There's nothing like a good book or two to help you prepare for a national park visit, whether you're looking for some historical background, a trail or two to hike, or interested in the natural resources or local culture. With that in mind, here are a few titles you might consider in preparation of a visit to Acadia National Park in Maine.

Most of the year you're not likely to find yourself in a national park, but that doesn't mean you can't explore and enjoy the parks through a well-stocked library. Here are some titles Traveler writers reviewed in 2016 that you might want to consider.

National parks are far from one-dimensional. They hold history, beauty, and the natural world in all the nooks and crannies of their landscapes. Old-growth forests, canyons that streams and rivers have gnawed into the earth, colorful coral reefs, expansive lakes, and some of the first vestiges of human encounters with nature all are contained within the parks. This great diversity and intersections of nature are what draws QT Luong again and again into the National Park System with his cameras.

If Robert Redford ever made a horrible, forgettable movie, it was A Walk In The Woods, with his buddie Nick Nolte.