Maine’s Acadia National Park Ranks 7th in the Nation with Over 4 Million Visits

It was another banner year for Maine's most popular destinations.

As we all know, Acadia National Park is one of America's most beautiful and popular attractions—and now we have the data to back it up.

According to the Mount Desert Islander, Acadia had its best year ever, at least since the park started keeping records. The official visitation number, which came from the park, was 4,079,318 visits—a 3% increase from 2024. That’s a new record, folks, as it surpassed the previous record set in 2021 by about 10,000 visits.

The National Park Service utilized data from the Mount Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula, and Isle au Haut entries. The Mount Desert Islander also points out that this total represents the number of visits, not the number of visitors, meaning one individual could have accounted for multiple visits.

So why such an amazing year? One would have to think it was due to the incredibly dry summer and fall. While early June was a little rough, the remainder of the season was simply perfect. Sure, it was technically a drought, but it did make for ideal weather for visiting a park like Acadia.

I would imagine the increased interest in Maine as a travel destination almost certainly contributed to the rise in visits. It’s also a relatively inexpensive activity. A $35 car pass provides park access for a week, even during peak times, and the pass is less expensive during non-peak months. In a world where everything seems incredibly expensive, I’d say this is quite a deal.

Acadia's 2025 visitation numbers are not only impressive at the local level, but also from a national perspective.

How Popular was Acadia National Park in 2025?

According to Outside Magazine, Acadia ended 2025 as the seventh most visited national park in America. It was ranked between Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park.

In fact, Acadia was fewer than 200,000 visits away from cracking the Top 5, showing how tight the competition is among the top national parks.

What National Parks had the Highest Number of Visits in 2025?

As great as 2025 was for Acadia, it still has some work to do to reach the Top 3. Here's a look at those parks and their visitation numbers:

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Tennessee & North Carolina) – 11.5 million
2. Zion National Park (Utah) – 4.9 million
3. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming) – 4.7 million

That visitor number for the Great Smoky Mountains is absolutely insane—it’s quite difficult to fathom.

READ MORE: Baxter's Knife Edge Trail Named Maine’s Most Breathtaking Hike

As for Acadia, what an incredible 2025. However, could we see an even better year in 2026? Quite possibly, especially with a brand-new travel hub that should make it even easier to enjoy the park.

The future is certainly bright for Maine's golden child.