Tips & Tricks: Acadia National Park

America the Beautiful National Park Pass:

On average Nationals Parks cost approximately 30-35 dollars for one vehicle to enter, or approximately 15-20 dollars for a single individual walking up to enter - I highly recommend getting this National Park pass if you plan on visiting multiple parks in a year. What most people don't realize is this card is good for two people if you are walking up to a park, or a whole car if you are driving in. It really does pay for itself for only 80 dollars a year.

How To Get There:

There are four airports located near Acadia National Park. Boston Logan Airport (4.5 hour drive), Portland Jetport Airport (3 hour drive), Bangor International Airport (40 minute drive), and Bar Harbor-Hancock County Regional Airport (30 minute drive). The best airport to fly in depends on what airport you are flying out at, but be sure to do research for all these airports to see the best prices.

When To Visit:

The best time to visit the park is June through October. The summer season (June-August) is the most popular time of the year to visit, therefore hotel prices are also going to be a bit higher than normal. Autumn (September-October) is considered the off season so there is less of a crowd and cheaper places to stay during these months. During Autumn you also have the potential to see fall foliage as it lights up with yellow, orange, and red colors across the park. Personally I think the best time to visit is September, crowds are lower, hotel prices are cheaper, and the park is still full of green.

Acadia National Park:

After visiting Acadia National park, it was clear why this park is in the top 10 most visited national parks in the US year after year. One key thing I will say about this park, is that there isn't exactly a main parking lot. While near most trails and major sites in the park there is a small amount of spaces it definitely is not enough to accommodate the large amount of visitors coming in each day. I would highly recommend if possible taking a hotel shuttle or Ubering into the park, especially if you will be arriving a little later in the day. Generally from June to October the Island Explorer Bus is operating - this is a free service that has stops throughout the park and even at multiple designations outside the park. This park is filled with many trails some of which are the best I have ever been on like Beehive & Precipice Trail. My favorite thing about this park is not just the park itself but its location being so close to Bar Harbor.

Beehive Trail

Note: This trail involved climbing, and walking with exposed cliff - may be difficult for someone afraid of heights. Do not hike in the rain or slippery conditions.

This trail is considered to be an easier version of Precipice Trail so if you are hesitant on the climbing, heights, or intensity of the hike I recommend trying this trail first. The trail stated right across from the parking lot for Sand Beach. This trail is approximately 2 miles long and takes about 2-4 hours to complete. Like most hiking trails arriving early is key especially for trails like this one, because after the first few minuets of this trail you will no longer be able to go around the parties in-front of you.

This trail starts off with a rocky path of small and unsteady rocks that frequently shift when stepped upon. Therefore I would recommend a pair of hiking boots if you have some. This leads into a stairway up into the mountain where the trail starts to get intense. This is where you will start to see iron rungs you will use to climb and walk on, rocks you have to maneuver to climb up, and exposed cliff side you must walk along. While it is scary you are so captivated by the view of the harbor that you almost forget you are standing on the edge of a cliff. This trail is also in direct sunlight with not much coverage the higher up you get, so do not forget your water. At the top you will experience some of the most amazing views along with large flat sections of rocks so sit down and enjoy the view. Once you are ready to head back down you exit via the Bowl Trail which involves little to no climbing - essentially the trail is just a downward incline with some stairs. We even passed someone on our way down coming up this trail with their dog, so if you want to get to the top but can not handle the exposed cliff use the Bowl Trail it gets you to the same spot without the intensity of the climb.

Precipice Trail

Note: This trail involved climbing, and walking with exposed cliff - may be difficult for someone afraid of heights. Do not hike in the rain or slippery conditions.

If you struggled with the Beehive trail or found it to intense this one is a step up, and I would not recommend this trail. On the other hand if you loved the Beehive trail you will love this trail as well. It is so thrilling it makes you feel like a kid again with all the climbing. This 2.5 mile trail takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete, and is very similar to the beehive trail where I would recommend arriving early or else you will be stuck following behind other groups waiting for them to ascend the mountain.

Definitely one of the best trails I've ever climbed - Highly recommended

Ocean Path Trail

While this trail is not as thrilling as the others its beauty is still untouchable. This is an easy path not much elevation change easy for any person of any age. This was an amazing trail. I was honestly shocked that there was not a lot of foot path traffic on this trail. This definitely a great hike to end the day on after all the intense climbing from the trails before.

This is also the perfect spot for amazing photos if you are looking to capture the memory forever. Lots of exposed background cliff sides with water crashing created an amazing background effect.

Jordan Lake Pond Trail

This Trail was very nice and tranquil, however if you are at a crunch for time this is an optional one. This path is a look around while the trail on the left side of the lake is a normal pathway, the right side is a series of winding boardwalks. While it was quite a beautiful trail the constant moving on and off the boardwalk and having to look down to ensure you are walking on the pathway to not fall off takes away from all the beauty. This trail felt like more work then the ones that involved intense climbing. This trail also leads the trailhead for Bubble Lake Trails - it is located about 3/4 of the way down the left side of the lake.

Cadillac Mountain

This is not an open location to the park:

RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED

This can be done online on the National Park website. This location if famous for its sunrise since it is the first place to see it in the continental US. Those reservation sell out even earlier so be sure to plan in advance. There is plenty of flat rock bed to sit on and enjoy the view and you can even see the town of Bar Harbour siting of to the side.