Top 6 places for sunset in Acadia National Park

Here is our list of the top 6 places for sunset in Acadia National Park.

Sunset in winter at Bass Harbor Head Light in Acadia National Park

Sunset on Feb. 1 at Bass Harbor Head Light in Acadia National Park. (Photo by Whitney Grace)

1. Cadillac Summit – Cadillac Mountain is more noted for sunrise, but it also ranks high among places for sunset in Acadia. Find a seat off the West Lot or another west-facing spot at the summit and watch the sun fall over Eagle Lake, Mount Desert Narrows and maybe Sargent Mountain in Acadia National Park.

2. Bass Harbor Head Light – Home to the only lighthouse on Mount Desert Island, Bass Harbor Head is one of the more popular places for sunset in Acadia National Park. On one side of the parking lot, stairs bring you down a steep bluff to an overlook and a rocky shoreline for views of the sun setting over the lighthouse, Blue Hill Bay and Swan’s Island. Be aware that traffic often clogs on the entrance road, and parking can be tight in the 25-space lot, especially near sunset during the busy season in Acadia National Park. The best time is in the fall, when the sun sets at its southernmost point on the horizon.

3. Frazer Point or Schoodic Point on the Schoodic Peninsula – Watch the sun turn many layers of colors over the Atlantic Ocean from Schoodic Point. At the Frazer Point Picnic Area, see the sun sink like a stone over a peninsula known as Grindstone Neck, islands and coves. Schoodic is less busy than other places for sunset in Acadia.

Sunset from Otter Point in Acadia National Park

At the end of October, 2022, the sun sets over Otter Cove from a perch on Otter Point.

4. Otter Point – Located at the southernmost end of Ocean Path, Otter Point was the site of a strategically important Naval radio station during World War I. It’s also one of the best places for sunset in Acadia National Park. The setting sun casts a bright red on the pink granite shoreline and falls slowly over Otter Cove or the Gulf of Maine.

5. Beech Mountain – Hike to the only fire tower in Acadia National Park for nearly 360-degree views including looks west to Long Pond and south to the Cranberry Isles. You can also hike up the western side of the Beech Mountain Loop and stop a little short of the summit for a view of the sun falling over Long Pond. Bring head lamps or flashlights for the return trip.

6. Hunters Beach Overlook – From a small parking area off the Park Loop Road, you get a view to the southwest of the sun setting over Hunters Beach and Otter Cove.