Acadia National Park covers tens of thousands acres of land, and each year receives millions of visitors. As one of the most visited national parks in the United States, and being on the East Coast, I knew I wanted to make a trip out there. The most popular months to visit Acadia are July through September. A great time to visit is in the fall during peak foliage. I visited at the end of October, while the foliage was vibrant, and it truly made the views even more scenic. Acadia National Park is located mainly on Mt. Desert Island in Maine, as well as Bar Harbor. To learn more about how to spend a few days exploring and enjoying the incredible Acadia National Park, keep on reading!
Accommodations in Bar Harbor
The quaint town of Bar Harbor offers many hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts, restaurants, shops etc… just minutes away from Acadia National Park. Check out my full blog post on Bar Harbor and where to eat here. Since my boyfriend and I booked our trip last minute, we had less options to choose from. I recommend planning your trip to Acadia at least a month or more in advance if visiting in the busy season. Even though places tend to book up in Acadia, we were able to book a room at the Edenbrook Motel about two weeks before our trip. I found the price to be more reasonable compared to the places in downtown Bar Harbor. It may not be fancily decorated, but it was decently spacious, clean, and close to downtown Bar Harbor and Acadia.
Hiking & Sightseeing in Acadia National Park (Easy to Moderate Options)
Acadia offers 58 different hiking trails at various difficulty levels. There are trails and sights for basically everyone to enjoy here, and we leaned more towards Acadia’s easy/moderate trails during our trip. Acadia offers numerous hiking trails, and there are many view points that visitors can access via car. We checked out and explored some very cool and beautiful spots throughout Acadia. Make sure you purchase a pass to enter the park. It is $30 for a private vehicle and the pass lasts for one week. We purchased it online, printed it, and kept it displayed on our dashboard.
Driving on Park Loop Road
Park Loop Road is a 27 mile scenic road that takes you through the heart of Acadia National Park. This road allows access to Acadia’s major points such as Sand Beach, Schooner Head Overlook, Otter Point, Cadillac Mountain, The Wild Gardens of Acadia, Thunder Hole, Jordan Pond, Bubbles Divide and more! You will do plenty of scenic driving along Park Loop Rd throughout your trip to Acadia.
Day 1
The Bubbles & Bubble Rock
The Bubbles hiking trails are deemed moderate and offer beautiful views of Jordan Pond, Eagle Lake, Bubble Rock and the forest. We parked at the Bubbles Divide trailhead parking lot off Park Loop Road which is small, and you may have to come early to get a spot depending on how crowded the park is when you visit. After parking, we began our trek up the Bubbles Divide trailhead. This trail has rocky stairways and formations throughout making it a moderate hike. We hiked about 0.3 mile and arrived at a fork in the path. Here you can chose which Bubble summit you want to hike up to. We began hiking to the North Bubble Summit, which is 0.2 mile from the Bubbles Divide trailhead fork. At an elevation of only 872 feet it doesn’t take long to get to the top, and the view is very rewarding!
From the North Bubble Summit, we backtracked to the bubbles divide trailhead, and went the other direction towards the South Bubble Summit/Bubble Rock. This is a 0.3 mile hike from the fork and again, does not take long. At the South Bubble Summit, there is a pathway which takes 2-3 minutes to get to Bubble Rock. Bubble Rock is a glacial erratic which lays on the edge of the cliff. The rock is stable and set on the cliff, and from certain angles appears like it could roll right off. At the South Bubble Summit, you can take in a breathtaking view of Jordan Pond.
Hiking to both Bubbles from the Bubbles Divide trailhead parking lot comes out to roughly 1.6 miles total.
Parking lot to North Bubble (0.5 mile), backtrack to the Bubbles Divide Fork (0.2 mile), hike up to the South Bubble Summit and Bubble Rock (0.3 mile), and backtrack to the parking lot (0.6 mile) = 1.6 miles. I recommend giving yourself 1.5-2 hours for The Bubbles including some time to take photos and enjoy the view.
Jordan Pond
From The Bubbles Divide parking lot, you can take a brief drive on Park Loop Rd to the Jordan Pond parking lot. From the parking lot you can walk down a pathway to Jordan Pond, which gives access to the Jordan Pond Path; a 3.1 mile loop around the pond. The base of Jordan Pond offers a beautiful view of The Bubbles behind the water. The Jordan Pond House Restaurant is a short walk from here as well. We didn’t eat at that restaurant, but the view from there is stunning and people rave about their popovers.
Day 1 Thoughts
Overall, we did not do too much hiking on day one of our trip as we spent the morning and evening exploring downtown Bar Harbor. If you get an earlier start to the day, you can easily add in another hike to your itinerary. Check out Acadia on All Trails to pinpoint which hikes sound best to you.
Day 2
Wild Gardens of Acadia
The Wild Gardens of Acadia are located at the Sieur de Monts Spring and Nature Center. This is a quick stop to make a long the way down Park Loop Rd from downtown Bar Harbor. The Wild Gardens display hundreds of native plant species and allows visitors to wander along the pathway overlooking the vegetation. From the garden, you can walk over to the Sieur de Monts Spring. Here you can also access some trailheads such as one leading to Dorr Mountain. This can be a relatively quick stop in Acadia if you are just checking out the spring and garden.
Schooner Head Overlook
Drive south on Park Loop Rd from The Wild Gardens of Acadia to arrive at the Schooner Head Overlook. The overlook is just outside of Acadia National Park and prior to the Sand Beach Entrance Station. You can park at the Schooner Head Overlook and walk down a short pathway which delivers stunning views of the water. We took some photos on the rocks along the water and enjoyed the view.
Sand Beach
This is the first point we visited at Acadia National park that required us to show our paid park pass. Entry to the Sand Beach parking lot requires a paid park pass. Attendants working at the Sand Beach Entrance Station will check your prepaid park pass or allow you to purchase one in-person. We paid $30 for a private vehicle pass that lasts for one week. At the Sand Beach parking lot are public restrooms. You can park and check out the famous Sand Beach which is surrounded by mountainous views. Sand Beach also allows access to the Ocean Path; a family-friendly coastal pathway that stretches approximately two miles to Otter Point.
Hike The Bowl Trail
From the Sand Beach parking lot, you can cross the street to begin The Bowl Trail. Here is where you can also access the Beehive Trail. The Bowl Trail is a moderate hike that leads to The Bowl, a large body of water surrounded by the forest and mountains. While this hike has many stairs, I do not find it very challenging. The view of the bowl is very cool and unique. When we visited, the weather was cloudy and the view of The Bowl was very ominous. There is a pathway that goes around The Bowl, and you can take this to get to the Beehive Trail if you wish to take on a more daring hike.
Thunder Hole
If you continue driving south on Park Loop Rd from the Sand Beach parking lot, you will come across Thunder Hole. This is a quick stop to make in Acadia, and offers a nice view of the water along the rocky shores. Thunder Hole will be more intense with a rougher surf. The surf was very calm that day we visited and Thunder Hole didn’t look as treacherous. Overall, we enjoyed Thunder Hole and it is definitely worth the stop!
Popular Spots/Trails in Acadia We Did Not Visit During Our Trip
- Beehive Trail (difficult hike)
- Precipice Trail (difficult hike)
- Cadillac Mountain (hike by foot or by car – highest summit in Acadia)
- Otter Cliff (sightseeing)
Watch my Acadia National Park Vlog on YouTube here!
[…] Harbor is a quaint coastal town in Maine, home to some of Acadia National Park. I visited for the first time at the end of October and really enjoyed what this area has to offer. […]