Bad Acadia National Park Reviews

Acadia was the first national park that I ever went to, so it has a special place in my heart. Not everyone feels the same way about it that I do, though…

I scoured through all the bad Yelp reviews of national parks and all the one star reviews of national parks on TripAdvisor and have compiled the best of the worst right here.

I hope you find these national park bad reviews as hilarious as I do!

Hilarious Bad Acadia National Park Reviews

Driving the loop is nuts. …  If you miss your turn, you have to go all the way around again or at least to the nearest two way road. It’s one thing if part of your park is a one way loop, but when the majority is? It’s time to reconsider. 

Yelp

I will just say that that’s kind of what a loop drive is – a loop. Yes, a lot of the road is one way, but that helps control traffic – and the road is one of the most scenic parts of the park!

The forest is so overgrown that I actually wish that people would bring in wood, with all the associated pests, from other areas. … there is almost no wildlife.In three days of being there, I saw three ground squirrels. … 

Yelp

Um, a forest with too many trees?? And wild animals that don’t appear on cue. It really does seem Acadia isn’t playing nice …

Not worth the trip, unfriendly, expensive, crowded, lots of driving. 

TripAdvisor

I personally find it incredibly beautiful, there’s a shuttle, historic carriage roads, miles of hiking trails and areas of the park like the Schoodic Peninsula that has very few people.

This is a rip-off and a poor excuse of a “National Park”! 

TripAdvisor

This place has been quite disappointing. Aside from a 10-minute cruise along an admittedly scenic coastline and the decent view from Cadillac Mountain, the highlight was the small playground for our toddler behind our hotel.

TripAdvisor

Maybe they didn’t go to Sand Beach. Or Echo Beach. Or the Ocean Path. Or Jordan Pond. Or … ???

Not worth the extra trip. If you happen to be passing by, then stop for an hour or two. 

TripAdvisor

I’ve spent days here and have never been bored!

Too crowded – everyone please get in your cars and leave…there is nothing left to see here; all the views have been seen – thank you! 

Yelp

It’s pretty, but not as spectacular as other parks we’ve visited … We were fairly disappointed and don’t expect to return. 

TripAdvisor

I don’t know about that. I think the views are pretty great, myself.

The views were horrid and disgusting, you couldn’t see anything and I think I caught a cold from being there. The most ridiculous part of the whole clown fiesta was I only saw 2 FROGS. Like what?? I was promised dragonflies, bald Eagles, trout, beavers, and all I saw was TWO freaking frogs. Complete false advertising, I could see more interesting animals in a local forest in 10 minutes. 

Yelp

Well, again, I’m not sure why the views are horrible. And I get that it is disappointing to not see animals all the time, but they are wild and happily living their lives away from people if possible.

The fog blocked the views of all the sites until it burned off around 3 or 4 pm. The locals all knew about it and said you don’t want to visit here after July 4th because of the fog. 

TripAdvisor

It is disappointing to have fog obscuring the views. I get it. But I’ve been there in July with no fog at all. And, again, nature is nature. Disappointing, but worth a one-star review?

You can easily do better. long trip for a nothing park. This is a park but not a National Park. Not much to see here. 

TripAdvisor

With the mountains, beaches, pink rocky shorelines, islands, lakes, forests, carriage roads, historic stone bridges, lighthouses, etc. there seems quite a lot to see to me. But maybe that’s just me.

Waste of time place with a few catchy names like Thunder Hole and the like to get you to pay $30 to drive around it. If this place is a highlight of things to see in Maine then it just goes to show what little there is to see in Maine in general. 

TripAdvisor

Very disappointing we were there at the end of April and we didn’t encounter any animals. It certainly cannot be defined as a natural park but only a panoramic road and nothing more. 

TripAdvisor

Again … really?? There are 33 things to do on my list of The Best Things to Do in Acadia National Park.

I couldn’t wait to get out of this hellhole.

Yelp

The scenery is not that great. Most trails are through the woods to a spot on shore.

TripAdvisor

Actually a lot of the trails are to the tops of mountains with breathtaking views over the surrounding forests, ocean, and islands. Check out my top 10 Hikes In Acadia National Park.

➡️ If you’re not put off completely, take a look at my free guides to Acadia National Park.

➡️ And if you’re planning a trip there, check out my 1-4-day itineraries for Acadia National Park.

What did you think of these reviews?  Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know (you can also pick up extra planning tips, share your photos and stories with other national park lovers and more).

About the Author

James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.

He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.

Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for many of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, and other resources will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.

As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Newsweek, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.

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