Great question! We get asked this a lot when folks are planning a visit so we have curated some information to help you find the perfect time of year to visit based on your personal preferences. In this blog we will include insights about average weather temperatures, dynamic of vacationers, total park visitation, local celebrations and more!
At our property, Acadia Yurts, our wellness center is open year-round, however our rentals are open late April through late October so that is what this blog will focus on.
Average Monthly Temperatures for Acadia National Park:
In 2011, Acadia’s saw 2,374,645 visitors while 10 years later it jumped to 4,069,098 in 2021. That is a huge increase in a 10-year time span and the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce has done a spectacular job of getting Bar Harbor on the map, the secret is out! However, while visitation numbers may seem high, the park is set up so that even on the busiest day of the year, you might be the only person on a trail, it just depends on which trail you pick. Guidebooks will highlight the Beehive Trail, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach and Cadillac Mountain and while these are remarkable areas in Acadia and certainly worth a visit, there is ample magic on Mount Desert Island without the crowds if you find some path less traveled.
A Month-by-Month Picture of what to Expect:
MAY – the weather in May can still be chilly so we recommend bringing layers for hiking. Depending on the spring thaw, some carriage roads and hiking trails may not be open until later in the month in order to let the roads settle. Many park roads, including the Seal Cove Rd (which our property located on), open May 15. Prior to that date you can park at entrance gates and hike in. Restaurants that closed for the winter months will begin to reopen in May. About 1/3 are open by Mother’s Day, 2/3 in time for Memorial Day and the remaining restaurants likely open in June when students are out of school and therefore able to work.
Memorial Day, like all major national holidays or 3-day weekends, brings large crowds to our area so consider planning your stay well in advance and for large groups, we recommend restaurant reservations. Some restaurants during May might also feature reduced hours or stay open 4-5 days of the week. For this reason, and many others, all our rental units have kitchens so that you can prepare food in your rental. Local shops like Sips 2.0 sell frozen homemade entrees and soups that you can bring back to your yurt/tiny house and cook easily on site!
Since school is still in session for most of the United States, the crowd this time of year tends to be couples and some families with young (non-school aged) children.
A note to visitors that the Cadillac Mountain reservation system takes effect mid-May, the specific beginning date is available via the park website. The reservation system is in place to safely allow visitors to visit the summit of Cadillac Mountain for sunrise and sunset by car. These reservations are sold at an additional/nominal cost to the park pass you must buy to access Acadia National Park.
JUNE – since most school aged children are dismissed by the 3rd week of June, this is when our season shifts into high gear. Clientele in early June are still typically the couples and non-school aged children we see in May, but as early as the 2nd week, families are what we start to see the most of. As we approach the summer solstice, daylight hours are long. Often the sky brightens around 4am with the sun rising before 5am and doesn’t retreat behind the mountains until around 8:20pm for 15.5 hours of adventure and fun! Beginning in late June the summer travelers have arrived and we maintain this volume of visitors through the busy summer months of July and August.
JULY and AUGUST – these are peak visitation months as children are out of school and families are on the move! Expect crowded parking areas in the national park, steady traffic getting to and from your location and busy restaurants. Our clientele at Acadia Yurts during these months are primarily families with children. You can expect children laughing, playing and riding bikes during the day and someone having a campfire most nights. Our fire pit is communal so feel free to enjoy time under a blanket of stars and get to know your fellow yurters. Firewood is NOT provided on-site (look out for roadside stands) but we leave lighter fluid, a stick lighter and dousing buckets near the firepit. S'mores and star gazing are great summer month activities at night! With very little light pollution, the night sky on our property is incredible! And while the fun during the day is plentiful, we do have quiet hours on the property from 10pm-8am to ensure everyone gets a good night’s sleep!
The weather this time of year is the warmest with high temperatures reaching the upper 80’s on our warmest days. July and August are great times of year for getting out on the water. You might consider setting sail with Sail Acadia, taking a nature cruise to see puffins/whales, or kayaking the ocean with National Park Kayak (conveniently located in Southwest Harbor). Prefer to swim? There are many swimming options in nearby lakes close to Acadia Yurts. Our favorite being 1-mile rock on Long Pond, the sand beach or Bluffs at Echo Lake or even Seal Cove Pond. Each of these swimming options is 5 minutes driving from Acadia Yurts; one mile rock includes a one mile walk from the parking area to the swimming area along Long Pond.
