Top 5 Things to Do in Acadia National Park

Have you set a goal to visit every national park in the United States? Or, maybe you will be in Maine and want to visit Acadia National Park located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Either way, there is a good chance that you won't have time to do everything there is to do in this park, so I've come up with a list of the top five things I think you should do if you are only going to be in Acadia for a day or two.

NOTE: There is a $30 fee to enter the park. I have the $80 America the Beautiful annual interagency pass that allows me to visit all the National Parks in the USA for free after I buy the annual pass each year. If you plan to visit a lot of parks, it will save you a lot of money in the long run. The pass is accepted in over 2000 federal recreational and historical locations.

Number 1: Watch the sunrise from the summit of Cadillac Mountain
There are amazing views of the quaint town of Bar Harbor and the islands in the Atlantic Ocean from the summit of Cadillac Mountain, no matter what time of day you visit. The reason most people want to go to Cadillac Mountain at sunrise is that during most of the year, this is the first place the sun rises in the United States each morning. Since seeing the sunrise from the summit of Cadillac Mountain is likely on most people's bucket list, it will be crowded. Plan to arrive at least one hour before the time for the actual sunrise. Bring blankets and some hot coffee and pick your spot to watch this amazing event. Then, take a hike on the Cadillac Mountain North Ridge trail to see more of the amazing views. This trail is about 2 miles long and is rated as moderate.  I only hiked down about 1 mile and then back up to the summit, but that was enough for me to realize this trail is pretty amazing.

Number 2: Take a scenic drive on Loop Road
Some of my favorite ocean views are located on the one-way Loop Road in Acadia National Park. I started my trip at the Hulls Cove Visitors Center. My plan had been to park my car and take the Island Explorer shuttle from the visitor center. (The shuttle is free from June till October) Unfortunately, I was visiting the park in August and by 9:00 am, there was no parking space open for me to park my car. So, I just decided to drive the loop instead. The only challenge with this is that at some of the more popular locations on the loop like Thunder Hole or Sand Beach there may be nowhere to park your car right at that spot and you'll need to park somewhere else and walk. Driving my own car, with stops for photos and sightseeing, I spent about 2 hours on the Loop Road. I loved this drive and highly recommend taking your time to fully enjoy the ride. The only con, if you consider it a con, is that the loop road is one-way and you will need to drive the full distance to get to a place where you can leave the park.

Number 3: Hike or bike the carriage roads
There are 45 miles of carriage roads in Acadia National Park!  Despite being called roads, these roads are closed to all motorized vehicles. In my opinion, these roads are more like really well maintained trails. Bikes will need to yield to hikers and everyone has to yield to the horses, Yup, you heard me correctly, you can ride horses on these trails. I didn't see any horses on this trip, but I met quite a few folks who rented their bikes at a bike shop in Bar Harbor. If you prefer to bike rather than hike and you don't own a bike, this might be a good option. I really like hiking, so I picked a shorter section and just headed out into the woods. It was so relaxing and quiet, even with all the tourists in the park. I found that most people stick pretty close to the main roads and don't venture off into the woods. So, take some time to find the ways less traveled and enjoy all the park has to offer.

Number 4: Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse Photo Op

I love lighthouses and Bass Harbor Lighthouse is an iconic Atlantic Ocean coastal one. Most people like to get their photos from the rocky shoreline but at high tide on a windy day, I found it was too dangerous to go out onto the slippery rocks to try and get the iconic photo that you will see online.  I imagine that it might be possible to take a photo at the actual lighthouse from the rocky shoreline if the tide was lower and the weather wasn't so windy. Despite my photo challenges, I loved seeing the lighthouse and listening to the sound of the waves hitting the rocky shoreline.  I was excited when I found this historic poster in one of the shops in the park. I took a picture of that instead of killing myself on the slippery rocks.

Maine has an annual "Maine Open Lighthouse Day" when you can actually go up into the lighthouse. Otherwise, the lighthouse is the private residence of a member of the United States Coast Guard and his family. Unfortunately, I was visiting in August and the open house in 2019 was scheduled in September, so I just got to see it from the outside.


Number 5:  Visit the Town of Bar Harbor
At the end of your visit to Acadia National Park, why not take a quick trip down to Bar Harbor?  Did you know that Bar Harbor was named after a sandbar? At low tide, you can hike across this sand bar to Bar Island which is a part of Acadia National Park.  I suggest you start two hours before low tide and plan to return no more than two hours after low tide. While hiking on the sandbar, you may find seashells and other ocean treasures in the tide pools.  Knowing that your path will be underwater in a few hours adds an element of excitement to your hike.  After your hike, why not stop and get a sweet treat of ice cream and enjoy all the touristy qualities of this lovely historic seaside town?

Suggestion: If you plan to visit Bar Harbor in the summer, I highly recommend taking the free "Island Explorer" shuttle bus to the Village Green and then hiking down to the sandbar. Parking my own car in Bar Harbor during the day was impossible! I parked my car at one of the stops on the Loop Road and jumped on the shuttle, then took the shuttle back after my visit to the town. That way I got to enjoy the views on the Loop Road one more time.

Honorable Mention: Whale Watching Tours
I didn't do any whale watching tours this year when I visited Bar Harbor, but I did go whale watching 30 years ago on a trip with my friend Inez.  We spent a long day on a charter boat and never saw a single whale. While it was nice to be out on the water, it was so disappointing not to see any whales. Due to this, whale watching didn't make my top 5 list.

So, that's my list of things I think you can do if you only have one or two days to visit the park.  If I forgot to list one of your favorite things, please add your ideas to the comment box at the end of this blog post. I always love to learn from my fellow travelers.