Maine’s Acadia National Park is getting ready for what officials expect to be a busy 2026 summer season, and the National Park Service is urging visitors to plan ahead before arriving in Bar Harbor.
Park Loop Road will largely reopen to motor vehicles on April 15th, though the section between Kebo Street and Sieur de Monts will remain closed to all uses through June 12th, with an exception for Memorial Day Weekend. The closure allows crews to replace an undersized culvert to help restore Great Meadow and to connect new park housing to the town wastewater system.
The Cadillac Summit Road will stay closed to all uses through April 30 thwhile construction continues on the Cadillac East-West Connector Trail, a paved path that will link the summit’s two parking lots and visitor areas with a safe pedestrian route running parallel to the summit road.
Island Explorer bus service returns May 20th with new spring routes connecting the Acadia Gateway Center in Trenton to the Village Green in Bar Harbor and along Park Loop Road. Full summer service kicks off June 23th.
Carriage roads are closed to all uses until further notice due to mud season. The spring thaw leaves the historic roads vulnerable to damage, and the park is asking visitors to explore other areas in the meantime.
Four hiking trails, Jordan Cliffs, Penobscot East, Precipice, and Valley Cove, remain closed to protect nesting peregrine falcons. Researchers have found that human presence near nesting sites can cause adult birds to abandon their nests, leaving chicks exposed to hypothermia, starvation, and predation.
Campgrounds and other facilities will open on a rolling basis through April and May. Check the park’s website for current conditions and updated closure information.
