ACADIA
Acadia National Park is located on Mount Desert Island on the coast of central Maine. It’s gorgeous landscape consists of high mountains and peaks, rocky shoreline, and small lakes and ponds, all of which are a stones throw from the town of Bar Harbor, a major tourist destination in its own right. The landscape of the park coupled with the crisp alpine air, provides an experience unlike many of the National Parks we have visited.
Arriving early on the first day, we spoke with the rangers who gave us a great lay of the land and a good understanding of what important highlights we should see. The first thing they recommended was Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the North Atlantic Seaboard of the United States. We promptly parked, spayed ourselves down with bug spray, and headed up. Cadillac Mountain is a great hike, but it is also accessible by car if you are unable to make the climb. The views at the top give you a great opportunity to survey Mount Desert Island and the surrounding islands and waters. From here we headed down the Gorge Path to the North Ridge Trail and the Kebo Brooke Trail took us back to the car, after passing a graveyard an golf course that is. The day ended with a drive down to Great Head where we hiked the small trails there and trudged our way across Sand Beach.
On the second day, we became more ambitious (what a surprise!). Planning out a day which involved a great deal of hiking, we started early by crossing a tidal land bridge onto Bar Island, just north of Bar Harbor. From here we drove down the Park Loop Road to Monument Cove where we hiked to the summit of Gorham Mountain and learned a little about Waldron Bates, an important figure in the founding of the Acadia we know today. From here we headed to The Bowl and approached The Beehive from the back (an unpopular approach for sure). After saying all our Novena’s and smudging ourselves with emergency sage, we climbed down The Beehive which eventually brought us back to Sand Beach. From here, we hiked down Ocean Path back to the car where we then, in true crazy Mike and Dusty form, hiked the Triad, Pemetic Mountain and around the eastern side of Jordan Pond before calling it a day.
Our final day in the park involved more insanity. After linking up with the carriage roads on the western part of the park, we hiked Bald Peak, Parkman Mountain, Gilmore Peak, and Sargent Mountain, before descending to hike around Upper and Lower Hadlock Pond. Our final ascent was up Norumbega Mountain before we promptly collapsed back at the car. Despite an intense day of hiking, we finished in the early afternoon which gave us plenty of time to explore Bar Harbor, which you should definitely do while you are at the park.
Acadia National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Wabanaki, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Abenaki people.
Listen while you look! These buttons will link you to the podcast episode(s) for this park and gallery.
