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Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

4.8
#1 of 322 in Parks in Maine
Mountain · Nature / Park
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Perched upon Mount Desert Island in one of Maine's most popular parks, Cadillac Mountain is replete with hiking trails and scenery. The mountain, standing 470 m (1,528 ft) high, is one of the tallest on the United States' eastern seaboard. Here, you can get a glimpse of distant Canadian Nova Scotia in clear weather. You can either hike or drive the 5.6 km (3.5 mi) long road to the summit, which features views of the Porcupine Islands and ocean. Multiple viewing points and pullout spots are available along the way. Be sure to keep your eyes open for the park's signature granite slabs and rock formations rising from the ground. Before you head to Acadia National Park, plan trip itinerary details with our user-friendly Acadia National Park travel route builder website, to make sure you see all that Acadia National Park has to offer, including Cadillac Mountain.
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Cadillac Mountain reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 5.0
3,662 reviews
Google
4.8
TripAdvisor
  • We purchased the passes to view the sunrise and it did not disappoint. This was an easy walk. We took blankets and hot coffee with us, as we got there early enough for a good spot. 
    We purchased the passes to view the sunrise and it did not disappoint. This was an easy walk. We took blankets and hot coffee with us, as we got there early enough for a good spot.  more »
  • Awesome view no matter where you were. Reservations are required. We went near sunset. You could see everything for miles around. Could look down on Bar Harbor and see all the islands. Just... 
    Awesome view no matter where you were. Reservations are required. We went near sunset. You could see everything for miles around. Could look down on Bar Harbor and see all the islands. Just...  more »
  • View was spectacular. Hated, hated, hated trying to get tickets. Silly to open it at 10am when you want to be outside doing other things, plus it gets overloaded and locks you out, so we didn't get... 
    View was spectacular. Hated, hated, hated trying to get tickets. Silly to open it at 10am when you want to be outside doing other things, plus it gets overloaded and locks you out, so we didn't get...  more »
Google
  • Nice drive up to one of the best views in the park. Getting sunrise tickets is extremely difficult. Sunset tickets are easier to grab. Really hard to hike to the top but it’s some great hiking on the way up! Definitely worth doing!
  • The highest peak on the eastern seaboard of the United States was beautiful. I am more and more afraid of heights as I get older and this was a very doable experience. We drove to the top which required a $6 reservation in advance. We were able to book it the day before once we knew the weather was going to be good. The top of the mountain is relatively flat which allowed me to walk on most of the walkways and enjoy the views. There is a gift shop at the top of the mountain that has a special stamp for your National Park Passport but make sure they are open before you head up to the top so you are not disappointed if you miss it.
  • Very beautiful panoramic view. We had reservations and went early in the morning. Very windy and it was cold but the views were lovely.
  • You can see sunrises anywhere, but this is the first place in the US where the sun rises, and trust me, it should be on everyone’s bucket list. Tips on getting the most out of your sunrise experience here: 1. Vehicle registration is required and since the site opens at 10, the website usually crashes due to heavy traffic. SO start refreshing the page at 9:58 or 9:59 to get in. 2. If you CANNOT get reservations, don’t despair! Go to Egg Rock Overlook and you get the exact same view but with less traffic 3. Be there an hour and a half before to get a close spot. People start showing up an hour before and the good spots are usually taken. The day we went, sunrise was at 5:18, so we drove up and got there at 3:45. Trust me, it’s eerily quiet and dark, but worth it. 4. SUPER WINDY! So wear long sleeve layers, blanket & coffee in a thermos 5. Don’t rush off when the sun comes up. We stayed an extra half hour and the view of the sun way up high was breathtaking SUNSET: Not as crowded bc everyone wants to see the sunrise, but equally beautiful. Also crazy windy and cool, so wear long sleeve layers, blankets, and hot coffee.
  • A wonderful highlight of our trip to Acadia. It was amazing to be at the top of the highest point on the Atlantic seaboard. The sunrise was spectacular, even on a partly cloudy day. The mountain's elevation provides an expansive view of Maine's rocky coastline and undulating mountains and islands. Just be sure to get reservations at least two months in advance!

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