Discover Acadia National Park: AMC Guide to the Best Hiking, Biking, and Paddling [With Pull Out Map]

This book gives you all you need to know about travelling to Acadia. It covers biking, hiking, kayaking, and just about any other "-ing" you might be interested in.The maps help out anyone not familiar to the area, too.I think it's a great, well-written book that will aid anyone planning to visit this part of Maine.

I love this book and refer to it often when I feel the need to take an outdoor adventure in Acadia. While it aptly describes every trail in the park and comes with an impressive 4 color map , what sets this guide apart is its descriptive narrative of park features. It's sidebars and little factoids about the area's history, flora, and fauna give the reader a deeper understanding of the place he or she is hiking, biking, or paddling through. It makes for much more interesting reading than the typical "turn left at the trail junction." Visitors new to the area will also appreciate the book's listings of campgrounds, museums, gardens, whale and puffin watching tours, etc. Tons of great info packed into a reasonable size!

I agree with the previous reviews- this is the only book you'll need to have when going to Acadia National Park, and you'd be missing something great if you didn't have it. Even if you are only a beginner, you'll enjoy reading about the more advanced trips as well as the easy ones because the information is so well presented. The authors are also excellent nature photographers, so the readers are able to see the described trails and scenery as if they were looking through the lense of a camera- everthing is so beautifully presented. The book gives a lot of material that could be cut, dried, and boring, but it is anything but. Do yourself a favor, and buy this book before setting out - you'll enjoy your adventure so much more.

So thorough, helpful, and attractive is this volume that I should think the Monkmans have eliminated the need for any similar Acadia guidebooks for years to come. What elevates this particular effort above others in the genre is the top-notch photography which accompanies the text (which is hardly a surprise given the Monkmans' tireless EcoPhotography work in the northeast) and the handy hiking & biking map ensconced in the back. Admirable, too, is the text's obvious effort to be more than a mere assemblage of practical information and trail descriptions: the recreational advice is complemented by revealing sidebars and park history, reflecting the authors' commitment to the spirit of Acadia and the natural world. I can't imagine, in other words, that there's a better guide to tuck in the pannier or the backpack for your next trip to this great park!

Anyone who is going to Acadia National Park should have a copy of this well-written book. It gives great details of countless trips, whether hiking, biking, kayaking or canoeing- you won't get lost, you'll know exactly what to look for, and you'll enjoy the Monkmans' beautiful descriptions while you're at it. The trips are labeled as to their difficulty, how long they might take, etc. Don't go without it!