Hulls Cove Visitor Center

Hulls Cove is Acadia National Park’s main visitor center and the best first stop for anyone arriving on Mount Desert Island by way of Route 3 from Bar Harbor. Rangers at the information desk can help you plan around the day’s weather, crowds, and shuttle schedules, and the center shows an orientation film, sells maps and books through the park’s cooperating association, and sells park passes. The large parking lot also makes it a practical place to leave the car and catch the free Island Explorer shuttle when the lots at Jordan Pond and Sand Beach are full. Plan to arrive early in peak summer, since lines at the information desk can get long by mid-morning. The visitor center is open seasonally, so check current dates before you build a trip around it.