12 Gorgeous Views You’ll Only See in Maine’s Acadia National Park
THE OLDEST NATIONAL PARK in the Eastern US covers the majority of Maine’s
Here’s a quick hit list of some of the most extraordinary places — and their accompanying views — in and around the main section of the park on MDI.
1. Cadillac Mountain
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The summit of Cadillac is easily accessible by car, but if you truly want to earn that sunrise experience, you should
2. Carriage Roads
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The Rockefeller family has a prominent and welcomed presence on MDI, and one of their biggest contributions to the community has been the
This 57-mile trail system took 27 years to build, all by hand. Rockefeller employed community members, sourced every stone locally, and designed the system to blend with the natural landscape. He made sure to have enough vistas cleared so that all the best lookouts points in Acadia would only remain accessible by foot, bicycle, or horse.
Rockefeller had to design with Maine’s rugged and wet conditions in mind, so throughout the system you’ll come across massive stone bridges that pass over streams or even have another trail passing underneath them. It’s incredible to walk beneath these bridges, look up, and imagine each stone being laid by hand more than a hundred years ago. The Carriage Roads are maintained by the park, and the Rockefeller family continues to improve them — today they cover 15,000 acres, and David Rockefeller recently donated an additional 1,000 acres to the project in celebration of his 100th birthday.
3. Seal Harbor
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One of the best places to take advantage of in Seal Harbor is the public beach off Route 3. In contrast to Acadia’s signature beach (Sand Beach, a large, open stretch of sand that’s good for swimming in the crashing waves), the beach in Seal Harbor is remarkably less crowded. There’s a parking lot right across the street, as well as public restrooms. Another recommended place to check out near Seal Harbor is Little Long Pond, which has an off-leash dog area and a mellow trail beneath hills covered in wild blueberries come August.
4. Thunder Hole
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If you’re hitting Sand Beach, make sure to include a stop at
Those visuals aside, the truly amazing thing about Thunder Hole is the sound. The thunder-like booms are created by water colliding against the air, forcing it out of the inlet. If nothing else, Thunder Hole should prove to you just how powerful Mother Nature can be. She’s also unpredictable, which is why it’s imperative that you keep your distance. The spray may seem harmless, but multiple people have lost their lives because they got too close.
5. The Beehive
All that said, if what you’re after is a quick, challenging hike, Beehive is it. There’s a pond near the top that you can swim in, and if you go during August, most of the trails pass wild blueberries you can eat along the way. Expect to begin on a heavily wooded trail that quickly climbs straight up a cliff. Just go slow on the ladders, don’t let the height mess with you, and you’ll be fine.
6. Jordan Pond
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You can’t swim here, but you can canoe, kayak, or walk around the pond. A path encircles its 3.6-mile shoreline, and other trails lead off from it. The shore path is pretty narrow, so it can get congested during the high season. Try not to go around lunchtime, when many people are out walking after a meal at the Jordan Pond House. The best time to circumnavigate the pond is in the late afternoon or early evening in the fall.
7. The Bubbles
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North and South Bubble Mountains stand at 872 feet and 766 feet, respectively. You don’t necessarily need to hike them to appreciate their beauty; there are good views of the twin humps from the Jordan Pond House as well as the aforementioned trail that loops around Jordan Pond. If you’re looking to hike in Acadia, though, the Bubbles are a great place to start.
Most people opt to climb the South — it’s a pretty easy hike, and Bubble Rock sits at the top (more on that below). North Bubble is a little less crowded. Its loop trail begins at Eagle Lake and brings you to the summit, then continues over to Conners Nubble, where you can look out over Eagle Lake before descending. You’ll have a much better chance of staying out of the crowds if you go the North Bubble route, and because the peak is just a little bit higher, the view tends to be a touch better.
8. Bubble Rock
When you see it, the obvious response is to try and push it off, but people have been doing that for hundreds of years — long before Acadia National Park even existed — and it still hasn’t budged.
9. Bubble Pond
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10. Compass Harbor Trail
The best time to walk the Compass Harbor Trail is actually at night. It’s a short distance to the ocean and you’ll spend most of it in the woods, so bring a headlamp. Walking here is a little eerie because a colony of owls often perches in the trees above, and they’ll let you know they’re watching you. When you make it out of the forest, the sky opens up and it’s one of the quietest and most serene places on the island to take in the stars while the waves crash on the rocks below.
If you go during the day (which is recommended for scouting purposes if you plan to do a night walk later), you’ll be able to see the old foundations of George B. Dorr’s estate; Dorr is considered the “Father of Acadia National Park.” Compass Harbor is also a safe place to get in the ocean, away from the crowds — which is extraordinary, considering it’s practically walking distance from downtown
11. Echo Lake
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Many people head to the public beach on
Echo is a great place to bring a float and just lounge, as it’s often very calm and the water is always clear. If you want to get out and paddle, there are plenty of local outfitters who’ll rent you a kayak.
12. Precipice Trail
Precipice is located on the east face of Champlain Mountain and is held to be the most challenging trail in the park. It’s basically a 1,000-foot vertical climb to the summit; if you’ve conquered the Beehive, this is going to be a significant step up at almost twice its elevation.
The east face of the mountain is home to a large population of endangered peregrine falcons, and sometimes the park service will shut down the trail from late spring to mid-August to protect the birds. If you see that it’s open during your visit, go for it — you may not get another chance for a while.
