Acadia: The Complete Guide: Mount Desert Island & Acadia National Park

by James Kaiser

Updated with essential travel information, this gorgeous guidebook reveals the hidden gems of Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island. From outdoor adventures such as hiking, biking, sea kayaking, and sailing to the top local restaurants, this in-depth guide puts the best of Acadia at your fingertips. Fascinating chapters on history and wildlife bring the park to life, and over a dozen color maps make travel planning easy. Written by a Maine native and filled with stunning color photographs, The Complete Guide beckons travelers to explore spectacular coastal mountains, dine on fresh lobster at a waterfront restaurant, or sail past historic lighthouses on beautiful offshore islands.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, Nature

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2005

About the author

James Kaiser is an award-winning travel writer and photographer. When not trotting the globe on assignment, he writes guidebooks to U.S. national parks. In 2005 his book Grand Canyon: The Complete Guide won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Full-Color Travel Guide and the Independent Publisher Award for Best Travel Guide. In 2006 he was a photographer for Yahoo! Sports at the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

Reviews

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent travel book that covers the landscape, geology, human history, hiking trails and flora and fauna of the area. There are a few short reviews of restaurants and lodging but mainly this is a book designed to get reader excited and informed about Acadia National Park. Includes beautiful color photos and some author reflections of his own favorite places in the park. Good index, too! I enjoyed this and will definitely seek out his guidebooks on other parks if I have any future trips. I think there is an updated edition but this one remains very useful and enjoyable.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never really liked or appreciated a travel book as much as this one. Usually, they are filled with restaurant and lodging reviews. If this had them I didn't notice. What it did have was a history of Acadia and MDI from the geology to the people. Kaiser also talked about what he has seen and done on the island and what there is to see and do. The book left me wanting to do more research and reading on the island and the inhabitants. For someone looking for adventure and interesting places, this is the perfect travel companion to get you up to speed with where you are visiting and then to make you want to find out more. Well done! I read it cover to cover and then went back and re-read sections and noted where I wanted to learn more.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent guidebook with terrific photos and helpful maps that tells you what you should see and do on the island and in the park and gives some great background information - history, geology, wildlife, etc. in short, well-written sections that are actually interesting vs just a compendium of facts. I recommend it.

[Scott Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually count travel guidebooks on my "books read" list, or review them, but then again, I don't usually read them, cover-to-cover, in their entirety, like a novel. This book was so far beyond the quality and depth of the usual run of guidebooks, I had to, just to give the author some props.

It's an incredible background on the history, natural history, and cultural history of Mount Desert and the surrounding Islands - by which I mean, there's history of the people that lived there, from Paleoindians through the modern era; there's fantastic pages on the animal species and geology of the area, and there are great guides to the local foods and drink...and that's not even including the actual "guidebook" portions, of what tours to take and what to see.

Note: this is not a dry laundry list of all possible options; this is an extremely well-written and curated selection of the most amazing parts of the Island. Follow Kaiser's tips, see what he suggested, and you will not be left wanting. I have and have read through a few other other more traditional, big-name guidebooks for the area, and you can skip them all - this is the best, it covers everything they do and more.

[Jarrett Piner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in anticipation of an upcoming trip to Maine and it really helped me plan out activities.

[Zardoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just got back from a five day trip to Acadia and this guide was amazing. Lots of details and suggestions that helped me plan out my vacation.

[Tara Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worked well for our trip, and also had a lot of history, geography, animals, etc. in it. Probably geared to fairly active travelers, which was fine by us, but maybe not for everyone.

[Laura Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and informative

[Todd Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has hidden gems of Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island and was written by a native of Maine.

This includes outdoor adventures such as hiking, biking, sea kayaking, and sailing.

You will find chapters on specific topics like history and wildlife.

Over a dozen color maps make travel planning easy.

Filled with color photographs to help you really get an idea of the landscape.

The book helps travelers explore spectacular coastal mountains, dine on fresh lobster at a waterfront restaurant, or sail past historic lighthouses on beautiful offshore islands.

I will bring this book with us when we stay several days in the area, which is what the book is geared to.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

With interesting content, and appropriate graphics about a variety of subjects that should appeal to just about every visitor to Acadia. While primarily aimed at the summer visitor, there is also interesting background for the less traffic months of the year.

This book was purchased in advance of a summer visit to Acadia, and the basic information here, about must see and off the beaten path sights to see made the trip much more enjoyable. It does not bog down into details about every restaurant or hotel, which can change in a short amount of time, but keeps to the essential highlights.

The history and natural area writings of this book make it valuable beyond trip preparation too.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a thorough and interesting guide book. I wouldn’t normally count this a book completed on my list except I read it cover to cover! I learned so much interesting history about Acadia and it enhanced our trip tremendously. Great recommendations throughout. Thank you for contributing greatly to our summer memories!

[Shahna (VanquishingVolumes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look at me I did it I did the thing! I read a guidebook successfully!

Thank goodness this guidebook offered history alongside its descriptions of the sites and attractions - I would have been so bored otherwise. I actually managed to learn quite a bit about the history just a little ways north of me, and reading this just reignited my desire to get to Acadia one of these days!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought there would be more about the park itself, but it was nice to read the history of the area and information about MDI in general. Definitely got me excited for my trip. Suggestion for future issued: update language from indians to indigenous people.

