Acadia National Park - A New England Road Trip
At A Glance
- What to Wear: Sturdy shoes, sun protection, wind break
- Hiking: Easy (flat carriage roads) to Strenuous (climbing exposed iron rungs)
- Note: Parking fills fast, arrive early!
- Rating: 5/5 hiking boots
Background
I’ve planned several National Park trips up to the point of this trip; however, most of those were just my Dad and I somewhat winging it with only a loose plan, an atlas, a rental car, and optimism. On this visit to Acadia National Park, my Mom would be joining us and I had done weeks of research leading up to our departure. I found our accommodation, flights, pinned numerous hikes, secured permits, and booked a class all with the aim of making this trip enjoyable for all by creating a “plug and play” experience.
This “plug and play” model means that while on vacation, we can pick and choose the activities for the day from a pre-screened selection. The goal is never to go to all of the pins I’ve put into a map, it’s to ensure the enjoyment of every member on the trip by creating a framework for flexibility. Prior to departure, I will pin hikes, viewpoints, restaurants, or similar on my preferred map app, and then once the trip begins, we can take each day as it comes, selecting activities that align with the weather or our overall energy levels for the day. I tend to have this approach to travel, even when going solo! Each day doesn’t have a set plan, but rather the trip overall has a collection of things I would like to see and experience. If there are “high value” destinations – places that require permits, tickets, or other advance planning – on your desired list, these can add further structure for you to plan your trip around. Check out the map I created for this trip below!
Introduction
I feel like Acadia National Park needs no introduction, but if your idea of a good time is rocky cliffs, attainable summits, lush forests, and, of course, miles and miles of pristine coastline, then Acadia should probably be pretty high up on your travel wish list. And it’s on the top of many other people’s lists as well. Acadia National Park consistently ranks as one of the most visited National Parks in the United States, particularly during the peak season of May through October. Split between three sections, the main parcel on Mount Desert Island, the Schoodic Peninsula, and Isle Au Haut, there is certainly plenty to explore for all kinds of adventurers. Hopefully, the itinerary below will give you some ideas on what to do with your time in this unforgettable place!
Itinerary
Day 1
Acadia National Park is exceptionally accessible from nearly anywhere on the East Coast. We chose to fly into Boston, hop into a rental car, and pick our way up the coast with a few stops, and one overnight, on the way to the park. If you are looking for places to stop and stretch your legs and take in the view, might I suggest:
- Salem, Massachusetts
- Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Nubble Lighthouse, Maine
- Ogunquit, Maine
- Kennebunkport, Maine
- Portland and the Portland Head Light, Maine
- Popham Beach, Maine
- And plenty more pinned on the map above!
Day 2
We finished our drive up to the area surrounding Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park and checked into our accommodation. We chose to stay off Mount Desert Island in a VRBO property. It was a 30 or 45 min drive into the park but exceptionally quiet, well-appointed, and spacious for the three people in our party. Although further from the park than many would prefer, it was well connected and almost perfectly situated between two park districts, the Schoodic Peninsula district and the main park parcel on Mount Desert Island. We also used this day to run to the store and stock up on groceries for the week.
Day 3
Now that we were settled in and ready to begin our adventure properly it was time to head into the National Park! A very big and well-deserved WARNING. This is NOT the day to tackle high value hikes or dream destinations as good parking (or any parking) will likely be snapped up by the time you get into the park.
We headed to the park visitor center to get information about the park, talk to a ranger, pay our park entrance fees, etc. Our goal was to start to get a feel for where things are located on the park road and what hikes we could combine to make the most of our following days. We tackled the Beehive hike in the late morning and then walked along the coastal trail to see popular must-see sights like Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and Otter Point. This was a very busy trail but allowed us to knock many items off of our list.
Following our walk, we headed into Bar Harbor to have a look around and see about booking other experiences (see day four). There is plenty of street parking available in Bar Harbor as long as you are willing to walk a little. Bar Harbor is much like every other overly touristed place in New England but is also home to a number of quaint shops and restaurants. After having been there, we were all glad to not have chosen accommodation nearby!
Day 4
Now that we had a feel for the park and its general layout, it was time to head into the park early. When visiting, you MUST get into the park well before the visitor center opens to secure prime parking spots at popular hikes. Most, if not all, lots fill up and one lane of the park road turns into parking.
I had secured permits for us to drive up Cadillac Mountain to see the sunset on this day, so we were up the mountain before 5 am. Permits can be purchased through recreation.gov with 30% of available permits released 90 days in advance (when I purchased our permit) and 70% being released at 10:00 am ET two days in advance. Although this was a great experience it is NOT a private experience and there could be more intimate sunrise viewing spots at a different location; however, being in the park so early meant that we had a pick of trails to ourselves after the sun rose.
We headed over to the Bubbles Trails (North and South Bubble on the park map) and connected that with a trail down to Jordan Pond and found ourselves with our first truly peaceful moments in the park during this trip. This combination of trails permitted us wonderful views of Jordan Pond from up high, a thrilling scramble down a rocky hillside, and a quiet stroll along the pond’s shore to finish out. We passed very few other hikers and thoroughly enjoyed being done with our hike well before many visitors even arrive in the park. The downside to this though, was that when we got back to our car, rather than feeling like we could take some time, check out the park map, and try to find another hike, we found ourselves being pressured into leaving quickly by the numerous other vehicles trying to park. You might be starting to see that parking in Acadia is a massive headache and a big determinant of the kind of experience you might have.
