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#4 on this list
North Cascades National Park
Washington
High country opens; turquoise lakes and the most glaciers in the lower 48.
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#5 on this list
Acadia National Park
Maine
Peak season — ocean swims, lobster, and granite summits.
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Specs side by side
| Spec | North Cascades National Park | Acadia National Park |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Northern Washington State | Mount Desert Island, Maine |
| Designation | National Park Service Complex | — |
| Primary Access | State Route 20 (North Cascades Highway) | — |
| Entrance Fee | None | — |
| Peak Season | Mid-July through September | — |
| Backcountry Permits | Required year-round via Recreation.gov or Marblemount | — |
| Acreage | — | Approx. 47,000 acres |
| July Weather | — | Highs around 76°F, lows around 57°F |
| Ocean Temp | — | Typically 55°F to 60°F in July |
| Timed Entry | — | Vehicle reservations required for Cadillac Summit Road |
| Local Transit | — | Free Island Explorer shuttle runs island-wide |
What our reviewers liked and didn't
North Cascades National Park
- World-class jagged alpine scenery without the crowds of Mount Rainier
- No entrance fee for day-use visitors along State Route 20
- Over 300 glaciers feeding vivid turquoise lakes and waterfalls
- Superb network of rugged high-alpine passes and ridgeline trails
- Steep snowfields and swollen creek crossings persist through July
- Voracious mosquitoes and biting flies in subalpine lake basins
- Punishing elevation gain on almost every backcountry route
Acadia National Park
- Dramatic juxtaposition of granite summits plunging directly into the Atlantic Ocean
- Forty-five miles of car-free, perfectly graded crushed stone carriage roads
- Fare-free Island Explorer shuttle system connects major trailheads reliably
- Exposed, non-technical iron-rung routes provide rare East Coast scrambling
- Intense July crowding causes gridlock and fills major trailheads by 8:00 AM
- Dense sea fog can abruptly obscure summit panoramas and coastal views
- Atlantic water temperatures rarely crack sixty degrees, limiting casual ocean swimming
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