[John Edward O'keefe III · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun little read. Recently fallen in love with Acadia and Bar Harbor, however this gem shines a light on the islands history and draws attention to sights and experiences that you'll miss on Mount Desert Island.

I am glad just exploring the area, but there is much more to see on future visits!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was excited to read this book in anticipation of or family vacation on MDI scheduled for next July and was not disappointed! Loved readind about the geologic and natural history of MDI and downeast Maine. Beautiful photographs and descriptions of place to go and things to do in and around the park.

[s_evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional guide book with so much interesting history, I wish all guide books were like this (amazing photos too!)

[Misty Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. One of the best travel guides I’ve read.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems like a great guide book. Provides a wide variety of activities. I really liked the "top 5" sections. Looking forward to utilizing some of the recommendations for a trip later this year.

[Louise Ennesser · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you are going to Acadia this is the book to bring, right on target with the must sees and the less traveled areas of the park that should also be seen.

[Colie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am used to a less biased style guide book, like the lonely planet guides, so I found this book slightly annoying. (Sorry author guy who grew up near Acadia!). The history section was interesting, but I found myself wanting to fact check it (sorry dude, I know it's like your home town and everything). Things like big graphics kinda stretched the book out and took away from the "meat" of the information (but the animal pictures were cute! Does anyone from New England need a whole page explaining raccoons? Probably not...but cute pics.). Also, this is super nit picky of me, but while I was pleased to see that there are only 5 types of snakes in Acadia, I was sad to see the author use "poisonous" rather than "venomous" to describe them. Something is poisonous if you eat it, and if you are eating snakes then you definitely are not on the same type of vacation this guy is trying to sell. Anyway, the guidebook is fairly informative and has nice pictures throughout! I didn't go to Acadia yet, so I can't attest to the accuracy of the maps or info, but after reading the guide at least I know what bar I go to if I am an "outdoorsy hippie type." He definitely differentiates throughout the guide between rich vacation activities and "hippy outdoorsy type" activities. I just thought it was funny. If you are choosing between this and a few other guides, this may not be the best, but if its what you have it was written in 2010 and should be fairly up to date!!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of Acadia National Park and the surrounding islands. There is a great balance between the geography, history, ecology, and current tourist information and recommendations.

What impressed me most was the layout. The pictures are beautiful and illustrate the text and places being described. The maps are excellent quality. There are larger and smaller scale maps so you can get the big picture and then zoom in to a desired area. The hiking maps are topographic and well labeled.

When I think about it this is the first tour book that I read cover to cover. I don't think they can get much better than this.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though my copy is the 2010 edition, I would expect the new, 2016 edition to be as good if not better! Great for the new visitors as well as us repeat adventurers. Even though I've been there many times for a variety of purposes, I found much here I did not know about the island.
The author visited our 4th grade students, and inspired them to travel and record their experiences, both in words and pictures.
This book is a grand, broad overview of the island, with just enough depth on each topic to hold interest and inform but not bore. Every section also provides sources if the reader wants more in-depth info on that topic.
Clear photos, maps, and index complete this guide.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so maybe it's because I know Acadia and its beauty but I thought this was a really good travel guide as far as travel guides go. I enjoyed the style of writing (it was a quick read), the history, and the clever less-known little stories about different places in and around Mount Desert Island. Any guide book with the top trails (bicycle, hiking, climbing) is going to pique my interest and this one definitely did. I can't wait to go back and explore!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for Mt. Desert Island, Acadia National Park, and Bar Harbor!! We brought this on our trip and used it numerous times throughout each day. Great info and reviews on restaurants, hikes, places to visit, and towns. Also gave a really good historical perspective on the island. Must have when you visit!

[Paul Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information without overdoing it. Gives the highlights and preferences but doesn’t give details on every trail in the park. Great history and geology about the island. I would say this is more for an “out of stater” verses a Mainer. I know what a moose is and about the local foods so I just bypassed that for now. Just gave me lots of vacation ideas for many summer trips to come.

[John Millard · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have been to Acadia several times and always find it beautiful and therapeutically relaxing. This book in it’s many publications is invariably present in most rental properties. I am not sure about hotels. It is a wonderful reference book for all available activities on the island. After 15 years I decided to buy a copy for home. This way we can plan and get excited about our next trip.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I realize that it may seem a little crazy submitting a book review on a travel book, but hey, that's what this website is for! This is a great reference book for anyone travelling to Bar Harbor, Acadia, or the surrounding towns.

[Michael James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great prep for upcoming trip

Really enjoyed this book. I love Kaiser’s approach to his guide books. He gives very practical tips that cover all angles. He also gives a variety of historical and cultural context to frame why the park and surrounding area is the way it is today.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best travel books I have ever read! In fact, I think this is the first one I have actually read from cover to cover! The author uses an easily read writing style, and now I can't wait to visit this coming September!!!

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Guidebook with History!

Very informational, but also fun to read! 10/10 recommend the Kindle version, since you can click on the hyperlinks! Thanks for writing this book for us, James!