Acadia National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🦆 Loon Calls Across Acadia's PondsAcadia National Park is a rugged coastal reserve on the rocky Atlantic shore of Maine, where dense temperate forests of pine and spruce blanket granite ridges and shelter the coastline. Trails wind beneath evergreen canopies and along the edge of the sea, crossing forested hillsides and freshwater ponds.
44.302° N 68.374° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
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Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
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Common Loon
Gavia immer
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Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
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White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
📊 Most Spotted
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Quiller
Erethizon dorsatus
Eastern Chipmunk
Tamias striatus
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
Gray Seal
Halichoerus grypus
Common Porpoise
Phocoena phocoena
Snowshoe Hare
Lepus americanus
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
Coyote
Canis latrans
Northern River Otter
Lontra canadensis
Woodchuck
Marmota monax
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Great Black-backed Gull
Larus marinus
📊 Most Spotted
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Redbelly Snake
Storeria occipitomaculata
Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum
Ringneck Snake
Diadophis punctatus
Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
Smooth Greensnake
Opheodrys vernalis
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
📊 Most Spotted
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Eastern Red-backed Salamander
Plethodon cinereus
Green Frog
Lithobates clamitans
Pickerel Frog
Lithobates palustris
Spotted Salamander
Ambystoma maculatum
Spring Peeper
Pseudacris crucifer
Wood Frog
Lithobates sylvaticus
Eastern Newt
Notophthalmus viridescens
Gray Treefrog Species Complex
Dryophytes versicolor
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
Four-toed Salamander
Hemidactylium scutatum
Northern Two-lined Salamander
Eurycea bislineata
Recent sightings in Acadia National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
2Whale and Porpoise Season
Summer feeding aggregation off Mount Desert Island — humpback whales and harbor porpoises in the waters off Bar Harbor and Schoodic.
3Seal Haul-Out Season
Summer haul-outs — groups of harbor and gray seals gather on rocky ledges at low tide along Acadia's coast.
1Cadillac Mountain Hawk Watch
Fall raptor migration — thousands of hawks, falcons, eagles and ospreys funnel past Cadillac Mountain each autumn, counted at the NPS Hawk Watch.
4Warbler Migration
Spring songbird migration — over 20 warbler species pass through or breed in Acadia in , celebrated by the Acadia Birding Festival.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Cadillac Mountain Hawk Watch
- 2Whale and Porpoise Season
- 3Seal Haul-Out Season
- 4Warbler Migration
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
We saw many cormorants and guillemots during our voyage, with fantastic weather and high spirits all around.
The tide was out when I arrived around 7 a.m., and all I was able to spot were some herring gulls, double-crested cormorants, a great black-backed gull and a great blue heron.
We didn't see any seals in either Seal Cove or Seal Harbor; we saw this seal in a section of The Narrows on the far west side of Mt.
Despite the weather’s mischievousness, we managed to catch a glimpse of the real stars of the sea: seals!
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Acadia National Park?
The most likely sightings are American Crow (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), American Herring Gull (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Black-capped Chickadee (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), American Bullfrog (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), American Red Squirrel (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 577 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Acadia National Park for wildlife?
August has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Harbor Seal in Acadia National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Harbor Seal sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 344 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Common Loon in Acadia National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Loon sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 9,013 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Bald Eagle in Acadia National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Bald Eagle sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 4,622 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see White-tailed Deer in Acadia National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a White-tailed Deer sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 552 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
