Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is open year round but the majority of park visitors come in the summer and early fall. During other months, limited service is available inside the park, and all services are available outside the park in local communities. You can visit without the crowds in the off season months. The peak visitor season is in July through September.

Fall Foliage and Spring Blossoms

It is exciting to experience Acadia's transformations during the fall and spring. You can observe the change of foliage from summer green to splashes of orange, red and yellow, or the flow of spring freshets as ice melts on mountainsides, or the passage of birds as they migrate through Acadia's skies.

In Autumn, changes in daylight and cooler temperatures halt photosynthesis in leaves (the process that uses chlorophyll to nourish trees and turn leaves green). The lack of chlorophyll unveils the underlying red, yellow, and orange pigments that make fall so vibrant. The foliage changes throughout September and October. The height of color usually occurs within the first couple of weeks in October.

As winter slowly subsides, modest signs of spring begin to appear. You can see the swelling of tree buds. red maple buds are blunt with a reddish tinge. The pale brown buds of the beech resemble slender cigars. Birch and aspen trees display long pendants known as catkins.

As daylight increases, more plants emerge. The trailing arbutus, blooming as early as mid April, can be found in coniferous or mixed woods exhibiting tiny clusters of pink and white 5 petaled flowers. On the sunny cliff ledges, the stalked early saxifrage can be found. In open areas, wild strawberries and petite four petaled blue flowers called bluets poke through the ground. In cool shaded woods, white star flowers and purple violets surface. Trees present their short lived flowers, with the shadebush exhibiting one of the most beautiful spectacles of white flowers.

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