Posted by Patrick Nixon on March 6, 2010 at 10:35 PM
I'm planning a trip for myself and my son to the Acadia area this year. What is the best approximate time for best foliage in the fall? I'm assuming mid to late October.
Patrick Nixon
Canton, MI
NPN 2607
pnixon41@comcast.net
Posted by Scott Snyder on March 7, 2010 at 8:26 AM
Early to mid. By late October this year everything was down.
Posted by Andy Richards on March 21, 2010 at 1:34 PM
We were there the last week of October and I would say we "missed" it by about a week. Of course, That depends on what you look for. We did find some really nice color and there were still leaves on in the interior of the Park. Also, there were still blueberry barrens that were colorful. You can see what we captured at http://lightcentricphotography.com in my Maine gallery. The beautiful thing about this area is there are so many things to photograph that can be done without so-called "peak" foliage: The fishing harbors are wonderful, there are lighthouses and waterfalls, etc.
To me, there was kind of a tradeoff. Being late, we had the entire park -- indeed the island and surrounds essentially to ourselves. That was nice. Its a magical place.
Posted by Kurt Budliger on March 22, 2010 at 8:44 AM
The week follow Columbus Day is usually very colorful in Acadia. This year however was an atypical year, things dried up and dropped very early and it was freezing cold in mid October. You will find lots of green due to higher amounts of oak on the coast but the maples and birches peak much earlier, and that's where the vibrant colors come from.
Yes I agree with Kurt on this one for timing as he and were "teamed" up so to speak for this trip. 2009 was one of the worst years I've ever seen there. However in years past, the week of Columbus Day is usually the best time. Fortunately I've had many successful trips during this time period. You will find a number of workshops and tours going on during this period. Workshops / tours are a good measuring stick as to when to attend any NP.
Posted by Peter Cross on April 4, 2010 at 11:24 PM
If you have flexiibility and don't need to make reservations in advance you can keep on top of things via foliage hot lines (Maine has one) as well as Acadia itself. This info should be available online and is updated almost daily. That way you could time you visit to get there are or near peak and can also compensate for any bad weather forecast. If you're adventuresome there are some incredibly beautiful areas inland around Moosehead Lake or the Rangeley region. There I usually planned on Columbus Day being the peak.
Discussion
5 repliesPatrick Nixon
Canton, MI
NPN 2607
pnixon41@comcast.net
To me, there was kind of a tradeoff. Being late, we had the entire park -- indeed the island and surrounds essentially to ourselves. That was nice. Its a magical place.