Thread by @kejames

I’m often asked when is a good time to visit Bar Harbor and @AcadiaNPS, so I’m finally going to put my recommendations down here for posterity. 1/

I’ve lived here almost 10yrs. I’ve seen how the seasons vary, both the norms and the extremes. I’ve hiked/walked over 3,000 miles in the park (yes, I’ve kept track), in all seasons and all kinds of weather, and I’ve biked and skied hundreds of miles. 2/

My credentials out of the way, without further ado, here come my illustrated, month-by-month reviews and recommendations for visiting MDI, Bar Harbor, and @AcadiaNPS. *cracks fingers* 3/

I’m going to start with spring, because that feels more like the beginning of the year to me than January. 4/

April is mud season. Skiing is done *sobs* except in record winters, like 2015. The Park Loop Road is still closed & so is half the town. For ~2 weeks, they close the carriage roads, too. On the + side: the hiking can be good!

I give April 1/5 blueberries 🔵⚪️⚪️⚪️⚪️

5/

May is the most underrated month for visiting @AcadiaNPS. Yes, it’s still cool, but perfect 4 hiking! Trees are leafing out, trails are dry, the Park Loop Road is open again & there are spring wildflowers! Few bugs. No crowds. Businesses reopen.

4/5 blueberries 🔵🔵🔵🔵⚪️

6/

June is still cool-ish & quiet-ish. The days are long, & the hiking is SUPER. The ocean & lakes are still cold as #$@&%*!, but swimming isn’t out of the question. The bugs are pretty bad, but you can bike away from your invertebrate nemeses!

3/5 blueberries 🔵🔵🔵⚪️⚪️

7/

July! It’s really summer. Hiking, biking, swimming, boating, climbing, stand-up paddleboarding… IT’S ALL ON. Bar Harbor’s 4th of July is legendary. There are lobster races. Google it. But our idyllic summer secret is out &the crowds are intense.

4/5 blueberries 🔵🔵🔵🔵⚪️

8/

In August, biking tree-shaded carriage roads, swimming, & picking wild blueberries & huckleberries are WHERE IT’S AT Y’ALL. It’s too hot for hiking, IMO, tho evenings are cool & quiet on the trails. It’s still crowded, but for good reason.

4/5 blueberries 🔵🔵🔵🔵⚪️

9/

You could even ride your bike on the carriage roads to pick blueberries, go for a swim, then eat your blueberries with MDI Ice Cream. That would be some next-level Maine-ing right there. Especially if you ate a lobster roll at some point.

Oh, September in Acadia, how lovely you are! All the benefits of August (except berries) but w/ fewer bugs, fewer people, ever-so-slightly cooler temps, &, towards the end of the month, the first autumn colors. Bliss.

September gets my first 5/5 blueberry rating! 🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵

10/

Six months down and six to go! I’ll pick it up again tomorrow. Thanks for following along so far. Meanwhile, may your blueberry cravings be not just TOO bad.

Also, June is Pride Month! Bar Harbor has long been known and loved as an LGBTQ*-friendly place to visit and live. Learn all about this and previous years’ Pride festivities here: facebook.com/barharborpride…

Important context: Bar Harbor & Acadia are part of the occupied territory of the Penobscot & Passamaquoddy peoples, & of the Wabanaki confederacy. @AbbeMuseum is a wonderful local museum of Wabanaki history & culture, centered on decolonization. abbemuseum.org

Notes about September:

1. There are fewer people than July and August but it is still very busy, & visitor numbers have been increasing each year.

2. I can’t believe I forgot to mention the Acadia Night Sky Festival! But get to the star parties early. acadianightskyfestival.com

October is perfection, the first 2-3 weeks in particular. The beauty of the fall foliage, in this already-stunning setting, has reduced me to tears on several occasions. Together w/ the pleasant temps, few bugs, & reduced crowds, I give October…

5/5 blueberries 🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵

11/

November is a wild card; every kind of weather is possible, from warm, late-September-ish days, to Nor’easters & even extreme cold. The fall leaves… well, fall, & restaurants & shops start closing. But the roads are open & solitude abounds.

2/5 blueberries 🔵🔵⚪️⚪️⚪️

12/

December brings cold, snow, & darkness, which isn’t for everyone. But if you like skiing, winter walking, &/or cozy small towns on the holidays, then this is a nice time to visit. Not enough snow for skiing? Hike to see snowy owls!

3/5 (frozen) blueberries 🔵🔵🔵⚪️⚪️

13/

Bonus: if there is a new Star Wars film opening, which there often is in December, it’s fun to go see it at the historic @1932criterion theater. Usually there’s a costume parade on opening night!

January lacks holiday festivities but (usually) makes up for it w/ more opportunities to ski. No guarantees tho. The good news is that when it’s snowless, that usually means is c-c-cold, so there’s ice skating! …& snowy-owl-spotting.

3/5 (frozen) blueberries 🔵🔵🔵⚪️⚪️

13/

February is your best chance to experience a big nor’easter and/or ski on decent snow every day of your visit. No guarantees, of course, but when it happens it’s pure magic. Ice skating and snowy owls remain good alternatives.

3/5 (frozen) blueberries 🔵🔵🔵⚪️⚪️

14/

Notes about winter in Bar Harbor & Acadia: I’m all about skiing Acadia’s famed carriage roads, which are groomed by a volunteer crew (info here: friendsofacadia.org/get-involved/a…), but I hear the snowshoeing is also great. You can rent skis, snowshoes, & ice skates at @CadillacSports. 15/

Town is *very* quiet. Many shops are closed, some literally boarded up. But year-round places like Reel Pizza, Side Street Cafe, and Morning Glory Bakery make it all okay. Braving the cold to stargaze is totally worth it. 16/

March, like November, is unpredictable. It might still be full-on winter, or it might an early mud season. Even year-round businesses sometimes close for a while. But the carriage roads are open and there can be good hiking.

2/5 blueberries 🔵🔵⚪️⚪️⚪️

17/

And that’s it! A year of recommendations and 48 (!) of my photos spanning ten years here. Thanks for following along and please do hit me up for more specific info and advice. 18/18

And as a special treat for everyone who made it through the credits: a snowy owl pellet!

Yes, that is a Christmas tree made out of lobster traps with buoys for decoration.

I finished my month-by-month recommendations for visiting Bar Harbor and @AcadiaNPS! Start here:

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