Every time I visit Acadia National Park, I feel like a kid on the first day of summer vacation.

We drive out at night, after work, arriving late. Early the next morning, we’re up and out rock-climbing. That afternoon, there may be a long mountain bike ride on the carriage roads. On the second day, more climbing and a hike.

On the third morning (I always go for a long weekend), maybe a pre-dawn group bike ride to the summit of Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunrise. Later, of course, more climbing or biking. At night, we drive home.

I always need a day to recover from that place.

Acadia National Park on the “Down East” coast of Maine may be one of the nation’s smallest national parks, but it offers some of the best variety of outdoor recreation. And the mountains, steep glacial valleys and rugged coastline, make for almost constant post-card views.

An exclusive playground for the wealthy earlier in this century, parts of Mount Desert Island were given over to the federal government to create Acadia National Park. Much of the land was bequeathed by John D. Rockefeller.

Now it’s a playground for people who like the outdoors.

Bicycling: In the national park campgrounds, it seems that everyone owns a mountain bike. There’s a simple explanation: The abundance of great cycling on the island.

A good start is the 20-mile Park Loop Road, which follows the eastern shoreline and winds steeply to the summit of 1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain, the island’s high point. In summer, there can be heavy traffic on the summit road, but vehicles generally move slowly.

Or ride along Sargent Drive (Route 3), hugging the eastern shore of Somes Sound, the only fjord in the eastern United States.

The highlight of bicycling in Acadia, though, is the 50 miles of carriage roads built by Rockefeller on the eastern side of the island. Among the best are the loops around Jordan Pond and Eagle Lake; the carriage road winding high up Sargent Mountain; and the road to the 583-foot summit of Day Mountain.

Bikes can be rented in Bar Harbor.

Hiking: The “mountains” here are not high, but virtually rise out of the ocean, so the views are really like no place else in the East. Several summits have alpine environments, devoid of trees.

Acadia has 120 miles of hiking trails. Many hikes are easy to moderate in difficulty, and can be done with children. Though the trail guide handed out by the park describes some routes as “strenuous,” and some trails get steep, the distances are usually shorter and the elevation gain much less than hikers will encounter elsewhere in New England.

The seven-mile round trip from Blackwoods Campground along the South Ridge Trail to the summit of Cadillac gets you above the tree line quickly for sweeping views of Mount Desert Island, the mainland, ocean and surrounding islands.

To get away from the crowds, hike Acadia, Beech, Bernard or Mansell mountains on the island’s west side. Even the parking area at the trailhead for Bernard and Mansell boasts a beautiful view of the southern end of Long Pond.

There are also scenic, short walks around the island. Perhaps the most popular is the two-mile, relatively flat Ocean Trail following the shore from Sand Beach to Otter Cliffs, past the famous Thunder Hole.

Rock climbing: There are lots of fine rock and lots of climbers in Acadia. On nice weekends, a place like Otter Cliffs gets crowded quickly with people setting up top-ropes atop the cliffs for climbs above the crashing surf.

Less crowded are the cliffs at the Precipice, on the east face of Champlain Mountain, just north of Otter Cliffs and south of Bar Harbor along the Park Loop Road. The climbers trailhead begins less than 100 yards south of the parking area for the Precipice hiking trail. There are several fine moderate routes ranging from a single pitch to two or three pitches.

Camping: There are two national park campgrounds in Acadia. Blackwoods is open year-round and requires reservations between June 15 and Sept. 15, at $14 per night. It is first-come, first-served the remainder of the year, at $12 per night. Reservations can be made through Destinet, (800) 365-2267.

Seawall is first-come, first-served, $12 per night, and open late May through late September. It also has walk-in sites at $8 per night. No more than two tents per site. There are also numerous private campgrounds at the north end of Mount Desert Island. The campgrounds fill up quickly on weekends.

For information, contact Acadia National Park, P.O. Box 177, Bar Harbor, ME 04609; (207) 288-3338. Guidebooks and maps are available at outdoor gear retailers and many stores and ranger stations around the park.

The “AMC Maine Mountain Guide,” from AMC Books (800-262-4455), provides excellent descriptions of trails in Acadia and a good map of the trails and carriage roads. The Acadia National Park guide in the “Great Walks” series of guidebooks describes 13 shorter walks and hikes in the park.

Michael Lanza is a syndicated columnist. Letters can be sent to 9 South St., Suite 2, Lebanon, NH 03766.