Acadia Weather

The flip side to a winter without much snow, as has been the case in much of Maine the past few months, is an early spring. We’ve all heard of “mud season,” but that doesn’t appear to be a concern this year.

The weather has been good, for the most part, the past couple weeks and this weekend is looking like it will be pretty nice. According to the National Weather Service, the weather this weekend in Bar Harbor will be sunny and around 50 degrees. Sounds ideal for a day trip to Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park.

Which gets to the point of this post. The park, as it does every spring, has closed the carriage roads until further notice to prevent them from being damaged by hikers and bikers while they (the paths) are too soft.

So anyone planning a trip to Acadia should plan accordingly. Bicyclists are free to use the paved Park Loop Road, but should remain cautious of ice on the road or closed gates that keep motor vehicles off the road during the winter. Hikers can use regular trails (not carriage paths), though they still could be icy in some shady spots. And anyone hoping to go cross-country skiing or snowmobiling in the park this weekend should forget about it.

At this point, I’m ready for spring and hope that we get a good snowy winter next year. To read more about winter camping, leash restrictions, or nesting peregrine falcons at Acadia, here’s what I wrote Thursday about park closures.

Bill Trotter

About Bill Trotter

A news reporter in coastal Maine for more than 20 years, Bill Trotter writes about how the Atlantic Ocean and the state's iconic coastline help to shape the lives of coastal Maine residents and visitors. He writes about fisheries, marine-related topics, eastern coastal Maine communities and more for the BDN. He lives in Ellsworth. Follow him on Twitter at @billtrotter.