Acadia National Park is unique because of being one with the community, sections of it interspersed and overlapping small towns with deep coastal heritage. It’s a place to see if you like hiking, biking, climbing, swimming, camping, boating, fishing, or watching the sunrise. If the rugged coastal landscape, abundant forest, and natural scenery beside the ocean sound appealing, this may be the place for you.
I visited Acadia at the tail end of a nearly two-year solo road trip that took me through the United States, Mexico and Canada. I’d been staying in Bridgton, Maine and drove about three hours through the woods and hills toward Acadia at mid-day when everything seemed so golden and optimistic. The drive included plenty of green trees and blue lakes and streams. I think Maine has gotten more than their fair share of natural beauty. I hail from Michigan, and I’ve been to most states, but none seem quite as bracing as Maine.
Arriving at Acadia National Park
As I drive, I note only small businesses occasionally pepper the landscape and few areas with big box stores. There isn’t much apparent commercial business and the distance between places and people is wide. It’s a state where you come to be in the woods, at the ocean and with nature.
They say this park is consistently among the most popular, with an average of four million visitors each year, but except for the most touristed spots, it didn’t feel as crowded as many others I’ve visited. Yes, there were many people, but it wasn’t madness like I experienced in Utah parks where shuttle wait times or entrance to the park were over an hour if you could get in at all (I’m looking at you, Arches and Zion).
A Park in Three Sections
Acadia National Park spans a vast area with three sections – west, central and east – on peninsulas that jut into the ocean. The park blends alongside a cluster of islands on the jagged Maine coast interspersed with small towns. The diverse landscapes include granite mountains, wooded forests, lakes, and ocean shorelines.
The busiest part of the park is on Mount Desert Island, but other sections are beyond the neighboring community on the Schoodic Peninsula, which covers about 2,370 acres. There’s a fair amount of traveling to get around Acadia National Park’s 47,000 acres and unless you’re a distance biker, you’ll need a motor. A shuttle also runs to all the prominent locations at regular intervals.
1 Driving Along Loop Road
One of the best ways to get a sense of the top features of the park is along Loop Road. The road circles Acadia National Park for 27 miles and takes you past many of the most popular places. Stay to the left (driving clockwise) and you can go the entire loop; don’t do what I did and take a right. The right side is two ways for only 10 miles and then you’ll be ejected out of the park and have to turn around and drive the loop clockwise. The loop passes many of the hikes and sites in the park with adjacent parking lots. Be sure to reference a map – GPS was spotty at best – so you don’t pass up what you want to see. If you do, you’ll have to circle the entire loop again.
Fun Fact: Another way to get around the park is via the carriage roads. There are 45 miles of broken-stone carriage trails that go through some of the prettiest parts of the park. In the busy season, you can schedule a horse-drawn ride to experience them – or ride your bike! They’re open to non-motorized vehicles only.
2 The Boom of Thunder Hole
Along Loop Road, you’ll pass many wooden and ocean views. Signage will direct you to the best places to park (you can park on the side of the road, too), beaches and hikes along the ocean or in the forest you can enjoy. Some places of interest will be more evident based on the crowds. Thunder Hole is one of them.
Thunder Hole is an area on the easter coast with a rift in the seawall. There, water comes literally thundering in and creates a boom you can hear for a distance. Groups of people gathered at its edges to get close to the thundering crash, but it wasn’t making much noise when I was there. A guide in the visitor’s center across the street said it’s louder at high tide, so plan your visit accordingly if you want to hear it.
3 Cadillac Mountain Sunrise
Acadia is the nation’s easternmost national park; it’s one of the first (and the best) places in the United States to see the sunrise. Each day before dawn, sunrise chasers trek to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park to mark the first official sunrise in the United States. Cadillac Mountain is 1,530 feet at its peak, making it the highest point on the North Atlantic coast. You need a reservation to drive the road to the top, but if you can’t get a ticket or are ambitious, you can make the 4.4-mile hike to the top. The “before dawn” part of the hike puts me off.
I stayed two nights in Acadia and on my second morning, I received a pass allowing me to drive up the mountain. I parked in a packed lot and stood in the cold with about 200 others waiting for the sun to appear. The fog was thick, and I could just make out the little islands along the coast. Pine trees scented the air and when I walked a little way beyond the central area, I found tranquility and solitude to watch as the day brightened around me. Finally, the sun burst through a bank of low clouds after about an hour.
4 Hiking Around Jordon Pond
Jorden Pond is a popular destination for a few reasons. One: the trails around the lake are excellent for hiking; two: the Jordan Pond House, a popular spot for afternoon tea; and three: the “bubbles” are a unique site to see.
I got to Jordon Pond early in the morning before anyone and had the quiet, still pond to myself. To call it a “pond” is somewhat misleading because it covers 187 acres and is up to 150 feet deep with a shoreline of 3.6 miles. My goal was the 3.6 miles around the water. I set off onto pine-drenched trails and the sound of sandpipers, gulls, and herons giving their morning calls. Along the trail are wooden bridges and trees felled by beavers. I laughed because, at first, I thought they were decorative reproductions. Then, a few minutes later, I saw a beaver shuffle past under a wooden walkway. Later on the trails, I saw a black mink frolicking in the water, making my hike successful. Then the bubbles came into view.
