How to get in01 pathTimed
Cadillac Summit Road
Vehicle access to Cadillac Mountain summit is reservation-controlled in peak season.
Day trip
DriveEasyPhysical effort · Estimate
Easy — Short or gentle for most visitors in fair conditions.
Vehicle road to the summit; walking is optional and short.
Editorial estimate of the typical trip — not lottery hardness, and not an Official agency grade.
Good fitDrivers who want sunrise or daytime on Cadillac and will reserve the vehicle window.
Usually notTravelers who only want to hike Cadillac and do not need the summit road product.
Timed-entry type
Summit Road Vehicle Reservation
How you get in
Book a slot
Timed reservation
You reserve a time on Recreation.gov when spots are released. It is first-come, not a random lottery — so there is no official success-rate percentage to show. Timed vehicle reservation (not a lottery). $6 vehicle reservation plus park entrance pass. Hike the mountain without driving if you miss a slot.
When to apply
Open now (by our dates)
May 20 – Oct 25
Reservation season (2026) · Official dates
Vehicle reservations required to drive Cadillac Summit Road May 20 – October 25, 2026 (Official NPS / Rec.gov).
We checked 2026-09-22
The managing agency (and Recreation.gov when the product lives there) is authoritative for dates, fees, and whether registration is open. We summarize — always confirm on the official page before you apply.
If you miss this window, try these instead:
- Hike Cadillac without driving the summit road
- Other Acadia peaks
Sources & notes
Other apply windows
- When inventory drops30% of Sunrise and Daytime reservations release at 10:00 a.m. ET 90 days ahead; 70% at 10:00 a.m. ET two days ahead (Official).
30% of Sunrise and Daytime reservations release at 10:00 a.m. ET 90 days ahead; 70% at 10:00 a.m. ET two days ahead (Official).
Backup options
Nearby or alternate ways in if these draws miss.
- Hike Cadillac without driving the summit road
- Other Acadia peaks
Field notes
All field notesPlaybooks for the confusing parts of applying — not live calendars.
Dates, group rules, a backup, entry day — the apply checklist is under Before you go
The managing agency (and Recreation.gov when the product lives there) is authoritative for dates, fees, and whether registration is open. We summarize — always confirm on the official page before you apply. NPS Acadia + Recreation.gov vehicle reservations (timed-entry/400000 — Official product id). East Coast anchor for the map. About Official / Estimate / Not confirmed yet