Lake Placid, Quebec City, Acadia August & September 2026

We visited Acadia National Park for 5 days in the 3rd/4th week of August. Early morning was light jacket weather and afternoon warmed to short sleeves. Weather was mostly sunny with occasional fog near the ocean. Leaves were not turning yet. Having read much about crowds and traffic jams, these strategies worked well: (1) parking at popular trailheads by 8:00, (2) avoiding Jordan pond area until 3:30, (3) time on the ‘quiet sides’ of the park with one day on the SouthWest harbor area and another on Schoodic. Popular sites were crowded at times but we mostly avoided crowds with planning. I found this website really useful: https://www.wildernesspaths.com/articles/parking-tips-at-acadia-national-park We stayed in Bar Harbor for 2 nights but only took advantage of its central location so probably not worth the hotel markup for us. At the time we visited the park it was already transitioning to shoulder season. Ranger talks were sparser and didn’t fit with our activities.

We were at the Ocean Path by 7:30 one foggy morning and had a quiet, uncrowded, scenic walk; well worth getting up a little early. I’m not good for iron ladders on exposed cliffsides, so we chose more modest ‘mountain’ hikes and walked a number of picturesque carriage roads. I used Carriage Roads of Acadia: A Pocket Guide (Amazon) to hit as many stone bridges as we could, just for fun. Getting out of the highly touristed core area of the park creates a more relaxed experience. We really enjoyed Thuya Garden and its lodge and Anticou Terrace, partly because it helped us connect with creation of the park a century ago. The Seal Cove Auto Museum has a unique, standout collection of brass-era cars and hugely knowledgeable docents. It dovetails nicely with the Acadia’s early history. We almost skipped visiting Cadillac Mountain (timed reservation required) but were so glad we scheduled a not-quite-sunset time slot. The interface between cold ocean and warm land generated local bands of fog that blew dramatically across the mountain top; the sunset was memorably colorful.

The rock formations tumbling into the ocean at Schoodic Point were a knockout. Visitor numbers in and around Schoodic were considerably lower, contributing to a laid back visit. On Schoodic we stayed at Elsa's Inn on the Harbor (loved it) and had very fresh lobster at nearby Lunch On the Wharf. We mailed postcards from the tiny Winter Harbor post office and shopped at the 5&10. We hoped to stargaze in this dark sky location but had clouds. I enjoyed Acadia more than I thought I would. We were able to factor out the moderate-for-Acadia-sized crowds and we soaked up green forests, craggy ocean rocks splashed by waves, and fresh seafood!

Campobello Island, New Brunswick, about 2.5 hours further ‘Down East’ from Acadia, is the site of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s 34-room summer cottage. The home is now part of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, jointly run by the U.S. and Canada, and includes adjacent summer homes, trails, scenic coastal vistas, and scenic drives once used by FDR. We took in the history for most of the day, and then the great coastal views. The onsite Prince Cafe serves a very tasty menu on the attractive veranda of a former neighbor’s home overlooking the Bay of Fundy, including FDR’s favorite fish chowder which was incredibly good. Eleanor’s Tea explores Eleanor Roosevelt’s personal growth through many adversities, and life of activism and public service, led by park interpreters. It includes tea and ginger snaps. Highly enjoyed and recommended. We had warm, sunny weather in late August and the park was uncrowded and chill. We basked in the day.

We stayed nearby at West Quoddy Station in Lubec Maine,a converted Coast Guard training station. We really appreciated the efficiency kitchen, laundry, and generous space after staying in more traditional inns and motels for the first week of the trip. A half mile down the road is the photogenic West Quoddy Head Lighthouse and a coastal walk. This is a dark skies area but unfortunately we had clouds.

A second day we drove to cute, tidy St. Andrews, New Brunswick, for whale watching, which is very popular in the area. The Bay of Fundy and nearby ocean is a high probability area for sightings. We only saw a few from a distance, but the very choppy sea contributed to the difficulty spotting wildlife. Once we got out of the Bay it was brisk and cool. Still glad we got out on the water for the afternoon on the tall ship Jolly Breeze. On this last August weekend the ship seemed fully booked.

We then drove one day to Quebec City (QC). Several rainy days there forced us to switch up plans, but fortunately we managed two dry completely outdoor days. The temps were a mix of summer and fall. We mitigated a cruise ship docking that added about 1700 visitors by avoiding the central city sights that day.

