2024-08 Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park
August 2024

Getting There

This trip was before our camper van was ready, so our route was by plane and rental car. Our family flew from Maryland, Utah, and Minnesota to Portland or Bangor and then we rendezvoused at our vacation rental in Otter Creek, a quiet community just south of Bar Harbor.

Beehive Trail …

One of the coolest hikes in Acadia is Beehive Trail. It is a steep scramble up a 450ft cliff and you are rewarded with stunning views over Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and the Gulf of Maine stretching to the horizon. Hit the trail early as it becomes a hiker traffic jam by late morning. Cool off with a dip in the chilly gulf afterwards at Sand Beach.

Sunrise Hike …

We didn’t have reservations to drive and park at Cadillac Mountain Summit for the sunrise, so instead we did a 3:30 AM hike. We took Ladder Trail, a challenging scramble up steel rungs and poles embedded in steep granite, especially fun in the dark with headlamps. From there we hiked along Schiff Trail to Dor Mountain and started to see the early glow sunrise. We then went along Summit Loop to the top of Cadillac Mountain, where we were rewarded with an amazing view. Sure we were a bit jealous of all the people that drove to the summit, wrapped in blankets and enjoying their mugs of coffee. Our hike was intense but great fun. I’d do it all over again.

We returned to our car by hiking down South Ridge Trail and Canon Brook Trail. We seemed to have the park to ourselves as we did not come across any other hikers along the way. What an incredible morning.

Lobster, Lobster, Lobster …

We definitely recommend visiting a local lobster pound for a lobster feast. Pick a lobster from the tank, pay by weight, and support your local lobster(wo)man. One of our favorites was Thurston’s Lobster Pound in Bernard.

We also booked Lulu’s Lobster Boat tour. It was a very entertaining boat tour. We checked several lobster traps. We learned about the lobster industry and the life of a lobster(wo)man. We enjoyed amazing views of Mt Desert Island from the harbor.

Kayaking

We enjoyed a half-day kayak tour with Coastal Kayaking Tours out of Bar Harbor. Our friends from Minnesota joined us. They also happened to be vacationing in Maine. Together, we filled out our own private tour. We kayaked Frenchman Bay and around the Porcupine Islands, taking a break on one of the “beaches”.

Biking the Carriage Roads

We rented bikes from Coastal Kayaking Tours. We spent a full day biking the Carriage Roads. These are 45 miles of roads built by John D. Rockefeller and now dedicated to just biking and walking. The folks at Coastal Tours provided maps. They pointed us in the right direction to access the trails, about a mile from their storefront. We biked the big loop around Eagle Lake and Jordan Pond. We stopped at the Jordan Pond House for lunch and their famous pop-overs … highly recommended!