Acadia National Park is the second-most visited national park on the East Coast—nearly four million visitors flocked to its rocky coastline, spectacular lookouts, and fiery fall foliage in 2024 alone. Often considered the most striking of the northeastern parks, Acadia is home to exceptional natural beauty, from its bikeable crushed-stone carriage roads to its epic hikes that end at hidden lagoons. Unlike many far-flung western national parks, which are located in big, uncrowded wildernesses, this coastal Maine gem surrounds a historic summer town—Bar Harbor—which is full of 100-year-old cottages and delectable lobster shacks just a short drive from the entrance to the park.