No. 1 national park pick: Acadia National Park

Carpeted in forests of spruce and fir that rise above the pounding Atlantic Ocean, Acadia, the East’s oldest park, is an emerald in the rough. A stepping stone of coastal Maine, the park is anything but a desert despite its Mount Desert Island (“MDI” to locals) address. Within the forests are pockets of hardwoods that explode with fall color, ponds and lakes rimmed by carriage paths that lure cyclists, and granite domes and cliffs that attract hikers and falcons.

Acadia’s past is traced to the Rockefellers, Morgans, and other East Coast bluebloods who treasured the island’s cool summer weather. Their preservation efforts led to today’s park -- treasured by families for a relaxed pace and diverse landscape. A morning stop to listen to the surf exploding in Thunder Hole can be followed by a hike through cool forests with sparkling views of Frenchman’s Bay. Then stop for tea and jam-smeared popovers at Jordan Pond House Restaurant.

Roughing it in one of the park’s two campgrounds means being surrounded by trees, wave-pounded shorelines and boisterous children’s laughter, and yet still being within reach of eclectic Bar Harbor with its restaurants and rainy-day options.

AGE APPROPRIATE

At Acadia, kids scan tide pools for sea urchins and anemones, families cycle the carriage paths and hike some of the 125 miles of trails, and teens head to sea in a kayak or learn to climb on the park’s cliffs.

TOO MUCH FUN

Climb the Eastern Seaboard’s highest peak (1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain) to catch the continent’s first sunlight, or pedal part, or all, of the 45 miles of paths John D. Rockefeller Jr. built for his horse-drawn carriages. Learn how to carve at the Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carving, or study lobsters at the Mount Desert Oceanarium. Kayakers set to sea for an afternoon, or a few days, while more tranquil ponds and lakes are perfect for canoeing.

BEST ADVENTURE

Grasp iron rungs and climb hand over hand as you scale sheer cliffs up the Beehive or the Precipice Trail on Champlain Mountain.  Head offshore on an unforgettable cruise for awesome encounters with whales and comical puffins.

KEEP 'EM HAPPY

Kids and adults who could join a Polar Bear Club can sample the chilly Atlantic at Sand Beach. Warmer waters can be found at Echo Lake Beach on MDI’s west side. Rainy days draw youngsters to All Fired Up! in Bar Harbor, where they can make a ceramic critter or personalized dinner plate.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Yellow, blue, purple and white lupines wash MDI’s meadows in June. Scan the cliffs for nesting peregrine falcons from late May to mid-August. Bar Harbor’s annual art show arrives the third week of June. Late September can be spectacular, weatherwise and with electric-hued hardwoods. Midwinter provides solitude and great Nordic skiing on the carriage paths.

AVOID THE CROWDS

High season arrives with the Fourth of July and runs through Labor Day. June can be cool, foggy and rainy but crowd-free and provides a break on lodging rates. September is idyllic if you’re not fettered by school calendars. To flee any crowd in any season, head down a carriage path or trail.

CAN'T MISS

Sip a refreshing lemonade atop Cadillac Mountain after hiking the South Ridge Trail (7.4 miles round trip). Dodge the spray of the Atlantic as it slams into Thunder Hole, a crevice in the granite shoreline south of Sand Beach. Clamber along the rocky shore below the historic Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.

BARGAIN LODGING/DINING

Acadia offers no lodging, but the surrounding towns have many options, including elegant (and more pricey) B&Bs in Bar Harbor. Try the charming (and cozy) waterside cottages at Edgewater Motel and Cottages. Famiilies are best fed at either Poor Boy’s Gourmet or Mamma DiMatteo’s, both in Bar Harbor. Do not miss the informal lobster pots right on the water for seafood fresh off the boat. Try Beal's Lobster Pier (207-244-7178) in Southwest Harbor and Abel's Lobster Pound (207-276-5827) in Mount Desert.

INSIDE TRACK 

Take the bus. Leave the car and take the propane-powered Island Explorer to trails, restaurants, and more.

-- Kurt Repanshek, author of "National Parks With Kids"