Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

A lot depends on scheduling and availability. Kids in school, etc.
Where I worked last, I really could not take time off between December one and April fifteenth.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

My wife and I have now made thirteen trips to Pt Pelee NP in Canada. She retired this summer, but so far we have had to go on {U.S.} Memorial Day - the very end of migration season. We have been able to spend two full days there, so we have developed a pattern - walk from Visitor Center to Tip, walk trails around Visitor Center, walk Marsh, and walk trails around old farm homestead. I see from my photographs that 2014 was the year we were at The Tip when a man marched from the shuttle stop with a wooden tripod over his shoulder, wandered around bushes for awhile, then marched back to the shuttle stop; we learned from people who had been in the area the whole time that he had a heavy German accent and had apparently photographed a Scarlet Tanager under the bushes. I hope he was from the immediate area now - not really from Europe - and can make the trip often, or he got great joy from his perfect image of that Tanager, because we get great joy from the trails even if I don't take even one photograph.

In the case of Acadia, we went when our daughters were pre-teen {the older one just barely}. I can look back at the photographs I took on that trip and remind myself what I photographed, but what I remember is wandering those trails with our daughters. A person who just photographs the things that can be seen a short distance from the roads misses much of what is available.

MDI Mainer

FYI peak fall color in Acadia has varied from October 8 to October 21 in the past 5 years. (Acadia is in Zone 2 on the map.)

https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/projects/fall_foliage/report/past.shtml

https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/projects/fall_foliage/whenandwhere/index.html#peak

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Definitely! Things like Like Otter Cliff Trail or Beech Mountain Trail!

lrm Loc: Sarasota, FL

highly recommend Gerard Monteux (Monteux Gallery in Hancock Maine 207-408-1413). Lifelong resident of the area, Excellent fine arts wildlife and landscape photographer. My first lesson in Acadia was with Gerry, got to places most don't go and had a great time. 5 years ago, and still some of my best photos of the area.

smf85 Loc: Freeport, IL

I could easily spend a month or so there - and not get to everything. When I retire, which is not that far off, I might do just that. Beautiful place, I remember the views from the tops of the mountains was spectacular. I was much younger at the time so I think I caught most of them.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

and the trails up are part of the experience!

cascoly Loc: seattle

We used to go to Acadia every summer as my wife was born in SW Harbor - if you have a car, you don't really need a guide

Here's some additional hints for 'quieter' places
http://cascoly.com/trav/us/acadia-less-travel.asp

Billynikon2

I haven't been there in 30 years but I never failed to go to the Jordan Pond house and get popovers with fresh strawberry jam

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

MDI Mainer

Sadly, in 2013 the National Park Service in its wisdom did not renew the concession to the Bar Harbor based Acadia Corporation, which had operated the Jordan Pond House for over 80 years. Instead the contract was awarded to a New Mexico outfit which in my opinion has failed to maintain the high standards of the former concessionaire (though they still serve popovers and jam in the same building and of course in the same spectacular setting).

Meanwhile, the Acadia Corporation has taken over operation of the fabled Asticou Inn in Northeast Harbor, where the tradition of popovers and jam continues, served now overlooking the equally if not more spectacular harbor.

https://www.asticou.com/restaurant.html

topcat Loc: Alameda, CA

What could you see in a couple of hours that you would need a tour for? Would you wait for the best light? Sunrise or sunset How far would you travel.
Just look at photos on the internet and figure where you want to be at a certain time. Trach the light with photo pills or the photographer's ephemeris. Of course, if you are traveling with other people, a pure photography tour may not work, even for a couple of hours.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

A serious artist would have to make two ‘trips’ through the park - one to evaluate / plan the shots, and one to go to each site at the right time-of-day for that site.

MDI Mainer

A really professional artist would have researched selected sites before hand, using readily available resources, so as to visit at the optimum time and maximize the opportunities for making successful images.

It would be far better to spend two days shooting, especially given the vagaries of natural light, sky, atmospherics, etc. that make successful landscape photography so challenging.

cascoly Loc: seattle

no need to disparage OP with "a serious artist" or "a really professional artist" … not everyone has the time/flexibility as someone who lives on MDI. and one of purposes of uhh IS to tap into others' knowledge