5 Ogle the Bubbles
The bubbles are a famous Acadia landmark consisting of two big hills in the water that resemble soap bubbles next to each other. The North Bubble has the highest elevation at 872 feet, while the South Bubble has just 766 feet.
Fun Fact: Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park is an oligotrophic tarn. But, as a glacial lake, it has very low nutrients and high levels of dissolved oxygen. That means it has deep, clear water, minimal algae, and few fish allowing deeper light penetration and more clarity.
The Jordan Pond House is a restaurant and gift shop overlooking the pond. A large balcony and long green lawn shaded by umbrella tables make plenty of room to enjoy the day. They’re known for their popovers and whoopie pie, both regional delights from days of yore.
6 Exploring Sieur de Monts Nature Center
Sieur de Monts Nature Center is a visitor center and offers various exhibits on the “science behind the scenery” at Acadia. But it’s the trails that are most awesome. Here you will find the “Wild Gardens of Acadia,” where biologists cultivate, study and protect over 400 native plant species. Thirteen habitats connected by trails include mountain, heath, seaside, coniferous forest species, and nine others.
Wooden boardwalks guide you through a marsh habitat where frogs, moss and tall grasses abound. Unique flowers you’ve probably never seen have signs to identify them and others to point your eyes toward key features.
Fun Fact: The Sieur de Monts National Monument was established before President Woodrow Wilson named Acadia a national park.
7 See the Famous Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
You can’t visit Maine without seeing at least one lighthouse. In Acadia National Park, the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse is a great choice. This iconic lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places and is on an America the Beautiful Quarter. The NPS featured it on the NPS centennial postage stamp and you’ll also see it in park literature and other materials. You’ll find it in Tremont, on the southwest corner of Mount Desert Island.
You can have two viewpoints at the lighthouse; the closest is adjacent to the house and a small parking lot. There you can walk right up to the lighthouse and read about its light. You’ll learn the lighthouse tower is 37 feet tall, including the lightning rod. The lantern is occulting red for four seconds and eclipses for one second with a range of 13 miles.
Fun Fact: Lighthouse lights have different colors and blink patterns so that mariners can tell them apart.
The other, I dare say, the better viewpoint is down a short trail and stairway to the shoreline. Be forewarned; you’ll need good knees and goat-like climbing ability for the best views.
Among about 80 lighthouses across Maine, it is one of three lighthouses managed by Acadia National Park. Two others are on Baker Island and Bear Island.
Fun Fact: You’ll probably see a lot of flamingos – of the plastic variety – in the area. It was home to Don Featherstone – creator of the pink plastic lawn flamingo. Now, each year in mid-July, the community hosts a Flamingo Festival and parade. I was lucky enough to arrive during the right week. The entire town was decorated pink and flamingos were everywhere, including hats, shirts, cookies, drinks and more. It was, err, special.
8 Seeing all the Maine Lobster Cages and Restaurants
One of the main sights and tastes in and around Acadia National Park is lobster. For a Maine first-timer, seeing all the lobster buoys out in the ocean, the many lobster cages lining the seashore, and the lobster signs on roadside shacks advertising lobster rolls was remarkable. I don’t eat lobster, but I would have been in lobster heaven if I did.
I learned that “lobstermen” – the name for women and men – drop their cages in the shallow water in the wee hours of the morning. They use colored or uniquely shaped buoys so they know which cages are theirs. There are so many cages covering the ocean floor around Acadia National Park that it would be easy to get confused. The buoys are all different colors and float on the ocean like a bowl of Trix cereal.
Not-so-fun facts: Seafood Watch says consumers should avoid buying lobster. They believe traps threaten the endangered North Atlantic right whale, which often gets caught in nets. Some retailers stopped selling it because it’s unsustainable as practices currently stand. Also, read the essay “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace.
9 Hanging Out in Bar Harbor, Maine
Since the park borders several communities, you’ll have an opportunity to pass through many of them. Bar Harbor, as the main entrance to the park, is the best known among them. This town is the park’s central tourist hub, a port of call for tours, lobster shacks, and lodging.
At low tide, it’s possible to walk the Bar Island Land Bridge to a tiny bit of the national park on Bar Island. A favorite pastime is the Great Maine Lumberjack Show. Yes, you heard that right. It includes log rolling, chainsaw carving, pole climbing, and other lumberjack sports.
10 Finding your Own Hidden Spot
There are two campgrounds on Mount Desert Island (Blackwoods and Seawall). There’s one campground on the Schoodic Peninsula (Schoodic Woods), and five lean-to shelters on Isle au Haut (Duck Harbor). I stayed in Blackwoods, on the park’s eastern side, within a few feet of the ocean. At the end of long days hiking, I was looking to relax and reflect on the beauty I discovered. I found my spot through a patch of trees along a rocky cliff, where I listened to the ocean waves for hours without another soul in sight. It was just the lobsters and me. Despite four million annual visitors, Acadia National Park still has plenty of places you can go to be alone. That makes it exceptional.
Visiting Acadia was a joy. The ocean views, lighthouses, and rocky seaside are the picture of Maine I always envisioned. It’s a trip anyone who loves nature will enjoy.
See more photos and videos on my Instagram page.
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