Acadia National Park is great dog friendly place to explore. However, with more than 3.5 million visitors each year, some spots can get more crowded than others. To alleviate some of the parking congestion, in addition to purchasing a pass to enter the park, if you’re planning to visit Cadillac Mountain you will also have to make reservations. Yet have no fear! Covering 47,000 acres and consisting of more than 150 miles of trails, there are still plenty of places off the beaten path for you to explore with your dogs.

First up, let me explain the new 2021 parking reservations required for Cadillac Mountain. Vehicle reservations are required for Cadillac Summit Road from May 26 through October 19. Please note though that reservations are not required for any other areas of the park, or for visitors who enter the area by foot, or bike. Reservations cost $6, and must be purchased online at Recreation.gov. Or you can download the new mobile app, Recreation.gov, for quick access while visiting the park. Also regardless of if you’re visiting Cadillac Mountain or not, you still need to purchase a separate entrance pass to visit Acadia National Park.

There are two types of parking reservations for Cadillac Mountain: sunrise and daytime. Sunrise reservations have a two-hour entry window. Whereas daytime reservations have a 30-minute entry window. The start time for sunrise reservations obviously changes with the month you plan to visit, so please check the Visitors Reservations Particulars for details. Also please keep in mind that you can only reserve a spot once per seven days for a sunrise visit, and once daily for daytime. However, vehicle reservations may be changed at no cost to another time and/or date prior to the time and date of the reservation. Please though, if you know you’re not going to make it, cancel the reservation so that someone else may enjoy the view!

Now before you jump on there and start worrying about reservations for your trip later on this summer or fall, thirty percent of vehicle reservations will be made available 90 days ahead of each date. The remaining 70 percent are released at 10:00 AM ET two days ahead. So you still have time to plan your visit, but based on the popularity we do recommend acting sooner rather than later if you want a specific time slot. For more detailed information and to purchase your entrance pass and vehicle registration parking permit, please visit NPS.gov.

Now with that covered, we recommend skipping the more congested areas of Cadillac Mountain and Jordan Pond, by visiting the “quiet side” of Acadia! The area west of Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island is often referred to as the quiet side, because it is less frequented by tourists. There you can find trails ranging from easy to difficult for every hiking skill level, with breathtaking views of Maine’s rocky coastline and forests.

In fact, one of these less visited trails is the park’s namesake, Acadia Mountain! However, please note although Acadia Mountain offers breathtaking views in all directions, it is a very DIFFICULT hike, and not recommended for dogs who are unaccustomed to mountain adventures with steep sections of rocks to traverse. For a MODERATE hike for those who seek adventure, but are not ready to scale cliffs, there is Beech Mountain Trail. Beech Mountain Trail, in Southwest Harbor, is a 1.2 mile hike with breathtaking views of Long Pond, Mansell Mountain and Bernard Mountain. Or if you just want to enjoy an EASY stroll with the family, there is Wonderland Trail. This former old gravel road is a 1.4 mile out and back trail through forest, over granite outcroppings to scenic ocean overlooks of Maine’s quintessential coastline. For our complete reviews with more information, please click on the highlighted name, or visit our Dog Friendly Places page for additional recommendations for Acadia National Park and beyond.

Please Note: Acadia National Park passes are needed to access trails from May through October, but are not available for sale at the parking areas / trailheads. NOT all trails at Acadia National Park are dog friendly. Dogs must be on-leashes no longer than 6 feet in length.  Also as always, respect the wildlife, leave only paw prints, and pick up the poop!