Acadia National Park Travel Review - Bar Harbor, ME
Bar Harbor, ME
Where I stayed
Day Trip
What I did
Parks, Ocean, Towns
Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine
Type of Attraction: National Park in the Great State of Maine
Reviewer: Lauren Doolittle
Date of Visit: November 9, 2013
There are many beautiful places to visit in Maine, but nothing quite beats Acadia National Park. Located on Mount Desert Island. The State of Maine is full of all different types of tourist attractions, but Acadia National Park is definitely one of the best out there. An interesting fact is that Acadia National Park is the only National Park in the State of Maine. Click here to see a list of all of the National Parks.
Mount Desert Island is the second largest Island on the east coast. Every single part of the island is beautiful, big or small. From the rocky beaches, to the beautiful cliffs, to the surreal hikes and views to the top of the wondrous mountains. A visit to Acadia National Park is definitely the right choice to make, there is never a boring moment on this island.
Acadia National Park is surrounded by 49,000 beautiful acres of Mountains, rock bound coasts and beautiful towns. When someone visits Maine for the very first time, Acadia National Park definitely needs to be part of their itinerary. Maine is such a beautiful state with so many wonderful attractions to offer both in-staters who are looking for an exciting day trip or out-of-staters who want the chance to find out what the Maine coast is all about.
One of the great things about Acadia National Park is that there is a variety of scenery for you to see. Whether you are interested in walking along the rocky coast, hiking a mountain or lying on the beach, Acadia National Park is the place for you. Click here to see detailed maps of Acadia. A November visit to Acadia was crisp and fun, as that is the time of year when the leaves were at their peak and the most beautiful. A trip to sand beach would be crisp, but it would undoubtedly be fun to watch the beautiful iceberg waves crash together while enjoying a picnic on the beach. No matter when you decide to visit – and you really must decide to visit – Acadia National Park is a beautiful adventure for everyone and anyone.
Acadia National Park is located a little over halfway up the Maine coast. You can get to the Park by driving up the coast on 1A or come up Highway 95 to Bangor and East through Ellsworth and then onto Mount Desert Island. If you would like to view detailed driving instructions, click the following link: Driving Instructions to Acadia! Just before you enter the Island, you will drive through the town of Trenton, where you will pass many great lobster pounds and seafood restaurants. When you see these great places to eat, you will know that you are getting close. It is a must to eat a lobster before you leave Maine, after all Maine has the best tasting lobster.
If your windows are open as you cross over onto Mount Desert Island, you can smell the clam-flats, which is not necessarily the most appealing smell. I liked smelling it though, because it meant I was very close to the ocean and almost to my destination. When you reach Trenton and head towards Mount Desert Island, you can also see the beautiful ocean. Once you cross onto the Island, there will be a sign that will direct you towards Bar Harbor. A visit to Bar Harbor is a must, and should definitely be on your to do list as one of your destinations as it is full of excellent restaurants and adorable shops. I will point out a couple of the Bar Harbor hot food spots later on. Before you reach Bar Harbor, you will see the signs for Acadia National Park. There will be signs indicating to head towards the park and will direct you to an entry at the guard station where you will pay an entrance fee (see below link). The fee is $20 for a car and is good for seven days. If a person enters by foot or by bike, the fee is less than that. It is $5 whether you are on foot, a bike or a motorcycle and is also good for seven days. At first, we were not thrilled to pay the fee, but once in the park we realized that the fee was definitely worth the price. Besides, it was good for an entire week. (Park hours and fees - including information on fee free days.)
Once you are into the park, you then have lots of choices as to what to do. You can park at a number of different locations and hike one of the many mountains and trails. Some of these include Precipice Trail, Bubble Mountain, Bee Hive, Gorham Mountain, and of course Cadillac Mountain. Whatever your level of expertise, Mount Desert Island has a climb for you.
