🫐 Everything You NEED to Know About Picking Wild Blueberries in Acadia National Park
If you're planning an Acadia National Park vacation, Maine road trip, or summer adventure around Bar Harbor, Maine, here's a little side quest you might not have on your itinerary yet...
🫐 WILD BLUEBERRY PICKING!
Yep — you can actually pick wild blueberries in Acadia National Park.
And honestly, there's something pretty magical about hiking through the Maine woods, spotting tiny blue berries along the trail, and getting to enjoy a little taste of Maine right where it grows. 🌲🫐
Maine is famous for its wild blueberries, and Acadia National Park is home to native lowbush blueberry plants that grow naturally throughout the park.
So while you're busy looking for mountain views, ocean overlooks, and wildlife...
Keep your eyes down, too. 👀🫐
You might just find a snack hiding in plain sight.
🫐 Can You Pick Wild Blueberries in Acadia National Park?
Yes!
Visitors can gather wild blueberries in Acadia National Park, but there are some important rules to follow.
This isn't a "grab a bucket and start harvesting everything you see" situation. 😂
If you're picking wild blueberries in Acadia, remember:
🫐 Pick by hand only
🫐 For personal use only
🫐 Maximum of ½ dry gallon per person per day
🫐 Don't damage the blueberry plants
The goal is to enjoy a little of what nature has provided while leaving the plants healthy for everyone else — and for next year's berries!
🌲 When Is Wild Blueberry Season in Maine?
If you're hoping to find ripe wild blueberries in Maine, summer is your time.
Wild blueberry season generally peaks from late July through August, although the exact timing can vary depending on weather and location.
That makes late summer an especially fun time to explore Acadia National Park.
You've got warm-weather hiking, coastal Maine scenery, beautiful summer days...
And potentially wild blueberries along the trail. 🫐
Talk about a pretty good combination.
If you're visiting Acadia during blueberry season, keep an eye out as you're hiking through open areas, along trail edges, and in places where lowbush blueberry plants naturally grow.
🫐 What Kind of Blueberries Grow in Acadia?
The blueberries you'll most commonly find throughout Maine's wild blueberry landscape are lowbush blueberries.
They're much smaller than the giant cultivated blueberries you might find at a grocery store.
And that's part of the fun!
These little berries grow close to the ground and can almost blend into the landscape.
You'll often see the plants before you actually notice the berries.
👀 Once you know what you're looking for, you'll start seeing them everywhere.
🍇 Maine's State Fruit
Here's a fun Maine fact to add to your travel trivia:
The wild blueberry is Maine's state fruit! 🫐
Maine has a long history and culture surrounding wild blueberry harvesting, and the state's lowbush blueberry barrens are a pretty iconic part of the landscape.
So picking a few wild blueberries while exploring Acadia isn't just a random trail snack.
It's a tiny little taste of Maine history and culture.
And yes...
They taste even better when you picked them yourself. 😋
🌿 Lowbush vs. Highbush Blueberries
During our adventures, we even got lucky enough to find some highbush blueberries along the way.
So what's the difference?
🫐 Lowbush Blueberries
These are the small, native wild blueberries that Maine is famous for.
They grow close to the ground and are commonly found in natural areas throughout Maine.
🫐 Highbush Blueberries
Highbush blueberries grow on taller shrubs and produce larger berries.
You'll commonly find them cultivated for commercial production, but they can also grow naturally in some areas.
Either way...
Blueberry = snack. 😂
🥾 Where Can You Find Wild Blueberries in Acadia?
Limit picking to ½ gallon per person - per day
You don't necessarily have to set out on a dedicated "blueberry hike."
That's one of the fun parts.
If you're hiking in Acadia National Park during blueberry season, keep your eyes open around the edges of trails and in open, sunny areas.
You may find little patches growing right alongside your hike.
Of course, berry availability varies from trail to trail and year to year.
Some days you'll find a ton.
Other days...
Nothing but leaves. 😂
That's part of the adventure!
👨👩👧 A Fun Family Activity in Acadia
If you're visiting Acadia National Park with kids, wild blueberry spotting can be a fun way to make a hike more interactive.
Instead of:
"Come on, guys. We're almost there."
for the 800th time...
Try:
"Who can spot the next blueberry bush?" 🫐👀
Suddenly, everyone's a little more interested in what's happening along the trail.
It's a simple way to turn an ordinary hike into a little scavenger hunt and introduce kids to the plants and foods that naturally grow around them.
And when they find a ripe berry?
Instant trail excitement. 😂
🫐 A Few Things to Know Before Picking
Before you start picking wild blueberries in Acadia National Park, remember that you're visiting a protected national park.
That means leave no trace and treat the plants and surrounding environment respectfully.
✋ Pick by Hand
Blueberries should be gathered by hand.
Don't use tools or methods that could damage the plants.
🫐 Personal Use Only
The berries you collect are for personal use, not commercial harvesting.
📏 Know Your Limit
The daily limit is ½ dry gallon per person.
That's plenty of blueberries for a trail snack, pancakes, muffins, or whatever delicious creation you have planned. 😂
🌱 Don't Damage the Plants
This one's important.
Be gentle.
Don't pull, stomp, break, or otherwise damage the blueberry plants while trying to get the berries.
We're here to enjoy the landscape — not rearrange it.
🚐 Exploring Maine Full-Time
We're The Roamsteaders, a family traveling full-time around the country in our Brinkley 3610 RV. 🚐
We're spending time exploring Maine, Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, and all the little side quests in between — sharing the hikes, hidden gems, outdoor adventures, RV destinations, and family-friendly experiences we find along the way.
And if there's one thing we've learned while traveling full-time...
The best memories aren't always the things you planned.
Sometimes they're the little blueberries you find along the trail. 🫐❤️
📌 Save This for Your Acadia Trip!
If you're planning a Maine road trip, Acadia National Park vacation, Bar Harbor getaway, or family trip to Maine, save this guide so you know what to look for during blueberry season.
And when you're hiking Acadia in late July or August...
Keep your eyes peeled.
You might just find a delicious little piece of Maine growing right beside the trail. 🫐🌲
