Seawall	Seawall Campground
9	Explore West Side MDI	Seawall Campground
10	Drive to Schoodic Peninsula, Explore. Drive to Bangor for flight the next day.

Our Packing List

There weren’t a ton of packing considerations for this trip. Just your standard hiking and camping gear. We brought duffels for our stay in Duck Harbor, though you could also bring a backpacking backpack. For camp cooking, we brought a backpacking canister stove so we could easily boil water for oatmeal in the morning. You can’t bring canister stove fuel on a plane, so we stopped at Walmart on the way to Bar Harbor from Bangor… which did not have canister fuel in stock. So when we got to Bar Harbor we went to Cadillac Mountain Sports (which also has a location in Ellsworth, on the way to Bar Harbor). We’d recommend going there, since they had every outdoor item that you’d need. Here’s a quick overview of gear we brought with us:

Backpacking tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pads, headlamps, mallet, Swiss army knife, backpacking canister stove, backpacking pot set with bowls and sporks, tongs, small flexible cutting board, small container of 4 spices, 2 dehydrated meals (for Duck Harbor, just in case), water filter (for Duck Harbor, just in case, but we didn’t need it), ziploc bags, dry bags, daypacks, foldable duffels, water bottles, hammock, cameras & tripod, clothes & toiletries, deck of cards, books, rain & fleece jackets, hiking boots, sandals, & flipflops

Here’s what we bought in Maine at Walmart or Cadillac Mountain Sports:

Food, small hard-side cooler, ice, canister fuel, lighter, aluminum foil (for foil packets on campfire), paper towels, water jug

Our Experiences

There’s more info about planning in specific posts about various attractions and areas of the park. Below is a list of our blog posts about Acadia. I hope they help you plan your trip, inspire you to travel, or at least provide interesting reading material.

•  Mt. Desert Island (East Side)
  • Bar Harbor & Bar Island Trail
  • Blackwoods Campground
  • Carriage Roads, Bridges, and Jordan Pond House
  • Ocean Path & Beehive Trails
  • Pemetic Mountain Northwest Trail
  • Kayaking West Side MDI
• Isle au Haut
  • Stonington & Mail Boat to Isle Au Haut
  • Duck Harbor Campground
  • Duck Harbor Mountain Trail
  • Isle au Haut Town Adventure
  • Thunder Gulch Trail
•  Mt. Desert Island (West Side)
  • Seawall Campground
  • Beech Cliffs Trail & Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
  • Southwest Harbor
• Schoodic Peninsula
  • Schoodic Institute & Sundew Trail
  • Schoodic Point & Schoodic Head Trail
• Reflections on Acadia: Our Favorite Spots and Visiting Tips

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