The activity we enjoyed most was a daytrip around pretty Ile d'’Orleans, alternating historic sites with sampling local food products (fresh fruit, wine, cheese, cider, baked delicacies). I looked at guided tours but their focus seemed to be mostly food and wine, so I cobbled together a route that included more history stops. We enjoyed the long timelines of the 1734 seigniorial Manor Mauvide-Genest, which is a National Historic Site. Also visited the unique Musée Maritime de L’Île d’Orléans on the shipbuilding tradition of the island. DH loves old ships so this was a treat. This was a wonderful peak day that I highly recommend as a QC must do.

We took a day trip to ‘Canada’s Ellis Island’, Grosse Isle, about an hour from QC down the St. Lawrence River which was used to quarantine immigrants and provide medical aid, particularly during the Irish potato famine. The island includes a memorial to thousands of Irish who died on the journey to Canada. The English language tour groups are usually small but this was Canada’s Labor Day weekend and the group was large (ugh). As the last Sunday tour of the year, some of the tours seemed a bit perfunctory, which detracted a bit. But still a really interesting part of Canada’s history to tour the disinfection stations, hear about the introduction of sanitary practices that saved lives, and measures taken to try to preserve the immigrant's dignity while protecting the QC populace from incoming typhoid, cholera, etc.

We toured two sites in the Indigenous First Nation community of the Huron-Wendat. Wendake is about 20 minutes from the QC old city. I wanted to see the Huron-Wendat Museum and the Ekionkiestha' National Longhouse. Rather than relying on outdated colonial narratives, this site’s presentations are managed directly by the nation, balancing historical hardships with vibrant, living culture. I was curious about daily life in a longhouse and surrounds. Unfortunately English tours were not available after the end of August at the Museum, and the audio guide did not cover the longhouse in any detail. So we also visited the Huron Traditional Site, Onhoüa Chetek8e (spelling is correct), which has a longhouse and other buildings and a First Nation guide. It may sound redundant but the two sites complement each other and were only about 5 minutes apart. This was one of the best First Nation learning experiences I’ve had.

We particularly enjoyed QC historic sites where a professional guide gave a rich history and/or guided tour, as opposed to summer students or no guide. Standouts were the Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site at Dufferin Terrace, the Manoir Mauvide-Genest on Isle D’Orleans, the Plains of Abraham Museum and the Residence of the Governor General at the Citadelle. The latter was an distinctive way to learn about Canada’s government and it’s relationship to England’s, and to see rooms of state that had recently hosted dignitaries such as the Pope and King Charles.

A note about guided tours in QC, especially English tours. Throughout QC the first week of September seems to mark the transition to Fall schedules. When students go back to college some tours are no longer offered. I couldn’t get information by phone or email from several sites about tour times in early September. Several times I was told, ‘just stop by the morning of to see if there will be a tour’, but understandably I’d rather be more efficient with our time and stamina. Some fulltime Parks Canada employees pointed to staff cuts. The Parks Canada staff were expert when we were able to catch their tours.

We really enjoyed QC. It’s picturesque, safe, friendly, walkable, values good food and its history. A few of our favorite restaurants were Le Billig (galettes and crepes in Saint Jean Baptiste neighborhood), and Kundah Hotel (creative Indian in St Roch).

Less than a day’s drive from QC brought us to Lake Placid for 4 1/2 days. Another beautifully green place with great hikes and plenty of variety. Leaves were just starting to turn and the canoe liveries were cleaning their boats for season end, although still renting them. The weather was rainy, cooler and sometimes very windy which required indoor activities at times. We had an all-night deluge that left many trails muddy but we chose to walk a rail trail near Saranac Lake and an afternoon canoe trip. My favorite Mount Van Hoevenberg East Trail is beautifully maintained and dried out pretty quickly after rain. We also really enjoyed the moderate Mt. Jo trail. During one all day rain we drove 40 minutes to The Wild Center at Tupper Lake. It’s a modern museum/outdoor park/zoo focused on Adirondack wildlife and geography. It held our interest for the entire day and has a fresh little cafe. We dropped in on the Olympic & Paralympic training center tour to get a feel for the life of Olympic hopefuls. The Lake Placid Olympic Museum is lively, colorful and covers the almost. 100 year history of LP and the Olympics. It exceeded our expectations.

Just a mention of the Lake Placid Inn Boutique Hotel, which we really liked. It has full breakfasts starting early for hikers! The main room and bath had plenty of space, comfy bed, balcony with a partial view of Mirror Lake. Very clean and well maintained. Friendly staff. Just a few blocks walk to LP Main Street.

