Coastline of Acadia National Park
Acadia is a gorgeous national park set on the coast of Maine. I think the best times to go are in the fall where you can see the leaves change color. That is also a popular time in the park so plan your travel arrangements ahead of time. There are several nice hotels in Bar Harbor, but if you want to stay in the park you will be camping. Blackwoods Campground is a nice convenient location and is where I stayed during my last visit. On previous visits, I had used hotel points to stay in Bar Harbor.
View from the top of the Precipice Trail
Start your day early with quick exhilarating hikes at Precipice Trail and Beehive Trail. They are both on the east side and more heavily traveled part of the island. The views from the tops of these trails are amazing. Go from there to see the waves crash at Thunder Hole (if you catch the tides right you will hear why it is called Thunder Hole) and then a short distance to the magnificent views from Otter Point.
Grab brunch and those delicious popovers and jam at Jordan Pond and then shoot over to the less traveled west side of the island. Go straight to the Perpendicular Trail to test your endurance and be rewarded with a bird’s eye view over the west side of the island. You can also see the Cranberry Islands off the coast. From there it is a quick drive to the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. By this time, you should be ready for a late lunch of lobster rolls at Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound. This is a road side shack between Bass Harbor and Seawall.
Bass Harbor Lighthouse
Drive back across the island now to Bar Harbor and at low tide cross over to Bar Island. During low tide a path to this island emerges from the ocean. A quick hike to the peak of Bar Island overlooks the town of Bar Harbor where you can try and spot where you want to get dinner that night. You have only about a 3-hour window to get across and back, but that is plenty of time. Finish the afternoon with some shopping in Bar Harbor and dinner at Paddy’s Irish Pub or one of the other great restaurants in town. Finish the day with a couple Mexican Hot Chocolate’s to go from Choco-Latte and a drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain to see the stars come out.
View of Bar Harbor from Bar Island at Low Tide
You should sleep well and probably late after that busy day. Before leaving Acadia the next morning, grab a late breakfast at Two Cats. I recommend the lobster omelet there. I hope you enjoy your trip.
rk
Acadia National Park near Thunder Hole
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