Acadia National Park preserves 47,000 acres of rocky shores, woodland forest and granite mountain peaks. It is one of the top 10 most-visited national parks, and for good reason. Visitors can hike the trails, bike the carriage roads, enjoy park features such as blow holes and glacier erratics, or enjoy some time at the beach.

How to Get There

The closest airport is Bangor, Maine, about 1.5 hours away. For more choices of flights, consider Portland, ME, about 3 hours away. From there, you can drive all or or part of the coastal scenic drive to Bar Harbor. Boston, MA and Manchester, NH are the other options but they are about 5 hours away.

Where to Stay

There are many choices in Bar Harbor. I try to book a hotel with an outdoor hot tub whenever possible, and Acadia Inn fit the bill. We were the only ones using it both nights we were there. It is not walkable to downtown Bar Harbor, where parking is a challenge. However, a shuttle is available. Breakfast was included and our room was spacious and well-appointed.

When to Visit

Acadia is popular at the height of summer and in the fall for peak fall colors. Visiting mid-August to early September can be the sweet spot if you want to avoid the crowds but still enjoy some good weather. We visited in the third week of September and fall colors were just starting to come in while crowds were quite manageable. The park would still get busy during the day though, so I can’t imagine what it’s like during the most popular times of the year.

Day 1 – Acadia Park Loop Scenic Drive

Assuming your flight lands early-ish in the morning, you can make your way to Bar Harbor by lunch. Grab some food, then embark on Acadia’s most scenic drive – Park Loop Road. Details on what stops to make are in this blog post!

Day 2 – Beehive, Gorham Loop Trail, Ocean Path and Thunderhole

The Beehive, Gorham Mountain and Ocean Path loop is an excellent way to hit some of the park highlights. The Beehive requires climbing on iron rungs and there is plenty of heights exposure, although I did not find it particularly challenging physically. You can skip this part of the trail and continue directly to Gorham Mountain. The loop spits you out on the Ocean Path by Thunderhole, which you can see if it’s the right time of day. It’s best to be there 2 hours before high tide. We got there too early, so we picked up our car at Sand Beach and re-parked at Thunderhole. To see our full day on this trail, check out this blog post!

Day 3 – Bubble Nubble Loop, Jordan Pond Path, lunch at Jordan Pond House

Combining these three things requires a bit of logistics, both parking-wise and timing-wise. To avoid the long lines at Jordan Pond House, aim to arrive at 11 am when they open, unless you’ve made a reservation in advance.You definitely don’t want to miss trying their popovers!

You will start with the Bubbles Nubble loop, leaving South bubble for last. Instead of going back to the parking lot, you’ll have a very steep descent, including some minor scrambling and an iron rung, down to Jordan Pond Path. This will take you to Jordan Pond House. The park shuttle, unfortunately, does not stop at the Bubbles Nubble Loop trailhead. You’ll have to walk back along the park road or backtrack along Jordan Pond Path. It’s about a mile from Jordan Pond House to the Bubbles Nubble Loop parking lot. You can check out this blog post for the route. We parked the car at 7:30 am and got to Jordan Pond right before 11 am. Couldn’t have timed it any better! Your timing will depend on your hiking abilities and your propensity for taking photos, which for me cancel each other out 🙂

If you have more time, consider a bike ride or a horseback ride along Acadia’s carriage roads. Acadia is also one of the best national parks for stargazing.