44°21′0″N 68°13′0″W – Acadia National Park is located in Maine near the small town of Bar Harbor. The park reserves much of Mt Desert Island on the Atlantic Coast. The diverse landscape of mountains meeting the ocean make this park unique. Acadia is the oldest in the US park system east of the Mississippi, formally known as Lafayette National Park. The park is home to over 40 different mammalian species.
During our visit to Acadia we made our first stop at Cadillac Mountain, the park’s highest point. Located off Park Loop Road, Cadillac Mountain Road is nearly 4 miles and ascends to the summit. The winding and scenic road was opened in 1931. At over 1500 feet, Cadillac Mountain is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard. This spot is the first place to view sunrise in the United States from early October through early March. It is one of the many mountains on Mount Desert Island that were a result of volcanic movement. Cadillac Mountain is the most visited tourist attraction in the park, but don’t spend all of your time there. It’s just one of many awesome stops in Acadia.
Our next stop was at Sand Beach. Sand Beach is nestled between mountains and rocky shores on the east side of Mount Desert Island in Acadia National Park. It’s about 3 football fields long. The beach is largely comprised of unique sand of shell fragments created by the pounding surf. The water temperature here is pretty cold so bundle up if you go for a dip. The ocean temperature rarely exceeds 55 degrees in the summer. The Sand Beach access area comes equipped with changing rooms and restrooms near the parking area. The Island Explorer Shuttle Bus stops at Sand Beach about every half hour during normal daytime hours.
We left the beach and headed for a very cool hike at The Beehive. The Beehive in Acadia National Park is pretty noticeable if you have been to Sand Beach. Standing above the terrain in the northeast, it is the most prominent geological feature in near-sight. The trail entrance is between the Entrance Fee Station on the Park Loop Road and Sand Beach. Usually you’ll see quite a few cars parked near the entrance, so you won’t miss it. The Beehive is a popular hiking spot for adventurous hikers. It’s considered a strenuous, steep hike with steady climbs by the standards given within the national park system. So be prepared to be in decent physical shape to attempt it.
After leaving Loop Road, we headed back down into Bar Harbor to see the natural bridge to Bar Island. Bar Island, part of Acadia National Park, is directly north of the West Street town pier in Bar Harbor. At low tide, the island is accessible by foot. If you decide to try crossing the natural bridge, be sure to check the low tide times and allow yourself enough time to get to the island and back otherwise you might be swimming back! Be sure to wear boots or hiking shoes as the terrain can be quite wet.
Next we went back into the park to search for our first GeoCache. If you’re not familiar with GeoCaching, you can visit this link to find out more. It’s an outdoor activity in which participants use a Global Positioning System to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches”, anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container containing a logbook where the geocacher enters the date they found it and signs it with their established code name. Due to park restrictions, we didn’t look for an actual container, but rather we found a virtual cache which is basically a predetermined landmark.
Acadia National Park really shows all its splendor in Autumn – however beware of thick crowds and congestion. If fall foliage isn’t worth the hustle and bustle, late Summer offers your best chance of experiencing nice weather with lesser crowds. Be sure to plan for at least 1-2 days in the park so you can really absorb everything the place has to offer.
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Acadia National Park Photos
