Acadia National Park

I have been wanting to visit Acadia National Park in Maine since we moved back to New York in 2018 and we finally planned to a trip to visit at the end of this summer.

Acadia National Park is a 47,000-acre preserve that sprawls across Mount Desert Island. It is a beautiful area with rose-colored rocks, hiking trails, coastal views and dark blue lakes. I also can’t forget to mention the lobster rolls! Technically, the lobster shacks are found outside the park, but they were a key addition to our trip! I had three lobster rolls in the five days we were there! 🦞

We flew into Portland, rented a car and drove three hours north to Bar Harbor where we stayed during our time in Maine. Bar Harbor is a cute little seaside town filled with restaurants and shops. Plus, it has the added benefit of being only a 10-minute drive to the entrance of Acadia National Park.

We lucked out with BEAUTIFUL weather the first two days and took full advantage by completing two of the more difficult hikes in the park. The first day, we completed the Jordan Cliffs to South Bubble Trail. This hike starts at Jordan Cliffs, continues to South Bubble and then ends with a walk along Jordan Pond. It’s only 4.5-miles, but this trail is not for the faint of heart! The Jordan Cliffs portion uses iron ladders and rungs as you scale the rock face. I’m not sure I’ve ever done a hike where I felt like one wrong move could be the end! If I were to go back, I would skip the Jordan Cliffs portion and start at the South Bubble Trail. It was much easier and would have been more than enough to see the beautiful views!

After our hike, we stopped by The Happy Clam Shack for lunch where we each ordered a lobster roll. The restaurant was covered in buoys and the lobster rolls were delicious! A perfect post-hike meal!

On our second full day, we woke early and completed the Beehive Trail Loop, one of the most popular hikes in the park. Similar to Jordan Cliffs, this hike uses iron rungs and handrails for scrambling up the mountain. Unlike Jordan Cliffs, there is a large warning sign at the entrance of the trail warning people not to go if you are afraid of heights. Despite being a little nervous after the previous days hike, I found this trail to be much easier and not as scary as Jordan Cliffs. It was actually quite fun to do and the views of Sand Beach, Great Head and the surrounding area were stunning.

After our hike, we drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain, which is one of the first places in the United States to see the sunrise! I couldn’t pull the trigger on a 4:00am wake-up call, so we opted to go later in the morning and skip the sunrise view. As this is one of the most popular spots in the park, it is required to reserve a timed parking pass in advance. Not knowing what the weather would be like, I opted to book a parking pass for two of the days we were in Maine and cancelled the cloudy day spot once we knew what the weather would be like. Sometimes, it’s just nice to have options! From the top, you could see Bar Harbor and the surrounding park.

For our last day in Acadia, we walked along the Ocean Path trail which extends from Sandy Beach to Otter Point (4-miles round trip). The path follows along the coastline and offers some spectacular scenery.

We then drove down to the southern tip of Mount Desert Island to the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse was first built in 1858 and is not open to the public as it is occupied by the lightkeeper and their family, but you are able to walk around and enjoy the views.

During our time in the park, we used our trusty Gypsy Guide, nicknamed Alan, who provided commentary and suggested viewpoint stops around the park. We’ve used this guide in both Hawaii on the Road to Hana and during our time in Canada last year. It’s a great way to explore the area and I always learn something interesting!

Our lunch stop for the day was to Thurston’s Lobster Pound, rumored to be the best seafood shack on the island. We arrived 10 minutes before it opened and there was already a line waiting to get in! We each ordered a small lobster roll and a bowl of clam chowder. Yum!

We had such a wonderful time exploring Acadia National Park and I’m so glad it worked out to visit. The park was SUPER busy, but we arrived early each morning and were able to miss some of the crowds on the hiking trails. The only hiccup we encountered during the trip was I had reserved a lunch reservation at Jordan Pond House for tea and popovers. Jordan Pond House was built in the late 1800’s and is an Acadia institution. When we tried to find parking, we drove around for about 20-minutes without success and ended up having to cancel the reservation! Whomp, whomp! Oh well, guess it’s a reason to return in the future!

View from our hotel room at the Bar Harbor Inn and Spa

Restaurants: Sweet Pea Cafe, Side Street Cafe, Merchant & Frye and The Barnacle

Treats: Mount Desert Ice Cream

Shopping: The Acadia Country Store