For holidays, Bar Harbor was named one of the top July 4th celebration locations in the United States so this week is very busy! Bar Harbor has a charming small-town parade, art fair with pancake breakfast and elaborate fireworks in the evening. Crowds for the fireworks are plentiful and traffic very heavy. Southwest Harbor, where we are located, has a pleasant firework display in the harbor and because traffic is lighter, you could probably be back in your yurt/tiny house within 10 minutes of the fireworks ending. There are many lovely spots around the harbor to view and we are happy to recommend a spot if you are staying with us during this time.
Southwest Harbor also hosts a Flamingo Festival in July, typically the weekend after July 4th. The parade takes place on a Saturday morning with a craft fair in town to follow. As you drive around town you will notice local residences and businesses putting pink flamingos on their lawns in support of this fundraising event for the Harbor House.
SEPTEMBER – This is our favorite month! Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah before schools in the northeast are back in session so this weekend, like Memorial Day and July 4th, are BUSY! Plan ahead for everything; lodging, tours, restaurants, etc.! After Labor Day, the September vibe sets in. The crowds shift back to primarily couples, the pace everywhere is slower but the weather is still dynamite. You can expect warm temperatures during the day for beautiful hiking/biking/adventuring and cool nights for a deep sleep. This is still a great month for getting out on the water before these establishments begin to shut down for the season in mid to late September. Many water-based businesses are weather contingent so if being on the water is a priority for you, early September is advised.
Bar Harbor sees an uptick in daytime visitors beginning in September and continuing through early November as they welcome daily cruise ship passengers to town. The number and size of ships will vary day-to-day and we anticipate this shifting in the coming years as townspeople have voted to limit ships moving forward. For the time being, some days will be congested and crowded on Bar Harbor streets. Many of the cruise ship passengers will walk around town or load onto busses to be taken to key attractions like Cadillac Mountain, the Park Loop Road, and Bass Harbor Lighthouse. While the streets of Bar Harbor may be a bit crowded on these days, much of the trails will unencumbered by these cruise ship visitors.
The leaves also begin to change in September. Much of the foliage color and timing depends on the weather during the spring and summer months so there isn’t a hard and fast rule about when the colors are best. Generally speaking, the last week of September into mid-October are when the colors are most vibrant and plentiful. Walking the carriage roads this time of year is magical. We also highly recommend driving around the island via car, passing through Somesville to see the bridge surrounded by colorful trees, the Eagle Lake Road enroute to Bar Harbor and the Park Loop Road to enjoy the changes in nature. You might also consider a drive to Schoodic Peninsula, the lesser traveled area of Acadia National Park located about an hour away.
OCTOBER – we love October too! The magic of the leaves changing is not to be missed! Visitor clientele in October is similar to September and leads to a slower pace and more friendly visitors. Indigenous People’s weekend is another big weekend on MDI so plan ahead; families return for this long weekend visit so expect larger groups, trails and roadways to be congested, restaurants full. Following this weekend, the crowds really begin to thin out. October is home to 2 big events later in the month: the MDI Marathon and Oktoberfest. These events are usually scheduled for the weekend following Indigenous Peoples. The MDI Marathon was voted ‘Most Scenic Marathon’ by Runner’s World magazine and lives up to the title. The race begins in downtown Bar Harbor and winds through Otter Creek, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Somesville before ending in Southwest Harbor. Oktoberfest is held annually at Smugglers Den Campground (in Southwest Harbor) and feature a wine tasting event Friday and beer tasting Saturday with live music and arts/crafts. We love the excitement these two mainstays bring to our Island!
In October the change in seasons and crowds is dramatic. Following Marathon weekend, we see most of our summer residents begin their migration to winter homes, restaurants begin to close and the island starts to get very quiet. The weather is also unpredictable this time of year. One year the MDI Marathon was 70 degrees and sunny, the next year, 40 degrees and raining. Much of the late month visitation is weather contingent; if the weather forecast is beautiful then many people decide to make last minute trips from local cities within driving distance. Due to the unpredictable nature of the weather in late October, we once again recommend bringing layers for your activities. At Acadia Yurts, we close the last weekend of October or first weekend of November, depending on where the last weekend falls.
We hope this blog helped shed some light on the dynamics of our tourism season and helps you identify the best time for you to plan your visit. When you know your desired dates, please email us so we can help make the dream of an Acadia visit a reality! We look forward to hosting you soon 😊