Majority of Acadia National Park workers furloughed, but many park facilities remain open

Photo / Courtesy Emma Forthofer, Friends of Acadia The shutdown comes during the fall foliage season, one of Acadia’s peak visitor periods. This view shows Halfway Mountain as seen from the Beehive Trail.

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By Laurie Schreiber

The majority of Acadia National Park Service staff are being furloughed, but roads, campgrounds and other facilities remain open amid the government shutdown that took effect Tuesday.

A U.S. Department of the Interior contingency plan directed national parks, including Acadia, to remain "mostly" open, while operating with significantly reduced staff and visitor services.

Acadia staff consists of approximately 90 permanent employees and, during the summer, an additional 150 seasonal employees.

“The duration of the shutdown remains uncertain, but impacts on Acadia National Park, its staff, gateway communities and visitors will be felt quickly,” Friends of Acadia, a conservation nonprofit, said in a news release.

Here's a breakdown on what's open and what's closed:

Remaining open

The Park Loop Road, carriage roads and trails (with possible exceptions) will remain open.
Park campgrounds and most restrooms will be open and maintained.
The fare-free Island Explorer bus system will continue to run.
Facilities operated by concessionaires, including Jordan Pond House and Wildwood Stables, will continue to offer services.
The Acadia Gateway Center, which is operated by the Maine Department of Transportation, will remain open, but National Park Service staff will not be present.
Most construction projects within the park, including work on the maintenance building and the Harden Farm staff housing complex, will continue.

Not accessible

Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Sieur de Monts Nature Center, Rockefeller Hall on the Schoodic Peninsula and the Wild Gardens of Acadia will be closed.
Cadillac Summit Road will be closed to motor vehicles.
Ranger programs, family programming, school field trips and outdoor education experiences will be canceled.
Two volunteer programs will not operate.

Fee collection

During the shutdown, fee collectors and visitor center staff, who usually aid visitors with park pass purchases, will be furloughed.

That could put significant park revenue, needed for next year’s operations, at risk, said Friends of Acadia, which estimated that Acadia generated roughly $1.5 million in fee revenue last October, one of the park’s busiest months.

Community implications

The timing of the shutdown comes during the fall foliage season, which is among Acadia’s busiest periods and a major driver of the regional economy, noted Friends.

Visitors to Acadia spent an estimated $539 million in local gateway communities in 2024, supporting 5,300 local jobs and generating $745 million in total economic output for the Downeast region, according to National Park Service data released last week.

In October 2024, Acadia had 567,466 visitors.

“Disruption to park operations will ripple through surrounding communities,” said Friends.

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