Acadia National Park: Location on Maine's Mount Desert Island

Acadia National Park occupies the eastern half of **Mount Desert Island** and the **Schoodic Peninsula** on the mainland, in **Hancock County, Maine**—the only national park in New England.

Geographic Context

• Coordinates: 44.35°N, 68.21°W (approx. park center)
• Nearest towns: Bar Harbor (northeast, main gateway), Southwest Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Bass Harbor
• Distance from Portland: ~160 miles (2.5 hours)
• Distance from Boston: ~280 miles (4.5 hours)

Park Composition

• Mount Desert Island (MDI): 108 sq mi; Cadillac Mountain (1,530 ft — highest US Atlantic coast peak), Park Loop Road, Jordan Pond, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole
• Schoodic Peninsula: 2,366 acres; mainland section; dramatic headlands, less crowded
• Isle au Haut: 2,700 acres; remote island section; accessible by mail boat

Unique Features

• Only national park with significant carriage road system (45 miles, Rockefeller-funded, 1913-1940)
• First national park east of Mississippi (est. 1916 as Sieur de Monts, 1919 as Lafayette, 1929 as Acadia)
• Peregrine falcon recovery success story
• Dark sky preservation efforts

Access

Car via ME-3 to Bar Harbor. Seasonal Island Explorer fare-free bus system (late June–Columbus Day). Nearest airports: Hancock County (BHB, 10 mi), Bangor (BGR, 50 mi), Portland (PWM, 160 mi).