Acadia Seasons: July Crowds to October Foliage

Parking lots fill up, and the best-known trails see a steady stream of hikers. The steady flow of people runs from June until mid-October, so summer is rarely quiet. Temperatures in summer range from about 45 to 90 degrees, and fog often rolls in during June, July and August.

Fall color usually reaches its height in mid-October. Over a recent five-year stretch, the peak landed anywhere from October 8 to October 21, shifting with each year's weather. Thousands of leaf peepers arrive for the show, and the state's foliage website posts updated conditions every Wednesday during the season. Driving Park Loop Road and heading up Cadillac Mountain, the highest point you can reach by car at 1,503 feet, are two easy ways to take in the forests. By late October the air is chilly, yet the paths empty out and many trees keep a bit of their color.

The first frost typically arrives in mid-October, with the first snow following in November. Snow can keep falling through April, adding up to an average of 73 inches. Winter temperatures range from about 14 to 35 degrees, and ice storms are a regular part of winter and early spring. Snow opens up new ways to explore, from gliding on skis or snowshoes to riding a snowmobile, and frozen lakes draw anglers who fish through the ice.

Acadia has all four seasons, shaped by its northern latitude and the surrounding ocean. Mount Desert Island stays milder than inland Maine, both day to day and across the year. Only the Pacific Northwest gets more yearly precipitation than the Maine coast, and rain can come in any month. Storms are often brief, and the coastline can look more interesting under clouds, but avoid bare summits in thunderstorms and skip the ladder trails when rock is wet or icy.