Open/accessible to visitors:

• Park roads, carriage roads, and trails
• Cadillac Summit Road is open to motor vehicles through the reservation system
• Park campgrounds and most restrooms
• The fare-free Island Explorer bus system
• Facilities operated by concessionaires, including Jordan Pond House and Wildwood Stables. The gift shop at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center is open, but the main visitor center remains closed.
• The Acadia Gateway Center, which is operated by the state, will be open and staffed by the Maine Tourism Association, but National Park Service staff will not be present

Closed/not accessible to visitors:

• The Hulls Cove Visitor Center (restrooms and gift shop remain open), the Sieur de Monts Nature Center, Rockefeller Hall on the Schoodic Peninsula, and the Wild Gardens of Acadia
• Ranger programs, family programming, school field trips, and outdoor education experiences

Park Passes and Donation Options:

• During the shutdown the park is unable to collect entrance fees. This disruption puts significant park-generated revenue—critical for next year’s operations—at risk.
• We know many visitors want to support the park by purchasing a park pass – but simply have no way of doing so right now. In lieu of a park entrance pass, visitors can support Acadia by donating the value of an entrance fee at friendsofacadia.org/entrance.

Staff:

• The majority of Acadia’s National Park Service staff have been furloughed, with exceptions made for a small number of staff deemed “necessary to protect life and property” and basic sanitation services, including law enforcement, fire safety, and custodial staff.
• Most staff will not be paid until the shutdown ends.

Plan Ahead and Prepare

A little pre-adventure research goes a long way. Know where you’re going and what to expect in terms of terrain. Bring a backpack with essentials like warm layers of clothing, water and snacks, and sun protection. You should also have a paper map, as cellular service in the park isn’t reliable.

Stay on Trail

Staying on trail is a wise environmental approach (and one that’ll spare you from time spent lost in the woods, too). It keeps the impact from foot traffic to a confined space – allowing the surrounding vegetation to thrive.

Let Cairns Be Cairns

Cairns are rock piles or stacks that serve to mark the trail – they’re super handy in Acadia on stretches of exposed granite, where the trail can be harder to follow.

The park’s cairns are pretty unique, too. They’re known as Bates cairns and feature two rocks at the base, a “mantel” rock on top of those, and a directional rock on top that points the way. Bates cairns have an important job, so when you see one, let it be.

Stack No Rocks

Stacking rocks might seem like a harmless way to pass the time, but those stacks could confuse passing hikers who might think they’re cairns and then be detoured from the trail. Moving rocks around can also damage our environment. Rocks play an important role in our ecosystems by providing habitat for lichen and insects. They also prevent soil erosion and flooding. Rock on, rocks!

Pack Out Your Trash

Littering in the park is not cool – that goes without saying. That includes organic refuse, too, like pistachio shells and orange peels. If you brought it into the park, please bring it out.

Remove the Poop

Acadia has toilets near trailheads and popular park destinations. Those facilities should be open and maintained during the shutdown, but just in case, it doesn’t hurt to “go” before you go into the park. If nature calls unexpectedly and nowhere near a restroom, you have two options: bag it and carry it out or dig a hole and bury it. Packing an emergency poop bag and some toilet paper makes good sense for this reason.

Pet Poop, Too
Exploring Acadia with our pets is the best (on a leash, of course)! As their humans, it’s our duty to remove their poop. That means bagging it AND disposing of it properly. Learn more about visiting Acadia with your pet.

Ride the Island Explorer Bus

One of Acadia’s many perks is the free Island Explorer bus service. This fleet of buses brings visitors to and from a host of locations within the park as well as around Mount Desert Island and surrounding communities. It takes the pressure off parking, reduces traffic congestion and emissions within the park, and let’s you relax and enjoy your exploring. Shout out to L.L.Bean for their continued support of the Island Explorer.

Thank a Ranger

When you do see National Park Service personnel in the park, thank them for continuing to serve during this period.

Enjoy the park in all its fall glory, be patient and kind to each other.

Thank you to everyone for helping support our park and our community!