Acadia National Park in Maine offers a combination of natural beauty and education. Visitors can enjoy ocean views, hiking, cycling, and carriage rides. The park also has campgrounds and nearby dining options.
The spectacular beauty of the coast of Maine is present throughout the eastern part of the states. However, for an experience both naturally amazing and educational, Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island in Maine is a great place to visit. Before doing anything at the park, be sure to stop by the Hull’s Cove Visitor Center to check out the park’s scale model, video tour, or brochures and maps to educate and excite you about your stay.
Acadia has become a popular destination not only for its ocean views that visitors can enjoy from anywhere in the park, but also for its excellent hiking. As a day trip, try hiking Cadillac Mountain, the highest point along the North Atlantic coast at 1532 feet. This moderate hike takes you to the top of the mountain, offering near panoramic views of the harbor and islands below, as well as the city of Bar Harbor. If walking that far seems too daunting, walk the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) paved road that leads to the gift shop at the top. The summit of Cadillac Mountain is a popular destination for early morning visitors eager to see the first sunrise in the United States.
While Acadia doesn’t offer much in the way of single track mountain bike trails, the Park Loop Road is a great ride for road cyclists. This 27-mile (43.5 km) paved road is the easiest way for bicycles and motorized vehicles to see most of the park’s attractions. You’ll pass Jordan Pond and Jordan Pond House — be sure to stop for some of their famous Popovers — and countless hiking trails, beaver ponds, and mountain views. Also along the way, you’ll find Thunder Hole, a natural cave that rumbles and splashes when high tide waves crash into it. Less than a mile after Thunder Hole on the loop road, you’ll encounter perhaps one of the most recognizable sights in Acadia: Otter Cliffs. Be sure to snap a few photos of the cliffs jutting into the ocean.
The Carriage Road winds through Acadia National Park in a network of more than fifty miles. This dirt road offers mountain bikers, hikers, horses, and carriages plenty of room to wander through forests, lakes, and under old stone bridges built with Rockefeller family funds. For a moderate ride on Carriage Road, try looping Eagle Lake, the park’s largest freshwater lake. In winter, strap on your snowshoes or cross-country skis and take in a winter wonderland that far fewer visitors get to see.
When your day in Acadia is coming to an end, camp at Blackwoods Campground, located just a hundred yards from the ocean. Alternatively, try Seawall Campground a little further from the park’s main attractions near Somes Sound. Or stop by nearby Bar Harbor for a seafood dinner or a drink at one of the many bars and pubs in the narrow downtown streets. A twilight stroll along the Ocean Walk right on the harbor is a perfect way to end the day at Acadia National Park.
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