Acadia National Park | BOATING AND PADDLING

Kayaks on Acadia National Park's Echo Lake

Kayaks on Acadia National Park’s Echo Lake

Motorboats, rowboats, canoes, and kayaks are allowed on many of the lakes and ponds within Acadia National Park’s Mount Desert Island. Paddleboarding, wind surfing, and kiteboarding are not allowed because it is easy to fall off of these and land in the water, and no humans (or pets) are allowed in the water at most lakes and ponds because they are used as a drinking water source. However, do feel free to launch your gasoline-powered motorboats. God forbid that anyone gets a taste of human scum, but oil and gasoline are just fine.

One life vest for each passenger on a canoe, kayak, or boat less than 16 foot is required by law. On boats of any type longer than 16 feet there must be at least one throwable personal floatation device. Children 10 years old and younger must wear a life vest (Type 1, 2 or 3) at all times. It is suggested that everyone wear a life vest when paddling, especially on the ocean, but this is not required by law.

The following is a list of boat ramp locations and motor size limits for popular ponds and lakes.

Bubble Pond

  • No official boat ramp
  • Closest parking is 200 feet away on the Park Loop Road
  • No internal combustion engines allowed

Eagle Lake

Echo Lake

Half Moon Pond

  • No official boat ramp
  • No motors of any kind allowed

Hodgdon Pond

  • No official boat ramp
  • West side of the pond is private property and there is no access to the east side, so boating is not practical unless you know someone with a dock on the west side.
  • 10 HP limit on motors

Jordan Pond

Long Pond

Lower and Upper Breakneck Ponds

  • No official boat ramp
  • Access is via the carriage roads only, and the closest parking is over two miles away at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center
  • Hand-paddled watercraft only

Lower Hadlock Pond

  • No boat ramp
  • Access is via hiking trail only
  • Closest parking is a quarter mile away
  • 10 HP limit on motors

Round Pond

  • No boat ramp
  • East side of the pond is private property and there is no access on the west side, so boating is not practical unless you know someone with a dock on the east side.
  • Hand-paddled watercraft only

Seal Cove Pond

Upper Hadlock Pond

  • No official boat ramp, but there is a small parking and access area at the south end of the pond on Route 3
  • 10 HP limit on motors

Witch Hole Pond

  • No official boat ramp
  • Access is via carriage roads only, and the closest parking is .75 mile away at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center
  • Hand-paddled watercraft only

Ocean kayaking is an option as well, but the rugged coast prevents launching from most areas within Acadia National Park. The local towns all have some sort of boat ramp to launch into the ocean, and there are plenty of rental facilities and tour outfitters. The calmer bays such as Bass Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Seal Harbor, Somes Sound, and Frenchman Bay are recommended. Paddling near Bar Island is also popular. Ocean waters average 55º F, so wet suits are recommended.

It is possible to paddle to many of the islands within Acadia National Park, but some are closed during bird nesting season.

  • February 15 to August 31: Bar Island in Somes Sound, Long Porcupine Island, Rolling Island, Schoodic Island, and Sheep Porcupine Island are closed to protect nesting bald eagles and seabirds.
  • April 1 to July 31: Heron Island and Thrumcap Island are closed to protect nesting seabirds.

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Last updated on August 14, 2023
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