Where Maine Meets the Atlantic - Acadia National Park
Written: Jul 30 '03 (Updated Sep 10 '08)
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Pros: Very Scenic, Trails, Bike Paths, Driving Tours, Ocean Views
Cons: Can be very, very crowded in summer
The Bottom Line: Acadia is a must see! There really is no other place like it in the east! Try going in the spring or fall to beat the crowds
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| jps246's Full Review: Acadia National Park |
Acadia National Park – America’s easternmost National Park in the lower 48 (and I suppose the rest of the country) and where the sun’s rays first shine on the American coast each morning. It’s one outstanding park and should not be missed!
I had lived in Maine for almost a year before I first visited Acadia and realized what I had been missing all that time (even though I lived about 2 1/2 hours from Acadia up in the Greenville area). Acadia is one of those magic areas that when you are there, you quickly realize how wonderful it is that the area is protected by National Park status.
Now that I’m not living in Maine, but in Massachusetts, I still try to get up there and I stop by every time that I’m in Maine (which is a lot less often than I’d like it to be).
On my first trip to Acadia, I toured and trekked through the park in mid-April and found that there were almost no crowds at even the most popular destinations in the park. While the days weren't all that warm and the weather wasn't perfect (it did rain a lot, but that is spring in New England, we’re tough, we understand), the park was still there in all of its glory. If anything, it was even better because there were so few crowds. Wherever you wanted to go, you were able to get there with little or no trouble. No traffic jams, no shuttle buses, you did what you wanted when you wanted.
Even Thunder Hole, one of the must sees in the park and one of the most famous locations in the park, had maybe 20 people at any one time there while we were there (and we were there at different times on different days). We were able to get right down to the edge of the rocks and experience, without the pushing and shoving crowds, what makes the area special. We even managed to get hit by several breaking waves as they crashed through Thunder Hole. The bad weather made it even more interesting, as the storm was whipping up the ocean, so the waves were even bigger than normal.
Going to Acadia in the spring or in the fall also gives you an opportunity to better explore the park. We stopped along the driving tours in many places to get out and scramble along the coast or to run up to explore something that looked interesting from the road. During summer months I imagine this would be almost impossible, if not just impractical, especially since nowadays in the height of the tourist season, most roads within the park are closed to private vehicle traffic and you are required to take shuttle buses to get around the park. There are also shuttle buses that run from the hotels and campgrounds in Bar Harbor and Ellsworth into the park so that you don’t need your car at all. This is all in an effort to reduce air pollution in the summertime at the park, which at times, is very bad.
While at Acadia you have to take the drive (or hike if you are up to it) up Cadillac Mountain. The view is awe-inspiring and the drive itself can be quite an experience (especially for those with fears of exposure and heights). The road is well maintained and is not difficult to drive, however, in several places, you just look out into the wide open as you are coming around a turn. Nothing at like the Mount Washington Auto Road, but a really interesting drive none-the-less. Part of the reason that Cadillac Mountain is impressive because it is right next to the ocean. So even at its somewhat short height, you are looking down over 1,000 vertical feet of relief to the ocean. The mountain will give you excellent views across the park and to the surrounding areas.
Another great spot is The Beehive, which is a small mountain right across from Sand Beach. The hike is maybe at most, a ½ a mile, but it climbs up and over what could be considered by some to be a cliff. There are ladders and steel cables bolted right into the mountain along the trail,, so that people without technical climbing experience can make their way up. The views are great, the exercise gets your blood pumping and you can make quite a few hiking loops from the top of The Beehive to get back down to your car at Sand Beach.
For people less interested in climbing mountains and who want to enjoy a stroll along a wooded path or a bike ride down some nice bridle paths, there is a very extensive system of very well maintained bridal paths (originally horse and carriage roads) that are open to walking and biking.
While at Acadia NP, you will have to stop in the nearby town of Bar Harbor to get a flavor of the region. While Bar Harbor is a richer version of Downeast Maine culture in general, it is an interesting and fun place for those who want to explore. Don't forget to stop in a seafood restaurant and get a taste of some Maine "Lobstah." You won’t be able to go wrong, because they are all great (and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t even like seafood, but never found a place his friends didn’t like when he took them down there).
If you want to experience true Downeast culture, I would suggest a trip further east, out towards Machias, the unorganized townships that include Trescott and ultimately, at the very eastern tip of Maine, Lubec. Don’t expect to find the kitschy shops and trendy restaurants of Bar Harbor, expect to find the true spirit of the Downeast area. It’s an experience worth having and is one that very few people are lucky enough to experience (I was lucky because I got to cover the Downeast region for a year when I was working in Maine. Even though I worked out of Augusta, I was still up there as much as I could).
There are campground facilities in the park for those wishing to stay (reservations are recommended and probably almost impossible to get in the summer), along with private campgrounds and hotels outside of the park in the Bar Harbor area and surrounding towns. In the summertime, just about everything is booked up, so without reservations, you are out of luck. I was down there once and the closest available hotel room was in Bangor, almost 2 hours away. That was the day I drove from Vermont after I picked up my boyfriend at college, then out to Acadia and then all the way back to western Maine because we couldn’t find a place to stay. We ended up sleeping in the car in a rest area on Route 2 in Bethel.
So I'd say if you are in the area, or planning a trip to Maine, Acadia National Park has to be on your list of must-see places, but I would shoot for visits in the spring or the fall to beat the crowds and to take the hassle out of your trip. If you are planning on going in the fall, foliage season is also very busy, so plan for mid-September, or late October, before and after leaf season.
More Acadia Destinations
Sieur De Monts Spring
Wild Gardens of Acadia
Sea Breeze Motel
The Chart Room Restaurant
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: March-May
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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