This is ACADIA, our 4K film shot across two weeks in Acadia National Park during peak fall color. It was the fifth film in our national parks series and a tribute to the park’s centennial. Press play above, then read on for the story behind the shoot and everything you need to plan your own trip to Maine’s only national park.
A few links below are affiliate links. If you book a stay or buy gear through them, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Acadia National Park Video Synopsis
ACADIA is the culmination of several weeks spent exploring Acadia National Park during peak fall color. This film was, in part, a celebration of Acadia’s centennial. It’s dedicated to George Dorr. Sculpted by glaciers and landscaped by beavers, Acadia is full of wonderfully unique features. Rounded mountains, tranquil ponds, rocky coastline, & some of the most beautiful trails in the world comprise this marvelous wonder.
The Making of Our Acadia Film
This Acadia National Park video was the 5th film in our award-winning video series which will eventually encompass every single national park in America. To make this film we spent 15 days in Acadia National Park during peak foliage (typically the first two weeks of October).
Love Acadia? It's one of 117 threatened public lands destinations we're tracking. Get the free briefing.
The making of this film was really fun but arduous. Freezing cold early morning wake up calls to catch sunrises and the fear of the dreaded winter tick (Jim got some) made things interesting to say the least.
We camped for most of the time and did not have proper sleeping bags for the low temperatures. One critical error we made was that the first two days of the shoot our (new) camera was set to record in JPG instead of RAW. Editing those star lapses was especially fun.
Favorite Memories From Acadia
One of my favorite memories from the trip was showing up to Bass Harbor lighthouse at sunset. Upon arriving we beheld a massive crowd of fellow photographers taking up what seemed like every square inch of space to get the famous sunset shot.
It was treacherous. We’re talking jagged, slick, seaweed covered rocks while the tide was rising. Our only option was to cross in front of the lined up photographers (super popular move) to a position that was up to our ankles in the frigid Atlantic. As we crossed “the line” another photographer yelled in a thick New England accent, “you can’t do that!”
Later on as the sun was closing in on the horizon another photographer showed up to the party late and tried to set up right in front of everyone. A cannonade of jeers and angry calls erupted but the photographer showed indifference. Then, the photo gods interceded. Moments later he slipped, busting it hard on the aforementioned jagged slippery rocks. His lens was smashed, camera fell into the salt water. Ruined. It was painful to watch.
Our Equipment
Here are a few quick picks from the camera kit we use to make all of our national parks films. For the full breakdown, including every camera, lens, and piece of support gear, see our complete outdoor photography camera kit.
- Camera (photos): Our Camera
- Camera (video): Big Video Camera & Small Video Camera
- Lenses: Wide Angle & Zoom
- Tripods: Photo Tripod & Video Tripod
- Head: Tripod Head
- Pack: Camera Backpack
- Drones: Small Drone & Big Drone
- Action: Action Camera
- On-the-Go Stabilized: Small Stabilized
Fun Statistics About the Filming
Crew Members: 3
Time: 15 days
Distance: 100mi+
Photos/Videos: 15,000+
Digital Memory: 1.1TB
Acadia National Park Filming Locations
Some of the Acadia National Park filming locations we captured include:
- Jordan Pond
- Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
- Otter Cliffs
- Cadillac Mountain
- Beaver Ponds
- Schoodic Peninsula
- Sand Beach
- The Tarn
- Acadia All-American Road
- South Bubble
- The Bowl
- Beehive Trail
- Precipice Trail
Learn More About Acadia National Park
From the making of this film and subsequent trips, we’ve learned a lot about Acadia National Park. So, we wrote about it! Here’s some of the things that might be helpful for you in case you’re planning a trip to Acadia:
- Best Things to Do in Acadia National Park
- Best Hikes in Acadia National Park
- Interesting Facts About Acadia National Park
Plan Your Visit to Acadia
Ready to see these places for yourself? Start with our Acadia National Park hub for maps, seasons, and trip-planning details, then dig into the guides below:
Bar Harbor is the main base for the park and rooms go quickly in fall. You can compare places to stay near Acadia in Bar Harbor before you lock in your dates.
Watch More of Our National Parks Videos
National Park Videos: All of Our National Park Videos
What to Bring to Acadia
Gear we recommend for Acadia. Affiliate links support our work at no cost to you.
More Than Just Parks may earn a small commission from purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we would actually use.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend gear we actually use.
More Than Just Parks Film Watch our 4K film of Acadia We spent weeks in Acadia, one of our favorite public lands destinations, capturing it the way it deserves. Take a few minutes and see it for yourself.
