Each year from Dec 1 through Apr 14, weather permitting, vehicle access to the Park Loop Road is limited to two maintained sections. Ocean Drive extends from the intersection of Schooner Head Road to Otter Cliff Road. Jordan Pond Road connects to a section that extends north to Jordan Pond.
Find a detailed list of park facility opening and closing dates
Roads and Parking Lots
Each year from Dec 1 through Apr 14, weather permitting, vehicle access to the Park Loop Road is limited to two maintained sections.
Carriage Roads
No official closures at this time
Trails
By providing adequate nesting space to Peregrine Falcon chicks, like the one pictured here, you are helping protect this important species.
Jordan Cliffs Trail, Precipice Trail, and Valley Cove Trail
To provide peregrine falcons adequate space for nesting, the National Park Service will temporarily close areas including Penobscot East Trail, Jordan Cliffs Trail, Precipice Trail, and Valley Cove Trail in Acadia National Park on March 1 until further notice. In addition, the parking lot for the Precipice Trail will remain closed to vehicles until further notice. These annual closures protect the peregrine falcons from inadvertent human disturbance or harassment during the nesting period.
Research has shown that nesting peregrine falcons are particularly vulnerable to human activities, which can disturb the adults and make them less attentive to the eggs or chicks. Human activities near a nesting area can lead to temporary or permanent abandonment of the nest by the adults leaving chicks susceptible to hypothermia, starvation, and predation.
Signs at trail heads and trail junctions around the closed areas indicate where public entry is prohibited. Public entry into a closed area is a violation of federal regulations, which is punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both. The closure area will be actively monitored, and violations will be strictly enforced.
The NPS will reopen the closed areas once park resource managers determine it is safe to do so.
In 2024, three breeding pairs of peregrine falcons made their homes on Acadia’s cliffs: one near Valley Cove Trail, one near Jordan Cliffs Trail, and one near Precipice Trail. Two chicks from nests near Precipice Trail and one chick from a nest near Jordan Cliffs Trail survived until they could fly.
To learn more about peregrine falcons at Acadia National Park, please visit go.nps.gov/peregrine.
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Beaches
Sand Beach, Echo Lake Beach, and Lake Wood are monitored weekly for bacteria from June through August. Read more information on the bacteria monitoring program.
Two successive winter storms hit coastal areas at high tide with a storm surge not seen in northern New England since 1978. Numerous coastal areas saw significant erosion and loss of infrastructure.
Winter Storms January 2024
Scientists’ predictions of more frequent extreme weather events as a result of climate change were a reality for Acadia National Park this winter and spring. Sections of the park endured storm damage throughout multiple extreme storms. As the NPS continues to assess storm damage throughout the park, visitors should exercise caution while exploring.
About 200 feet of the right lane of the Schoodic Loop Road was undermined. The road remains passable and open to visitors.
Some hiking trails had significant impacts, including sections of Ocean Path. Our trail crew, with support from Friends of Acadia, completed temporary repairs at Ocean Path.
The railing and staircase leading to Sand Beach was damaged by debris and storm surge. The park has stabilized the staircase. The sand dunes and bluff eroded significantly.
The lower portion of the wooden steps at Little Hunters Beach washed out. Our trail crew successfully re-constructed temporary replacement stairs. There is significant erosion to the cliff face.
Otter Cove Causeway has damage to the riprap retaining wall with some undermining of the road. The park’s seasonal waterline was exposed and twisted for several hundred feet. A portion of Otter Cove Trail that traverses the causeway was destroyed.
Seawall Picnic Area experienced significant damage from debris and downed trees. Seawall Campground experienced significant damage from downed and hazard trees.
Several locations in the park, including but not limited to Thompson Island Picnic Area, Park Loop Road, and Schoodic Loop Road, required debris clean up.
The foundation of the Blue Duck Ships Store next to the Islesford Historical Museum was undermined. Islesford Boat Works, the company that leases the historic structure from the park, successfully repaired the foundation.
Rockefeller Hall’s roof lost shingles and a leak caused water damage to the ceiling and walls.
Acadia National Park staff are working to respond to long term impacts from these winter storms.
On May 1st, 2024. Acadia National Park worked together with the Friends of Acadia to help with a volunteer clean-up effort over on the Schoodic Peninsula. The main task for the volunteers were to help move rocks and boulders that were pushed to the other side of the road during the previous winter storms.
As thrilling and beautiful as heavy seas can be along the coasts of Acadia, please approach the experience with respect, and give it space. Water rescue operations are not uncommon in the park, and fatalities are not unprecedented.
Be prepared for quick weather changes from warm and sunny to cold and rainy. Weather on Cadillac Mountain and Acadia's other mountain peaks can be drastically different from temperatures in Bar Harbor or elsewhere on the island. For more information on weather throughout the year, visit our Weather page.
