A reservation, a free bus, and iron rungs on a cliff.
Everything you need to plan an Acadia trip: the Cadillac Summit reservation nobody mentions until it is gone, the bus almost no one uses, real prices, and the date we last checked every page.
Cadillac Mountain · CC BY-SA 2.0
6 pages, every one checked today. See what changed.
We take no placement fees. Operators cannot pay to rank higher here, and our recommendations are ranked by what we think is best.
Trails
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The Precipice Trail
Iron rungs bolted to a cliff, 1,000 feet up in under a mile. Closed most springs for nesting falcons, and not a hike you can back out of halfway.
2.1 mi 1,000 ft -
The Beehive Trail
Rungs, ledges and 450 feet of exposure in under a mile. The cheapest way to find out whether Acadia's iron-rung trails are for you.
1.5 mi 450 ft -
Jordan Pond Path
3.3 flat miles around a glacial pond with the Bubbles at the end of it. The one Acadia hike that works for absolutely everyone.
3.3 mi 100 ft
Compare every trail → by permit, drop-offs, distance and whether you end up in the river.
Planning guides
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Cadillac Summit reservations, and the 10 a.m. drop that actually works
You cannot drive up Cadillac without a $6 vehicle reservation from late May to late October. Most people get one two days out, at 10 a.m. Eastern.
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The Island Explorer, and why nobody uses it
A free bus to every trailhead you are fighting to park at. Seasonal, funded by the park pass you already bought, and consistently ignored.
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Where to stay near Acadia
Bar Harbor puts you on the free bus network and charges for it. The quiet side of the island is cheaper and further from everything you came for.
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