Picnicking on Thompson Island in Acadia National Park

A causeway connects Mount Desert Island to the mainland at the town of Trenton. In between the two is another island that the road passes through, Thompson Island. Here you will find restrooms and a large picnic area that is open from mid-April through the end of November. When heading south, the picnic area is on the left side of the road.

The driveway into the Thompson Island Picnic Area forms an elongated oval-shaped loop, and parking areas are located on both of the long sides. There is a restroom building in the center along with a picnic table and a fire ring. There are also a few tables, one grill, and three fire rings next to the left-side parking area, including one reserved for disabled visitors. (Grills are mounted on a post, while fire rings are on the ground. Fire rings do have a grill grate for cooking.)

Picnic table reserved for disabled visitors at the Thompson Island Picnic Area in Acadia National Park

The better area to picnic is the large field that overlooks the Mount Desert Narrows. Here you will find nearly two dozen tables and an equal amount of fire rings. However, people have picked up the tables and relocated them under the shade trees, so many of the fire rings are off by themselves in the middle of the field and exposed to the sun.

Thompson Island Picnic Area in Acadia National Park

Thompson Island Picnic Area in Acadia National Park

While I don’t consider the picnic areas at Acadia National Park to be good places to hold a family reunion or other event, if I had to pick one, the Thompson Island Picnic Area would be a solid choice due to the large field, the scenery of the Mount Desert Narrows, and the number of tables and grills available. However, all picnic areas in the park are open to visitors on a first come, first served basis. Groups of 30 or more need a permit (fee involved), but this is to authorize a large gathering only, not to reserve tables. You must still show up early and hope to get enough tables for your event. For more information and a permit form, visit the National Park Service’s Special Use Permits web page for Acadia National Park.

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