Acadia National Park will try to streamline its traffic, and give a hint to its future, when it launches a vehicle registration program on Oct. 1 at the Sand Beach and Cadillac Summit Road entrances.
The pilot program is intended to guarantee access at peak times at these highly congested areas from Oct. 1-18. The vehicle reservation system’s launch will help the park prepare a full season of vehicle reservations in 2021, officials said.
Reservations are available for purchase only online at recreation.gov. All reservations provide a timed entry on those days, but do not require a departure time, with visitors at Sand Beach required to make reservations from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors to the Cadillac Summit Road will require vehicle reservations from 4:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to the statement.
Reservations do not guarantee a specific parking space. If you leave the area with your vehicle, you need another reservation to re-enter. In addition to having a valid entrance pass, reservations must be purchased for $2 each online; reservations will not be sold at the park. Commercial tour operators with a valid Commercial Use Authorization and accredited school groups with an authorized entrance fee waiver do not require a vehicle reservation during the pilot in October.
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