Park Entrance Passes at Acadia


Acadia National Park visitors are required to have a park entrance pass whether walking, bicycling, skiing, riding the Island Explorer, or driving through the park. All vehicles must display a park entrance pass clearly visible through the windshield.

Acadia National Park entrance passes are now required year-round. You can purchase a park entrance pass at park visitor centers, campgrounds, and gifts shops, as well as several chambers of commerce. For more information about the different types of entrance passes and the locations where you can buy a pass, visit Acadia National Park’s website.

Visitors can feel good that purchasing a park entrance pass will help Acadia. Eighty percent of the revenues from entrance pass sales stay in the park for important projects such as trail rehabilitation, historic building repairs, and campground improvements.

 

TIP: Buy your pass online at Recreation.gov and then print and display it in your windshield prior to your visit. This may save time since you can drive directly to the trailhead or parking lot.

How Your Entrance Fees Help the Park

The fees you pay when visiting Acadia National Park make a difference. Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, Acadia keeps 80 percent of all fees collected and uses that money to improve visitor services and fund critical deferred maintenance projects in the park such as:

    • Maintain and rehabilitate park carriage roads and hiking trails
    • Maintain and repair campgrounds, buildings, and picnic areas
    • Maintain and repair paved roads and parking areas
    • Improve park accessibility for visitors with disabilities
    • Operate and maintain the Island Explorer bus service
    • Provide lifeguards at Sand Beach and Echo Lake Beach
    • Provide unique interpretive programs
    • Support and maintain museum exhibits

Vehicle Reservations Now Required for Access to Cadillac

Vehicle reservations are required for Cadillac Summit Road from sunrise to sunset from May through October. The reservation system was designed as a tool to improve the visitor experience, ensure visitor safety, and protect park resources. You do not need a reservation to hike, bike or take a taxi to the summit. Visitors can purchase both a vehicle reservation for Cadillac Summit Road and a park entrance pass at Recreation.gov.