Hulls Cove Visitor Center at Acadia National Park

GENERAL INFORMATION

Hulls Cove Visitor Center is Acadia National Park’s main information station. Park Rangers and volunteers are on duty to answer any questions you may have, and this is also one of the places where park entrance passes are sold. Keep in mind that if a pass is all you need, you can save time by getting one online at Recreation.gov. On a busy day during the summer, the lines at the Visitor Center can be extremely long.

Park Passes desk at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center in Acadia National Park

Information desk at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center in Acadia National Park

At the parking lot is a covered pavilion that serves as a bus stop for the free Island Explorer Shuttle Bus that runs from late May through Columbus Day. The parking lot is very large, so Hulls Cove Visitor Center is a great staging area if you plan to ride the bus. I highly recommend it, especially on the weekends and anytime you are heading to Bar Harbor, Sand Beach, the Jordan Pond House, or any of the trails that start along the Park Loop Road.

Island Explorer bus stop at Acadia National Park’s Hulls Cove Visitor Center

The Visitor Center itself is located up the hill from the bus stop at the top of a 52-step staircase. If you have a handicap parking permit, there is a parking lot closer to the building that you can use.

Stairs to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center at Acadia National Park

The Visitor Center is also where the Park Loop Road begins. This is a 27-mile scenic drive that covers the eastern half of Mount Desert Island. There are a number of overlooks, trailheads, and attractions along the road.

OPERATING HOURS

The Hulls Cove Visitor Center is open daily from May through the end of October from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. From November until the facility reopens in May, visitor information and park entrance passes are available at the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce at 2 Cottage Street. Hours are from 8 AM to 4 PM daily.

Times can always change, so be sure to get the current schedule on the official National Park Service Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Acadia National Park.

AMENITIES

• Information desk where you can get a park brochure and the schedule for the day’s Ranger activities
• Purchase an Acadia National Park entrance pass
• Sign up for tours
• Purchase a detailed trail map
• Book and souvenir store
• Exhibit area
• Restrooms

Souvenir and book store at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center in Acadia National Park

EXHIBITS

There is an exhibit area at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, but other than a few large wall maps, these are rotating exhibits that change on a regular basis. During my recent visit there was an art exhibit featuring works of current and former Acadia National Park Artists in Residence.

Art exhibit at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center in Acadia National Park

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Time spent at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center depends on what information you need, and to an even greater extent, how packed the place is. Lines for information and park passes can be very long during the summer tourist season.

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