Acadia National Park

Everything about this park is incredible. We arrived in late October, the weekend after many things in the town shut down (which by the way is a pro tip). We lucked into some unseasonably warm weather which meant the crowd was thin (we went a couple of days where we only saw a few other cars), the fall colors were gorgeous, and all of the trails in the park were still open. This gave us the ability to do Precipice Trail and Beehive Trail at our own pace which was awesome and super important to us. Outside of the trails, Bar Harbor is an absolute blast, reminiscent of a ski town with breweries, bakers, and gift shops. Aside from missing the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain, our Acadia experience could have been better. Acadia will forever be one of our favorite national parks!

✅ Mountains

✅ Ocean

✅ Lakes

✅ Waterfalls

✅ Via Ferrata

TL;DR Acadia National Park Pro Tips:

• Cadillac Mountain Sunrise is a MUST! That said, it requires a reservation from May 25 – October 22.  Here is the website to secure your spot!
• Arriving the week before or the week after on-season will pay dividends for your experience!
• Acadia National Park is super dog friendly! That said, some trails are dog-dangerous. If you don’t bring a dog backpack, count your pup out for Beehive and Precipice
• Speaking of Beehive and Precipice, keep an eye on the NPS website to ensure the trails are open during the on-season – they sometimes close for Peregrine Falcon nesting. Also fun fact: Peregrine Falcons are the fastest animal on Earth clocking speeds above 240mph!
• The loop drive is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL – it’s worth driving the loop a couple of times!
• Thunder Hole is super cool if the tide is right (1-2 hours before high tide) and just a shoreline at all other times of day – plan ahead!
• The Bar Island Trail is super cool. At low tide, Bar Harbor connects to Bar Island by way of a sand bar. It is worth checking the water at high tide and then making the walk at a low time!

The Juicy Facts

Acadia National Park is the first established park east of the Mississippi River and the only National Park in the northeastern United States. The park sits on the coast of Maine, with the most accessible part being Mount Desert Island. Acadia preserves a glacier-carved wonderland of rugged mountains, pristine lakes, lush forests, scenic ponds, and rocky shores with tide pools to explore. Ranking among America’s most visited national parks, it is also one of the smallest. You can circumnavigate Mount Desert Island in one day along the Park Loop Road then drive to the eastern end of the island to ooh and ahh at the shops in Bar Harbor.

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Park Zones

Acadia National Park may appear small on a map, but the park encompasses nearly 50,000 acres along the Atlantic Coastline of Maine including 60 miles of coastline, 33 miles of scenic roads, 45 miles of carriage roads, and more than 150 miles of hiking trails provide numerous ways to explore the park. Acadia has three specific zones: Mount Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula, and Isle au Haut. There are other outer islands, but those are tough to reach and more rugged.

Mount Desert Island

It is the largest island off the coast of Maine & the most accessible part of Acadia National Park. Confusing numerous geological features in its name, the island was named by French Explorer Samuel de Champlain, who reflected on the island’s treeless mountain summits. From this sight, he named it Ile de Monts Deserts, which directly translates from French to English: Island of Bare Mountains. The park stretches across about half of the island, roughly divided by Somes Sound.

Eastern Attractions:

• Sieur de Monts
• Sand Beach
• Thunder Hole
• Otter Cliffs
• Jordan Pond
• Cadillac Mountain
• Eagle Lake
• Bar Island
• Compass Harbor

Western Attractions:

• Seawall
• Bass Harbor Head Light Station
• Acadia Mountain
• Beech Mountain
• Echo Lake Beach
• Carroll Homestead

Hiking Mount Desert Island

• Beehive Loop: This 1.5-mile loop was one of our favorite hikes with views of Sand Beach & the surrounding mountains as you climb rungs & ladders to reach the summit.
• Precipice Trail: Our absolute favorite hike. This challenging via Ferrata hike was without a doubt the most thrilling & dangerous hike we did while at the park. It is a 2.5-mile loop.
• Bubbles Trail: This is a short and sweet 1.5-mile trail that offers sweeping views of Jordan Pond and leafy mountains.
• Ocean Path: Take the trailhead from Sand Beach to this 4.4-mile flat, Oceanside walk.
• Jordan Pond Path: As you follow the 3.3-mile flat path around the pond, you’ll see a view of the Bubbles. Visit the Jordan Pond House.
• Gorham Mountain Trail: This 3-mile loop offers stunning views of the Ocean’s coastline.
• Cadillac Summit Loop: This panoramic viewpoint is best at sunrise. You can drive or walk up the hill for some of the best views of Acadia NP. If you are interested in hiking it, you can take the 4.5-mile out and back hike

Camping on Mount Desert Island

• Blackwoods: Located on the eastern side of the island with sites all within a 10-minute walk of the ocean (221 tent sites, 60 vehicles)
• Seawall: Located on the western side of the island, all sites are within a walk of the coast. This is the closest campground to Bar Harbor (43 tent sites, 59 vehicles, 98 walk/boat)

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Schoodic Peninsula

This more secured region is only part of Acadia National Park found on the mainland, boasting granite headlands that display erosional scars of storm waves & flood tides. The is a one-way loop road around the Schoodic Peninsula offering views of lighthouses, seabirds, & forested islands.

Attractions:

• Schoodic Point
• Blueberry Hill
• Frazer Point

Hiking Schoodic Peninsula

• Frazer Point via Frazer Creek: This 2-mile out-and-back is an easy, dog-friendly trail.
• Sundew Trail: 1.8-mile out-and-back trail

Camping on Schoodic Peninsula

• Schoodic Woods: Southeast of Winter harbor, this is the only camp located on the mainland of the park. (13 tent sites, 41 vehicles, 9 walk/boat)

Isle Au Haut

While only half of Isle Au Haut is available to visit, its name translated to “High Island” is located off the coast of Stonington, Maine. It is the most remote area of Acadia & accessible by ferry only.

Attractions:

• Duck Harbor
• Western Head
• Eastern Head

Camping on Isle Au Haut

• Duck Harbor: Remote and inaccessible to automobiles, Duck Harbor is located on an island off the coast of Stonington, Maine. This campground has five sites with lean-to shelters accessible by boat only.

Hiking Isle Au Haut

• Duck Harbor Mountain: This is strenuous, 2.4 miles up to fantastic views.
• Cliff Trail – Western Head: This is a dark spruce forest 4 miles out-and-back mile along the wild shore.
• Note: trails on Isle au Haut are often rugged and overgrown

Happy Exploring!