by Thomas Best
Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and more. You certainly know these names as among America’s Great National Parks. However, have you ever heard of “Acadia National Park?” Well today you will learn about Acadia, and I trust you will go away thinking—”I need to visit there some day.”
I first want to mention some thing that I think will surprise some of you. A national park you have likely heard little about is one of this nation’s most visited national parks. In 2021, 4 million visitors came to this scenic area in coastal Maine. That 4 million visitors places it in the top ten traditional parks, and one of the most visited in parks east of the Mississippi.
So why have you not likely heard of this park, Acadia? Well, for one thing, Acadia is no where close to us at about 1,500 miles away—or about 22 hours of non-stop driving to a remote region of Maine.
So what is at Acadia, that makes it one of the most visited parks? Of course, I would say—a lot! But let’s get into specifics over what makes Acadia “the crown jewel of the northeast.”
First, it is a relatively small national park with many fascinating sites and trails that all lie relatively close to one another, compared to spacious parks such as Yellowstone. Within a matter of a few miles, you will witness amazing coastal scenery, hike well-maintained and beautiful trails, and stay close by in a multitude of camping and motel/hotel opportunities. Indeed, Acadia can be widely and easily explored in about two to three days.
Second, Acadia is blessed with a multitude of driving, hiking, biking, and horse-riding opportunities. Let’s talk first about driving and touring roads first. There is a “Motorist Park Loop Road” that stretches some 27 miles around the main section of the park on Mt. Deseret Island. Moving along at no more than 35 mph on a mostly one-way road that weaves through lovely forests, past crystal blue lakes, craggy mountains, and along the rocky coastal scenery next to the Atlantic Ocean. Taking about 1 to 4 hours to travel, depending on how often you want to stop, take pictures, and take short hikes to the most scenic spots such as “Thunder Hole.” At high tide, ocean waves crash into a narrow opening along rocky cliffs with a decided booming sound.
Hiking is what particularly brought Pam and I to Acadia. There are 38 different sections of trails which stretch over out 150 miles through its 55,000 acres. What is great here is that there are hikes for all ages and physical abilities.
The most challenging of the hiking trails are known as the Precipice Trail and Bee Hive Trail. Would you like to do some serious rock scrambling up some cliffs aided by metal bars to some awe-inspiring views of the Atlantic Ocean? If you don’t mind heights and edging yourself along narrow cliff sides, this is your nirvana. I did the back side of the Bee Hive Trail, which is a little less difficult as the Precipice. It is described as not for the faint of heart, as there are sections where you are using iron bars to pull yourself up and around rock formations. This site is nicknamed the “beehive,” because at its peak times, the cliff side resembles bees swarming around a beehive looking summit. Pam could not stand to see me on the most dangerous section of trail; therefore, I chose the longer and only less taxing back side trail called the “Bowl Trail.” Climbing up over increasingly higher jagged rocks over a good part of the trail, I reached the top in about an hour. But I was rewarded with a spectacular view of the Sand Beach area and out toward small islands that dot Acadia’s rough coastline.
For hikes that don’t demand such stamina, take on the trails around the scenic “Jordan Pond” region. Pam and I would rate most of this trail as a satisfying “walk in the woods.” Do you want more of a challenge? There are side trails that go up to a nearby region called the “Bubbles,” which has some awesome overviews of Jordan Pond along with outcroppings such as dangerously balanced stone called “Balanced Rock.”
If you are not up for rocky and rough trails up to mountain vistas, I would suggest a gentle stroll through a meadow, forest, and bog at the Great Marsh near the “Sieur de Mont” visitor center. There is also an easy ocean trail traversing from Sand Beach overlooking the ocean to the far rugged eastern stretch of Otter Point, about 4 miles away in walking distance—we did most of this. Crashing waves, swooping birds, rocky cliffs, and the din of ocean buoys are sensory reminders of how you are a long-ways from the Midwest.
There are also 45 miles of carriage roads, first built by the Rockefellers, who called this region a summer home. Here you can hike, bike, and ride horses through the green and lush forests that envelope Acadia. If you are really needing a scenic trip with no leg actions needed, take one of the carriage rides.
And finally, in this venue, let me mention that this park is wonderfully served by a series of environmental-friendly buses which branch out across the park and will save you finding a parking place or aiding in your trek when you need a lift to get from one site to another.
Of course, Acadia is not without its negatives—but these are all related to its popularity. Acadia is crowded. We were there in mid-September—hardly peak season—and most sites had full parking lots, busy trails in the most popular areas of hiking, and packed visitor centers. I can’t imagine what this park is like in the peak times of the summer or fall foliage viewing. And speaking of crowded, I must mention the major small city that resides on Mt. Desert Island—Bar Harbor. This place reminds me of Galena with a coastline. With engaging bookstores, trendy clothing stores, yummy ice cream and coffee shops, interesting restaurants and bars of all stripes, and unique shops selling local artists works, you can’t miss a few hours here. However, be wary if you are here when it is busy. When the cruise ships unload here—and they do to the tune of thousands of visitors on any given day—the shops are shoulder to shoulder adventures. Acadia and Bar Harbor is also expensive to visit. We saved money by having the Senior Citizens National Parks Pass–$90 for a life time pass for Pam and I to go in and out of national parks for the rest of our lives. Otherwise, every trip in and out of Acadia for the day would have been $30. Likewise, you can save some money on those “must have” t-shirts and souvenirs, like a cute moose my wife bought, by shopping around and hitting the “bargain” shops. You can also do, as we did, stay in the nearby small towns such as Trenton, where for a few miles drive, your hotel bill is easily cut in half.
In closing, I could go on for much longer describing the wonderful stories of climbing rocks like a mountain goat, feeling the spray of ocean waves, and delightful views that makes one think they are living in a calendar of gorgeous scenery. I didn’t even get to activities we want to do on our return visit—kayaking on the lakes, star gazing over the Atlantic Ocean from Sand Beach, taking a cruise on a sail-powered schooner, going up to witness the rising or setting sun from the top of Cadillac Mountain, taking a dinner cruise to one of the outlying small islands and their iconic light houses, biking carriage roads, and eating “popovers” at the Jordan Pond House.
Thanks for your interest. Next week, join me in a look at White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont.
www.nps.gov/articles/top-5-things-to-know-about-visiting-acadia.htm Photo © Alan Nyiri, used with permission.
