USA Guide
New England
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is the most visited natural place in Maine. It's visually stunning, with all you could want in terms of mountains and lakes for secluded rambling, and wildlife such as seals, beavers, and bald eagles. The two main geographical features are the narrow fjord of Somes Sound, which almost splits the island in two, and lovely Cadillac Mountain, 1530ft high, which offers tremendous ocean views. The summit can be reached either by a moderately strenuous climb or by a very leisurely drive, winding up a low-gradient road.
Open all year, the park has the Hulls Cove visitor center near the entrance to the Loop Road north of Bar Harbor (mid-April to Oct daily 8am–4.30pm, open until 6pm July & Aug; 
207/288-3338), and its headquarters at Eagle Lake (daily 8am–4.30pm; same number as above). The entrance fee is $20 per vehicle or $5 per motorcycle or bike; good for seven days. There are two official campgrounds: Blackwoods, five miles south of Bar Harbor, off Rte-3 (reserve through the National Park Service at 1–800/365-2267 or 
www.reservations.nps.gov ; $20 per tentsite), and Seawall on Hwy-102A, four miles south of Southwest Harbor ( 207/288-3338; tentsites $14–20). Both are in woods, near the ocean, and have full facilities in summer; only Blackwoods is open in winter, with minimal facilities.
Once here, the free Island Explorer ( www.exploreacadia.com ) shuttle buses travel through Acadia to Bar Harbor. However, the most enjoyable way to explore the park is to ride a rented bicycle around the fifty miles of gravel-surfaced "carriage roads,". Three Bar Harbor companies rent mountain bikes at less than $30 a day: Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, at 141 Cottage St, on the edge of town ( 207/288-3886), Acadia Bike & Canoe, across from the post office at 48 Cottage St ( 1-800/526-8615), and Southwest Cycle, on Main Street in Southwest Harbor ( 207/244-5856). You can take a 4hr guided kayak tour ($48) from mid-May to mid-October with National Park Sea Kayak Tours, 39 Cottage St ( 1-800/347-0940, www.acadiakayak.com ).
The one and only sizeable beach, five miles south of Bar Harbor, is a stunner: called simply Sand Beach, it's a gorgeous strand bounded by twin headlands, with restrooms, a parking lot, and a few short hiking trails. The water, sadly, is usually arctic.