Fodor's Expert Review Hulls Cove Visitor Center

This is a great spot to get your bearings. A large 3D relief map of Mount Desert Island gives you the lay of the land, and there are free park and carriage road maps. The gift shop sells hiking maps, guidebooks, and a CD for a self-driving park tour and is well-stocked with books about Acadia. Ranger-led programs include guided hikes and other interpretive events, and there are Junior Ranger programs for kids, family-friendly campfire talks at campground amphitheaters (open to all visitors), and night sky talks at Sand Beach.