Explore the Wonders of Acadia with a Park Ranger

Discover stories of Acadia’s history, take a walk along a trail or carriage road, or learn about various animal and plant species living in the park.

Most ranger programs are scheduled early or late in the day to avoid mid-day congestion and to maximize parking availability. Some programs allow you to “drop-in” for short interactions with a ranger as you travel through the busiest areas of the park, but others require advance registration. Check the program calendar on the Acadia National Park website for information regarding program topics, location, times, and to learn if an advance reservation is required.

In addition to ranger programming in the park, education rangers also deliver virtual programs to the public throughout the year. Virtual programming reaches homeschool students and members of all ages across the world on topics ranging from marine chemistry to feathered friends.

Bringing the Park to Teachers & Students at a Critical Time

In the Spring of 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person field trips, ranger programs, and classroom instruction came to a halt. In exploring how Acadia might help fill the void, Friends of Acadia partnered with the park to develop mobile ranger studios, equipping park education rangers to deliver Acadia’s natural wonders to teachers, students, and parents virtually.

Friends of Acadia raised more than $315,000 for the Acadia Resilience Fund, which enabled the park to hire a Visual Information Specialist, acquire equipment such as cameras, microphones, and mobile tablets to conduct virtual programming, and expand its virtual curricula. Park rangers can now reach students and others who can’t visit the park, allowing them to greatly expand their reach and impact well into the future.