traveljen730

Hello,
I'm thinking of taking a 4-5 day trip to Acadia National Park in October. I've never been to the East coast so I'm a total newbie. We would be traveling from Chicago. How is Acadia in October? Is the fall foliage pretty? Where is the best area to stay? Is this a good time to head to Acadia or should I rethink and head there in the summer months? My husband and I would love to do some hiking and see the beauty the national park and surrounding areas have to offer. Thank you!

J62

For fall foliage there are places that far better than Acadia - the rolling hills and mountains of NH, VT, western MA, and northern NY for example. The 1st two weeks of October are usually ideal. Anything later than mid Oct and the early brilliant colors will be gone - sometimes one big rain /wind storm can knock a lot of leaves off overnight.

In my opinion, the hiking and beauty of Acadia are neither unique, nor worth the extra several hours drive to get there, let alone the crowds. If coastal New England is what you want to experience there are nice little harbor towns much further south in Maine - Camden/Boothbay Harbor, etc where you can experience the charm, eat lobster or oysters or mussels to your heart's content. Others love Acadia - but not me.

There are several VT & NH, and overall New England experts who frequently post here on Fodors US forum who hopefully will chime in with their thoughts.

traveljen730

Thank you! This is extremely helpful!

dfrostnh

I like the view from the top of Mt Battie in Camden better than Cadillac. We haven't been to Acadia in a long time but our son and his family have been disappointed by the crowds. We'll be spending last week in May near Acadia this year so will probably visit but we're not hikers. We drive to top of Mt. battie and sit with snacks watching water. Our usual preference for Maine is Mid coast area. You can download a guide to Harpswell Conservation areas to see if anything appeals to you. Bath Maritime Museum is nearby as well as college town of Brunswick. Boothbay has Maine Coastal Gardens which are great. We like boat rides so have enjoyed lighthouse cruise from Bath Maritime Museum but check schedule they might not be avaialble in October.
since we live in NH fall is all around us. Best to plan travel on interstates to avoid weekend congestion. That goes for Maine, too. Unfortunately, sometimes it rains so I would comsider what you could do if it rains. You might be better off in Portland area or NH closer to museums and theaters. We enjoyed Mail boat cruise from Portland. Portsmouth NH has several choices. Both Portland and Portsmouth are close enough to make a day trip to White Mountains do-able but keep in mind popular hiking trails are congested on weekends plus you need to be aware of weather conditions that can quickly turn deadly. The White Mountains have claimed several this past year. There are plenty of easier trails in different areas of the state. Our son and his family mountain bike. The bike park in Northfield NH is a former ski area and offers rentals.

so, during foliage season I wouldn't go to Acadia nor Mt. washington. If you choose warmer time of the year you can add kayaking to fun things to do.