Acadia National Park

Thanks everyone for all the info! It is very appreciated. We know nothing about the area but now thanks to all of you we have a better idea. Still not sure if our vacation will be northeast or out west. We have plenty of time to try and decide since it wont be till Sept. We love the idea of all of the nice bicycle trails. We love riding and that is one of the big reasons we are thinking about visiting Acadia. Thanks again!! Tara :)

Lots of good advice and suggestions here.

We were there in early September for a week in 2012. Stayed in the Park at the Seawall campground (no hookups) - The "A" loop is mostly tent only but we got A10 and it was great. Plenty of room and more privacy than most of the sites in the other loops. We normally boondock so the absence of amenities was not a problem.

Our favorite area was the Schoodic Peninsula section of the Park which is an hour's drive north of the main part. They've opened a new campground there since our visit and we'll probably opt to stay in it on our next trip.

We also spent a few days in White Mountain NF where another group member suggested the Sugarloaf II campground. After our stay, we'd recommend it as well. Beautiful area with lots of wildlife.

Bob806 wrote:
You can't go wrong with Acadia at all. Absolutely beautiful, and plenty to do. As far as the White Mountains, check out the Kancamagus Highway (http://www.kancamagushighway.com/). You can body surf on the river over granite rocks, it's a blast.

There's a lot to see in that whole region if you love the outdoors. Have fun researching.

We have done this a few times in our younger days and it is really fun. Just be sure to wear an old bathing suit as your suit does take a beating. Of course the water level has to be up. The scenery in the area is beautiful and lots of hikes and places to see.

The White Mountains and Acadia are two of our favorite places. Acadia has wonderful bike trails and free transportation around the area on their shuttle sponsored I think by LLBean.

We did Acadia several years ago and are going back this summer. Last time we stayed at Bass Harbor, this time we're booked into the KOA. September should be perfect. Take your bikes if you're into cycling.
We did NH last year & stayed at The Bluffs. It's an adult-only cg, mostly nice seasonal campers with a few transient spots available. Very nice amenities but we did't take full advantage if them.

They are beautiful areas, as others have said.

The weather in September is usually rather pleasant, but can be somewhat variable. It might be summery or it might be chilly. (This is even more true a month later in the year, when anything from snow to tee shirt weather is not entirely unexpected.) It is a good time to visit to avoid too many crowds as the kiddos are back in school and the leaf peepers have not yet come in droves. If you take the cog railway (or drive the auto road or hike) up Mt. Washington, it will be cold and windy at the top...possibly very cold and very, very windy.

The Kanc is a fabulous drive through the White Mountains with many stops worth investigating. US 302 is also a very pretty road and has a few nice stopping points at waterfalls etc. I-93 and/or US 3 (they're parallel or co-located) through Franconia Notch is a third very pretty road with some great stops, including the ghost of the Old Man of the Mountain.

I feel a bit obligated to mention that my home state of Vermont is also very lovely. :B

caysea7254 wrote:
What would the weather be like 2nd week in sept.?

The chart HERE is close. In July I have seen a few 90(F) days and in October some low 30(f) nights.

What would the weather be like 2nd week in sept.?

Perfect. Warm days, cool nights, park is less crowded. I'd recommend the Bar Harbor KOA. For the White Mountains I'd recommend Danforth Bay in Freedom, NH. It's about a 30 minute drive to N. Conway.

Acadia on Mt. Desert Island is indeed beautiful. My wife and I have been going every year for the last 10 years and still find things we have not seen before. There is an abundance of hiking trails, some easy some very hard. The carriage roads built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr are unique. The view from Cadillac Mountain is spectacular and an easy drive to the top (or a rather hard hike!). There are free shuttle busss that cover most of the island and run about 1/2 hour apart. The village of Bar Harbor is quaint and touristy and in July and August crowded, driving and parking can be a challenge in the village. One thing you will NOT find on the island are chain stores like McDonalds, etc. That is more than made up for by local shops and places to eat. There is something there for everyone.

It will be nice, cool nights for sure.

What would the weather be like 2nd week in sept.?