Another fun and exciting adventure is to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on Mount Desert Island at 1,530 feet (acadia.ws/cadillac-mountain.htm). Even though in November, the leaves had pretty much all changed and left the trees, the scenery was still amazing. Once up at the top, you can climb down on the rocks and also visit the gift shop to take a souvenir home to your friends and family members. The view from the top of the mountain is simply amazing. If it is a clear day, you can see way out into the ocean as well as all around Mount Desert Island. It is so beautiful. Whether you drive or hike to the top of Cadillac Mountain, you definitely need to visit it.
For the visitor that would rather camp than stay in a hotel, Acadia National Park offers a variety of camping options. There are a few campgrounds that visitors can use. They are Blackwoods Campground, Seawall Campground and Duck Harbor Campground. The campgrounds are open as follows: Seawall (from late May to September 30); Blackwoods (open all year, but a walk-in campsite from December 1 to March 31 with a permit required); and Duck Harbor (May 15 – October 15). Click here for more information on campgrounds.
One of the best attractions in the park is the drive along the Park Loop Road (open from April 15 – November 30). The view is one of the most amazing I have ever seen. Stopping the car and looking out over the ocean is breathtaking. It was so fun to stop the car and walk out on the rocks that look out over the ocean. It was great to just sit down on the rocks and take in the awesomeness of the place.
As you drive along the Park Loop Road, you will come to Thunder Hole. If the tide is coming in, this can be amazing. People who have visited describe thunder hole to be an amazing place. I truly found it to be so surreal and amazing that water can be so ferocious and loud. "Thunder Hole is the place in Acadia National Park to experience the thunder of the sea against the rocky shores of Maine. On calm days you may wonder what the fuss is all about. But wait until the waves kick up a few notches. Thunder Hole is a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, where the waves roll into. At the end of the inlet, down low, is a small cavern where, when the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like a clap of distant thunder. Water may spout as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar." I did not see a 40-foot spout, but I was able to hear a little bit of the thunderclap. It would definitely be cool to visit Thunder Hold on a day when the ocean is a bit rough.
Now, for the person that just wants to relax, Sand Beach is the place to go. I cannot wait to go back and visit Acadia National Park during warm weather so that I can spend a day at Sand Beach.
This attraction is a calm, sandy beach that invites visitors to relax and enjoy the sun and the water. If you decide to adventure into the water, you need to know that it will definitely be refreshing—refreshingly cold. It is not for the person who is afraid of alittle cold water.
After a fun and exciting day exploring all that Acadia National Park has to offer, I recommend going into the town of Bar Harbor. This town has so much to offer. You can visit one of its many local Maine shops, check out a local restaurant, or even go on a whale-watching cruise for the day. Parking is available on all side streets or down by the pier. Click here for more information on Bar Harbor!
During my trip to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, we were lucky enough to visit Geddy's. Geddy's is a local restaurant located directly across from the pier parking lots. I would bet money that Geddy’s is probably the most “Maine” restaurant in Bar Harbor. It has amazing food and a great atmosphere for people who just want to relax. I ordered their “Maine Shirley Temple,” which is made with blueberry flavored grenadine and real Maine soda. I also ordered Caesar Salad and had them add shrimp. It was really good.
After enjoying a great meal, you need to walk up the street to an excellent place to get dessert…Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium. This place has a huge selection of chocolates, ice cream and other sweets. I chose my favorite, mint oreo. It was really good. If you’re daring enough, you can try one of their most famous flavors, lobster tracks. It’s actually ice cream with real Maine lobster chunks mixed in. I tried it, and all I have to say is you have to be pretty out there to like it; it was a great experience though.
If you have not ventured to Acadia National Park, I hope that you would be able to plan a trip there in the very near future. Whether you want to hike, drive or just relax, the park always has something for everyone. I hadn’t been to the park in a long time, and every time I go I’m reminded of just how amazing the island is.
Information for visitors: It is also important to note the hours of operation. You wouldn’t want to arrive at the park only to find that it is closed. The Park Headquarters and Winter Visitor Center are open all year round but closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The hours are as follows: November 1 – April 14 (8:00 am – 4:30 pm, 7 days a week), and April 15 – October 31 (8 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday). Campground and Park Loop days of operation are listed below.