Mt. Desert Island - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 822

Drive 87
Mt. Desert Island
The mosaic of Mt. Desert Island is crafted from the choicest of ingredients—sea-
sprayed cliffs, fragrant woodlands, the tallest peak on the eastern coast, and rustic
villages settled long ago. But its distinguishing centerpiece is Acadia National
Park, which occupies roughly half the island.
Length: About 70 miles
When to go: Open year-round, but some facilities and segments of the loop road are
closed in winter
Lodging: Reservations required during peak season.
Nearby attractions: Bar Harbor, a resort community; Schoodic Peninsula and Isle au
Haut, outlying sections of the national park.
Further information: Maine Office of Tourism
www.visitmaine.com
Acadia National Park
www.nps.gov/acad
1. Hulls Cove Visitor Center
One of the best ways to learn about the mountains, seacoast, and the many animals and
plants that can be found in Acadia National Park is to stop at the Hulls Cove visitor center.
The wealth of helpful information available there includes maps of the more than 120 miles
of trails that thread through the wilds, a film on the park's history, and a scale model of the
area.