Despite all the clouds and rain on our very last night we had clear, dark skies. We finally saw the Milky Way and a sky full of stars by driving just 5-10 minutes outside Lake Placid to the John Brown Farm Historic Site parking lot. It was satisfying to end our star gazing quest successfully.

Things that went well:

A fantastic road trip where we saw beautiful scenery and history. The only casualty was a spidered cell phone screen.

We spent $258 on gas on a 3,000 mile trip with a Toyota Camry hybrid rental. Really impressive, Toyota.

The price of food the last several years has been jarring, and more so eating in restaurants. Restaurants became something we did as a more conscious choice when the expense was justified by some aspect(s) of quality. We did splurge occasionally, especially to sample local flavors. We took (mostly) healthy, ready-to-eat food with us, and supplemented with quick grocery stops. I researched good counter service restaurants in QC.

QC has shops called ‘épiceries’. A good épicerie will have food by local producers, craft beer, wine, cheese, bread, maybe interesting artisan goodies, and some non-perishables. Basically everything needed for a picnic.

Got a small amount of Canadian dollars from an ATM for the QC funicular ($7 CAN pp cash only) and tips. Otherwise we were cashless in Canada.

Recognized that we’re not 25 anymore and picked challenging but enjoyable trails for our fitness level.
Used Komoot app on trails to know exactly where we are.

Regarding tick protection, we sprayed shoes with permethrin, bought permethrin-infused socks from Insect Shield, and avoided overgrown areas. Everyone has their own comfort zone.

Things we’d do differently:

Canada’s Labor Day was the same date as U.S. We normally avoid holiday weekends but we had to travel then due to personal schedules. We chose QC and crowds weren’t an issue except for Grosse Isle.

A 3 week trip needs two laundry stops. We only had one hotel with washer/dryer, this was partly a hiking trip, and sink laundry got to be a drag.

We like a quiet hotel room and yet also a centrally located hotel. Those two things were at odds in QC. Rue Tresor and Dufferin Terrace were crowded with surprisingly noisy tourists and sometimes very loud events.

The sometimes rainy and excessively windy weather in QC and Lake Placid was an annoyance but really nothing you can do except take appropriate gear, go with alternative plans and keep a good attitude. You’re on vacation after all, which is a delightful thing.

Lia - I can't believe you went to the Wild Center and didn't even mention the Thomas Dambo trolls! We were there in August. Now we are on a troll hunt, for sure. I love them and what they represent.

Wow, that's quite the road trip. And only $200? I'm impressed (and I own a Toyota too).
I guess living in California that would be at least 3x it.

If I may ask, which is your go-to hiking pants and shoes for rainy days?
Thanks for taking the time to write and share your report!

Thank you. We are considering a trip to Quebec so your description and helpful notes will aid our planning.

Katiecem you're right, the trolls at The Wild Center are very popular! And there are other activities for outdoor play that looked fun. We only had time for the Wild Walk in a drizzle before it started coming down hard and we retreated indoors.

Joy I have an older pair of waterproof shoes that are so clunky that I never wear them. I bought La Sportiva (Bushido model purchased at REI) after seeing them everywhere in the Dolomites on last year's vacation. I wanted a better grip in wet, mud or rock forms; they perform great. They're my new favorites because they've conformed so well to my feet. At the end of the day my feet aren't begging to take them off. I just throw extra socks in my daypack. I don't have waterproof pants per se. I have synthetic hiking/travel pants that are quick drying. I like Royal Robbins, L L Bean and Marmot brands. I also have a lightweight Outdoor Research hooded rain jacket that's easy to throw in the daypack and can be worn over a warmer layer in cool weather.

I just updated our $200 estimate in this TR. We actually spent $258 on gas for the Toyota Camry rental, based on our credit card bills. We were interested in the actual spend ourselves since our cars are aging.

Thanks for sharing, Lia. I have older hiking pants that are comfortable and dry fast but they do make clinky noise.
So looking at new options that travel well. Glad you found great new shoes! I had never heard of that brand before.

Sounds lovely!! We have visited both Acadia and Lake Placid at the end of August so this was a nice walk down memory lane :)

Thanks for sharing your trip report. It sounds like a fantastic trip. Gives me food for thought.

thanks for your report. I'm planning a trip for next September - hopefully somewhat less crowded. also enjoyed the website tips. sue

trip to Acadia!

Thanks very much for all the replies, everyone! I get so much gracious help from this forum; if this is helpful that's fantastic. When reading about Acadia I thought, geez, this reminds me of Disney World in terms of logistics. But it really was an enjoyable time of year to go. The timing tips on the website I included above really helped.