Receptions are Not Allowed in Acadia National Park

Receptions are not permitted within the park. The use of special equipment, such as canopies, arches, chairs, or other decorations require park administrative review and are generally not allowed. Please detail any special equipment requests in the Application for Special Use Permit and consider using the parklands as your backdrop.

Special conveyances, including but not limited to, horse-drawn carriages (except where allowed on the carriage roads and at Wildwood Stables), electric carts, and hot air balloons are prohibited.

Amplified music and public address systems are prohibited. Non-amplified musical instruments that make sound that is unreasonable considering the nature and purpose of the event and/or disturbs nonparticipating persons in the vicinity of the event are also prohibited.

Reasonable efforts to follow “Leave No Trace” outdoor ethics principles to minimize impacts on park resources or experiences of other park visitors should be made.

Excavating, digging, or disturbing soils, plants, and trees is prohibited.

When traveling and choosing a site for your wedding, choose the most durable surfaces available: established trails, rock, gravel, dry grasses, lawn area, or snow. In pristine areas, disperse use to prevent the creation of trails, and avoid places where impacts are just beginning. If you will be using the trail system to reach your wedding location, do not shortcut switchbacks. Concentrate your use on existing trails and walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.

To protect parklands and wildlife, the releasing of balloons, doves, or butterflies and the throwing of rice, birdseed, flower petals, or other natural or artificial material is not allowed. Birdseed provides an unnatural food source for park wildlife and may introduce exotic plant species. Because of the park's close proximity to the ocean, balloons are prohibited since they can be harmful to marine life. Releasing doves or butterflies is prohibited by law and will upset the natural balance of wildlife in the park.

Acadia National Park rangers strictly enforce all laws relating to excessive drinking. Please discuss alcohol use in advance by calling the National Park Service or visiting the National Park Headquarters.

Picnic areas may not be reserved and are only available on a first-come first served basis.

Any activity not allowed to the general public will not be allowed to a wedding party within the Park.

Pets must be leashed at all times in all locations.

All fees are nonrefundable.

Additional Information

For more information, please contact the Special Use Permit Coordinator at:

(207) 288-8793

If you would like copies of the park map for your guests, contact the park's bookstore for cost and availability. You may also contact local stores and shops.

Please Note: The information on this page is from the Official National Park website as of 4/16/2012. Refer to the following National Park page to verify current information:

Weddings - Acadia National Park

You may reach the Acadia National Park Headquarters in Bar Harbor, Maine by calling the following phone number:

(207) 288-3338

Resources

Return to main Weddings page:

Return to Weddings Page

Government Website for Acadia:

www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm

No Receptions in the Park

Basically, with the needed permits and authorizations, you may get married within Acadia National Park, but you cannot impede anyone else’s transit, use props or furniture of any kind, release wildlife of any kind whether mammal, bird, or insects, throw any type of seeds or other things that might be consumed by wildlife in the air, sea, or on the land, and you may not make noise or celebrate as would take place in a wedding reception or other celebration. Plan those things for outside the Park.

Acadia and Bar Harbor Resource Guide