United States
Maine (ME)
DownEast and Acadia Maine
Mount Desert Island
Acadia National Park
Things to Do in Acadia National Park
Park Loop Road
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Park Loop Road

See all things to do
See all things to do
Park Loop Road
4.5
About
A major national park in Maine where the attractions and sights are well known along the 20-mile Park Loop Road.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,615 reviews
Excellent
1,269
Very good
270
Average
65
Poor
9
Terrible
2
Tom W
New Britain, CT270 contributions
Beautiful
Jun 2021 • Couples
Beautiful and worth the trip. We were here 4 years ago around the same time the park is MUCH more crowded this year, finding a parking space is like hitting the lottery and it was a Wednesday. Eating locations vary sparse, highly recommend bringing your own food in.
Written June 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
William McC
Boston, MA360 contributions
Rewarding even in foul weather
Sep 2022
We happened to drive the park loop road on a foul-weather day with frequent heavy rains, and it was still worthwhile, especially for the views of spontaneous waterfalls cascading down the steep rock faces typical of the Mount Desert Island terrain. The road affords many convenient turnouts with helpful, and colorful, interpretive signs. The ever-changing scenery can be spellbinding in any season. An early start is recommended, as traffic builds over the course of the day, regardless of the weather. Moreover, remember that bad driving is as common in a national park as anywhere else. When in doubt, slow down, or even use pullouts to let tailgaters pass. You are here for the unhurried serenity, not to indulge the manic, thoughtless, or careless.
Written September 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy
Sarasota, FL75 contributions
A Beautiful Drive any time of Day
Jun 2021
The Park Loop Road is one of the best scenic drives in the country and a fantastic way to see a good part of this beautiful park. To understand how to enjoy Acadia, you sort of need the history. Civic groups and wealthy people (Philanthropists) made the park possible by purchasing and donating the land to US Government. There is no other National Park like it. There are little pockets of the park that are easily missed if you stay on Park Loop Road. Take a good look at the map and, if you have time, get off the Loop Road and explore places like Schoodic Peninsula.

We were fortunate to spend several days driving and exploring the Park and the Park Loop Road making stops along the way. In 2016, we were lucky to see the first place the sun rises in the US from the top of Cadillac Mountain, but it currently requires a permit, so we had to forgo that on this trip. It is worth getting up so early to see. We stopped and spent some time at Jordan Pond and although we have never had the Popovers at the Jordan Pond House, I've heard they are terrific...someday. Like most National Parks, it gets very crowded in the summer so you will need to be patient. There are more than 150 miles of trails for hiking, 45 miles of carriage roads for horseback riding thanks to John D. Rockefeller, Jr, stargazing, biking and so much more. With the Park Loop Road being only 27 miles long, you could see a lot of the park in an afternoon, just enough to make you want to come back.
Written May 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LovesPhotoOps
Hoover, AL1,061 contributions
Get a park map, stop as often as you can
Jun 2022
This is the most crowded section of Acadia National Park, so be sure you also see the western side (aka “quiet side” of Mt. Desert Island, and the Schoodic Peninsula to the east of Mt. Desert Island, both less visited than the Park Loop Road.

We started at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center to get a park map. Then we stopped at Schooner Head Overlook (can see Egg Rock Lighthouse in distance); Sand Beach (pretty but crowded, not worth fighting for parking unless you want to swim); Thunder Hole (pretty but crowded, not worth fighting for parking unless you arrive at the peak time for the waves); Otter Point (beautiful); Fabbri (pretty); Little Hunters Beach Overlook (pretty view from above, did not stop at the beach itself); Jordan Pond (walked a bit on the pond trail, closing time for restaurant); and the north end of Eagle Lake. The highlight for us was Otter Point. Eagle Lake and the beaver pond near it were very pretty in the late afternoon light. See my separate reviews of these stops for more details on each one.

Along the Park Loop Road, we saw a doe and two new fawns crossing the road on their unsteady legs, and a porcupine feeding beside the road (both amazing sights). So keep your eyes out for wildlife.
Written July 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cac1234
Germantown, NY2,085 contributions
Best Way to See the Park
Jun 2022
Driving Park Loop Raod is the best way to get acquainted with Acadia. The best time to drive the more than 20 mile loop is just after sunrise when the park is not crowded. Then one may stop just about anywhere along the way to see the sites, take in the gorgeous views, and find a parking spot.
Written June 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason C
Littleton, New Hampshire155 contributions
Do the loop!
Jun 2020
This loop takes you through only a portion of Acadia NP. There are more things to see like the lighthouse and other hikes not on the loop. The loop takes you through forests, seeing mountains as well as the seacoast (both rocky and sandy - yes they have a rare sandy beach). We visited just as they were opening the state up after CV19, so it wasn't crowded - although I could see it being crazy crowded with traffic and challenges parking in a "normal" season. Stop along the way and see the various sights that are easy walks and consider getting adventurous and hiking some of the trails. Beehive was my wife's favorite trail of all the trails we've hiked around the country.
Written June 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew Z
New York252 contributions
Well worthy to take that loop ...
Aug 2020
This was our first trip there, and I wish we had more time to spend it. But, now we know and someday we will come back there. The Park gets crowded regardless Covid-19. I can only imagine how it looked like before. You need at least 3-4 hours, just to brush off some points. It is not a bad idea to drive around first gets some impression what you like to do and then stop at certain spots and explore them more. The Sand Beach is very busy, unless you like to spend some time on a beach or swim, I would skip it. However, there is very nice – not too easy walk along coastline from the Sand Beach to Otter Pont. Watch out for bicyclist.
Written August 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fishbeck
Katy, TX69 contributions
Parking Lot Loop
Jun 2022 • Couples
We had downloaded an app that narrated the Park Loop as we drove the 27 miles. We did enjoy the narration however do not try and drive the Park Loop at 10 am. It turns into parking loop and Cara and people are everywhere. If you like crowds you’ll love it. However, thunder hole, Jordan’ s Pond house, sand beach, and all the other places you wish to see you are the mercy of being blessed with open parking. Way to crowded for our our taste. Went back around 4:30 and got right into Jordan’s Pond House with tons of parking available. Want to enjoy the park wait until the afternoon when crowds then out.
Written July 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah S
Shelburne, VT709 contributions
Great drive
Aug 2020
A wonderful way to get an overview of Acadia and a "feel for the park". We did this on our first day to orient ourselves to Acadia and would recommend this as the introduction. Be sure to go the Visitor Center for suggestions as to hikes and the carriage roads for walking and biking.
Written August 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tinaNtravel
San Jose, CA1,883 contributions
You can get to most of the highlights from the loop
Sep 2021
As the name implies, the Park Loop Road takes you around the park, where you can stop at many of the highlights. In several places the road is one way and you can park to the side of the right most lane. We visited over Labor Day weekend and the park was quite crowded with cars parked bumper to bumper along the main stretch of the loop. Be sure, when you park, that you park entirely on the road and not off to the far right, on the grass. We parked to the far right, with our tires on the grass when we first arrived, and came back to find a parking warning on our car. I walked up and down the road a bit and found that every car that had the warning, had tires on the grass, whereas the cars that didn’t, were fully on the road. Also, if you are visiting when it is crowded, if you see a spot on the road more/less close to what you want to see, then take it. When we were there, every parking area was full, and if you pass up spots on the side of the road and find no parking elsewhere, you can’t just turn around and look again – you need to drive all the way around the loop again. The loop may not seem long, but it is, if the park is crowded, and you need to wait in a long line of cars entering the park at one point in the loop.
Written September 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Park Loop Road - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Park Loop Road

Park Loop Road Information

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Very Good Reviews

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