Evenings in Acadia
Four-hour, Private van tour.
From $600
For groups up to six people
This tour is best for those who:
- Are hoping to enjoy Acadia at a time when most of the crowds and tours have left the park for the day.
- Want an overview of the area, but enjoy a more unique experience that focuses on showcasing the most beautiful places rather than making sure we check highlights from a list.
- You trust your tour guide to improvise in order to share whatever will be most magical the night of your tour.
Acadia's sunrise is famous. But for me, it is the evenings here which kindle imagination with lingering, relentless magic.
Acadia National Park is a beautiful place to explore in the fading evening light.
Most tours of our area finish up in the early afternoon. Many visitors have heard that Cadillac Mountain is one of the first places a fresh sunrise touches our nation’s shores. Some folks have a ship to catch. The larger coach busses have schedules to keep. And, so many hikers feel certain arriving early is the right way to beat the crowds…
Well, Mainers do tend to go to bed early. If you wait too long for dinner, you will find kitchens closing back in town. So the rush toward lobster rolls or ice cream back in Bar Harbor (or lobster ice cream), isn’t entirely unwarranted. Parking at popular sites within the national park can be a trial in the morning and afternoon. But arriving early is not the only strategy, often not even the right strategy, to meet your goal of feeling emersed in a place as wondrous as Mount Desert Island and Acadia.
Every night, the wind shifts slightly, entirely changing the feel of places. There’s something special in how the light suddenly makes fairytales real, even when you aren’t on the right side of a mountain to view the sunset. Not everyone sleeping past sunrise here is lazy. Some of us simply employ a different strategy. I love the end of a fine day in Acadia. I would love the chance to show you why.
This tour will still visit many of the same things as my other tours. But I refuse to list exactly where we will go, or to promise a specific itinerary. What I will promise, is an experience of this place such as I rush out on my own time after work to find.
This is a tour for the adventurers. I am most passionate about this place in the evenings. Follow a master guide while I improvise a song you'll remember.
Stick some reviews here and let them see how amazing other people think I am
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my own National Park Pass?
As your Tour Guide, the park requires me to use a special entrance pass for tours. We cannot use your park pass for our excursion. I will provide all the passes and any special reservations we need.
Cadillac Mountain Passes, what about those?
In order to visit Acadia National Park, you will need a park pass. From late May through Mid October, Acadia requires an extra pass / reservation to drive up Cadillac Mountain. When you book a tour, your tour guide handles all those reservations for you.
If you decide to drive up the mountain on your own later, you will need to look at the NPS website or app to reserve a separate pass. These are timed entry passes that give a half hour window from a specific start time, for you to arrive at the base of the mountain road. They do not require you to leave the summit at any specific time before the mountain road closes at 10pm. The park service implemented this system a few years ago to help mediate heavy traffic and parking issues near the summit.
Lots of folks find it hard in the busy seasons to reserve a mountain pass before they sell out. The NPS makes some for each day available weeks ahead of time, while the rest come available shortly before that specific day. Still, they often sell out. If you are riding with me, I will handle that for us. Tour companies like mine have our own separate way to reserve mountain passes.
Where will my tour start / Where to meet?
- If you are staying close to Bar Harbor, I am happy to pick you up at your accommodations, or to meet anywhere in town.
- For those arriving by Cruise Ship, I will arrange to meet you at the pier where your ship’s tenders disembark.
- If you are staying further from town, we can meet at the Hulls Cove Visitors Center in Acadia, or arrange to meet in Bar Harbor.
I am willing to pick up groups from other locations on Mount Desert Island, Including, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Camp Grounds, Airbnbs…etc… But there may be additional cost involved, depending on your distance from where our tour begins. If you are more than 15 minutes from town, arranging for me to come find you, will reduce how much time we have together on the Park Loop Road; although, this entire island is lovely: so, a small road trip together isn’t likely to be any disappointment.
Is This Tour Suitable for Children?
Presumably, the children in question are yours… My question for you is: Are your children ready to enjoy hours of driving and stopping to see sights?
I have a pile of nephews and nieces, no kids of my own yet. I love Children. I remember how squirrely I could get when I was one. I will not be bothered if their attention wonders while I try to tell you about Rockefeller…I do have some fun stories and facts ready to engage younger adventurers. You are welcome to bring any aged person in your group. Just know, some of them will change your experience!
Children who require a booster or car seat, will need their adults to bring that equipment. I cannot provide those.
I'm no child anymore... Is there an upper age limit / What exactly am I getting myself into if I come along?
There is no upper age limit! As long as you’re comfortable getting in and out of a minivan with a little assistance, you should come on tour.
As for “what am I getting myself into?” You will ride in a scrupulously clean, climate controlled, comfortable minivan with adjustable leather captain’s chairs. Your driver has been earning at least some of his income on the road for 25 years. I learned to drive in a city with four times the population of Maine. In all the years traversing cities or mountains since, I still have a perfect safety record.
My tours allow many opportunities to get out of the van to take short walks and enjoy the sights. I always pay attention to how mobile or active each group (or person in each group) wants to be, then adjust our stops accordingly.
If you are not comfortable entering and exiting a vehicle multiple times, you can still enjoy most of the sights without leaving your window seat. When half the group are eager to step out and take pictures, or to walk a little, but you can’t, or just don’t want to, we can accommodate that.
There is plenty of space in the back of my vans for a walker, or a folding wheelchair. If you have a specific piece of mobility equipment you need to bring along, you’re welcome to contact me to discuss your specific needs and determine if my tour is your best option to see this area or if something else is.
Can we stop to walk around or take pictures?
Absolutely!
This is your special, personalized experience of Acadia. I love finding places for guests to get out of their seats to feel the breeze and hear the music of the wind and waves. One of the wonderful things about our national park, is how easy it is both, to find excellent views from the road or very close to it, and how many intriguing nooks there are where we can step out for a bit and explore on foot.
How far you walk on this tour is completely up to you. I will present options, you decide if we should explore an area more or keep moving forward.
I would love to share these views with you.
It has been my dream to live out here, and to share the beauty of this place with others. I would love to meet you and help make your dream vacation on Mount Desert Island, exploring Bar-Harbor and Acadia National Park, as excellent an experience as it possibly can be!