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Acadia National Park had one of its busiest years ever in 2025, with the National Park Service recording more than 4 million visitors. The 51,000-acre national park may be one of the smallest but consistently ranks in the top 10 for visitation. Most come to Acadia between April and October, making the winter months a pretty quiet period to enjoy the bountiful beauty of this island and mountain paradise.

Digging into the stats a little deeper, somewhere in the neighborhood of 75,000 people visit Acadia during the wintertime, a small fraction of the annual total. So clearly, to have this amazing national treasure seemingly all to yourself, winter is the time to roam free like you own the place, which as Americans we actually do. And for the adventurous types, you can wander widely via skis, snowshoes and on foot.

The premier winter recreational opportunity is cross-country skiing on the historic carriage roads amid Acadia’s 31,000 acres of parkland on Mount Desert Island. Volunteers from the Acadia Winter Trails Association machine groom and track a series of named circuits that total 30 miles of fantastic skiing. And whenever Mother Nature dumps more than a few inches of snow, these dedicated folks are out there doing their wonderful thing.

Probably the most popular starting point for carriage road skiers is the trailhead on Route 233 just north of Eagle Lake. From here skiers can head north to tackle the scenic Witch Hole Pond and Paradise Hill loops; these reward with pretty ponds and ocean views. South of the road is the equally beautiful Aunt Betty loop that features a swoop downhill over the Seven Bridges. Both circuit treks are about 6 miles long.

From either the Parkman Mountain or Brown Mountain Gate trailheads on Route 3/198, skiers can access the Hadlock Pond and Amphitheater loops; these are 4 and 5 miles long, respectively. The former visits the lovely pond while the latter reaches into a secretive valley. You can also connect to the Parkman Connector and Around-the-Mountain sections as well. At 11 1/2 miles, Around-the-Mountain is the most challenging ski loop of the lot.

Funding for the winter carriage road grooming is provided through Friends of Acadia, which helps to purchase and maintain the equipment, purchase fuel and train volunteers. An endowment established by the family of Leila Bright underwrites the grooming program in perpetuity, a wonderful gift that has allowed more volunteers with better machines to groom more ski routes more often. Hug a groomer if you see them out there!

Speaking of gifts, the 45 miles of carriage roads in Acadia National Park (plus another 12 miles of private land abutting the park) were the brainchild of John D. Rockefeller Jr., the millionaire philanthropist, natural resource steward and Mount Desert Island summer resident, who financed and supervised their construction from 1913 to 1940. Rockefeller later gifted the carriage roads and his sizable land holdings to the park.

With 26 named mountain peaks, including eight summits exceeding 1,000 in elevation, and 125 miles of hiking and walking trails, there’s plenty to do for non-skiers who come properly equipped with snowshoes, micro-spikes and warm boots. (To be sure, the carriage roads are open to multiple uses: classic and skate skiing, of course, plus snowshoeing, horseback riding and fat tire biking—but please don’t trample the groomed ski tracks.)

Ocean Drive is open in winter, making for easy access to Great Head, Champlain Mountain, the Bowl and Gorham Mountain, never mind the fabulous Ocean Path. The long, open ridgeline of Cadillac Mountain is a classic winter traverse. Dorr Mountain from Sieur de Monts Spring is a favorite, as is Bald Peak, Parkman Mountain, Gilmore Peak and Sargent Mountain from the Hadlock Ponds area.

On the other side of Somes Sound, Acadia and St. Sauveur Mountains are also easily accessible, as is Beech Mountain and Beech Cliff. From the south end of Long Pond you can tackle the steep slopes to Mansell Peak and Bernard Mountain. And the coastal paths at Wonderland and Ship Harbor are just as much fun in winter as summer.

The weather along Maine’s coast is notoriously fickle, so check current snow and trail conditions and plan accordingly. The Friends of Acadia and Acadia National Park websites  and the FOA and Ski MDI Facebook pages are good resources. Hope to see you out there!

 Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island is a Triple Crown hiker, freelance writer and author of three hiking guides. Connect with Carey on Facebook and Instagram and at [email protected].