Following a rushed exit from the primary park parcel, we headed over to the iconic Bass Harbor Head Light Station on the western side of the park. The light station is a short walk from the parking lot and the best views of the station are afforded to those willing to do a touch of scrambling down to the beach and up the shoreline. In addition to the quintessential lighthouse view, I was also enchanted by the ringing buoys out on the water to accompany the boat traffic.
Having been up so early, we headed back to our accommodation to rest and refuel before heading back over to Mt Desert Island for the evening. At this point my group split up – my parents went to a restaurant for dinner, and I went back into Acadia for guided climbing at Otter Cliffs with Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School. To my surprise, I was the only guest on the trip and it was incredible! The guide was very knowledgeable and selected appropriately graded routes for someone with limited climbing experience. I had chosen an early evening climbing time and had an amazing opportunity to see how the sunset painted the coastline in stunning pastels. I would 100% recommend looking for unique guided experiences like this one wherever you might be going!
After regrouping we headed back to our accommodation to finish out the evening with a spectacular view of the night sky, including a shooting star and the milky way. When people ask me what my favorite travel memory is, this day is my answer every time.
Day 5
At this point, you too might be annoyed at the parking situation within the national park itself, but we headed into the main park parcel one more time to tackle another popular hike, the Precipice Trail, in the morning. We timed our arrival just right and were able to park pretty close to the trailhead and get on the trail before peak time, and peak sun. Remember to take plenty of water and sun protection on this trail as it gets a lot of early sun exposure. This hike is also not for the faint of heart and involves climbing several sections of iron rungs that are fairly exposed, but I firmly believe this is doable for most people! It affords spectacular views out over the water and plenty of natural resting points to take in the expansive vistas.
We were now desperate to escape the crowds within the park proper and had booked a trail building class at the Land and Garden Preserve’s Little Long Pond Natural Lands, which is located quite close to the National Park. The various parcels of the Preserve serve to maintain and share pieces of New England with the next generation of visitors and are on lands formerly owned by the Rockefellers, among others. Read more about the history of the various parks and gardens here. One of the highlights of the Little Long Pond Natural Land is that it preserves many additional miles of carriage road; however, bicycles are not permitted on the roads within the park!
Although, this was a fairly quiet escape when we went, in the late summer of 2023, the Little Long Pond Natural Land staff did inform us that as Acadia becomes more and more overcrowded they are seeing more and more spillover to their park, which naturally impacts parking and overall number of people on the trail. Check out recent reviews before hanging your heart on having a quiet respite from the National Park. That being said, I would highly recommend making your way over as this was one of the most highly rated parts of our trip!
Following a quick stop for lunch, we continued on to the Schoodic District of Acadia National Park. All of the park buildings were closed at the time we were there, but we enjoyed another adventure out onto the rocky shoreline, hopping from rock to rock as we watched the waves crash into shore. There are just a few hiking trails in this section of the park, but we again found a quiet respite by hiking the trail that leads to the Anvil (marked on the Acadia park map). This trail led us through a lush forest, over interesting rock formations, and out to a ledge with a lovely view of the setting sun. Another park highlight for sure!
Day 6
My group was starting to get pretty frustrated at the lack of wildlife we had seen up to that point and had decided the night before that we were going to take this day and go on a moose hunt in Baxter State Park. It’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Acadia to Baxter and it was worth every minute in the car. Please note that the road through Baxter is unpaved and fairly narrow if passing another car. We stopped at the park office to see where wildlife had recently been spotted and headed out to the Kidney Pond and Daicey Pond Area with high hopes and keen eyes. In my opinion, this is some of the best hiking we did on this whole trip from an experiential perspective. Of course, it doesn’t have coastal overlooks and dramatic cliffs like Acadia does, but the trails were quiet and you could actually hear various small wildlife and running water. There were also unexpected surprises like waterfalls, the opportunity to step onto the Appalachian Trail, and perfectly calm reflective lakes. Overall, a breath of fresh air from the harried pace near the National Park and I would recommend building time into a trip to Maine to get off the beaten path if possible. Even if we never saw that Moose.
Day 7
This was our last full day on vacation and we headed back down to Boston for a day following the Freedom Trail around the city to get a taste of history before heading to Fenway to catch a Red Sox game. You could easily use this day much like your first day and stop at various lighthouses or other points of interest on the drive back down. We stayed in a hotel in the city this night and caught a flight back home the next morning.
Summary
Despite all my whinging about parking and overcrowding on the trails, Acadia is truly worth a visit, but it’s important to know what you are getting yourself into before heading there. I’m sure it was partially the people I was with, the time of year we were there, and the planning done in advance, but this was one of the best vacations we’ve been on together and both of my parents really enjoyed themselves, which is all I could ask for. I hope our itinerary gives you some ideas for your next adventure!
Happy Hiking,
-Maggie
