Getting There -- Acadia National Park is reached from the town of Ellsworth via Route 3. Insider tip: If you're driving from southern Maine, avoid the coastal congestion along Route 1 by taking the Maine Turnpike to Bangor, picking up I-395 to Route 1A, then continuing south on Route 1A to Ellsworth. While this looks longer on the map, it's the quickest route in summer, and you're not missing much scenery on "coastal" Route 1, which often isn't in sight of the ocean between late May and mid-September.

Daily flights from Boston to the airport in Trenton, just across the causeway from Mount Desert Island, are offered year-round by US Air affiliate Colgan Air (tel. 800/523-3273 or 207/667-7171; or visit their website). In summer, Concord Trailways (tel. 888/741-8686 or 207/942-8686; or visit their website) offers van service between Bangor (including an airport stop), Ellsworth, and Bar Harbor. Reservations are required. You can also catch the free #1 shuttle bus, which stops by the island airport once to twice an hour from late June through October and brings you directly downtown.