A lot of people asked us why we decided to head north at the start of our trip rather than west toward the big name parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion.
There are a lot of reasons, really: weather, peak season crowds, August obligations in Tennessee (more on that later). But one of the biggest reasons was to visit The First Eastern National Park.
Acadia.
Located in Bar Harbor, ME, Acadia National Park was established to preserve the beauty of Mount Desert Island and protect its land for public use. Starting with the establishment of the Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916, advocates for the land eventually acquired enough property to bring national park status in 1919. Initially founded as Lafayette National Park, the name was changed to Acadia National Park in 1929 to recognize the former French colony of Acadia which once included Maine. Learn more about Acadia’s history.
One of the best features of Acadia is that it brings a little bit of everything: mountains, lakes, forest, and of course, the ocean. It can be a hefty drive for a lot of New Englanders, but its stunning views, tranquility and rich history are well worth the trip.
When we visited: Late June
Where we stayed/camped: Blackwoods Campground. This one of several car-accessible campgrounds in the park. There are more remote options as well as many other private campgrounds outside the park. We made reservations a few weeks in advance because of our peak-season timing, and the campground was packed. The sites are large and set nicely in the woods, but they know how to pack ’em in. Be nice to your neighbors.
What everyone does: One of the park’s highlights, Cadillac Mountain, is the tallest mountain on the States’ Atlantic coast, and one of the first places in the country to see the sunrise. We had hiked the mountain on a previous trip, but never made it up for a sunrise. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it this time, either – we didn’t have great weather and valued sleep. Ah, well. As Jay says, “always have to save something for next time.”
There’s also the famous tea and popovers at Jordan Pond House and views of the bone-rattling Thunder Hole.
What we also did: Thanks to John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Acadia includes more than 40 miles of carriage roads. We spent a day biking the carriage roads and scenic drive route, catching stunning views around narrow, winding corners. Many of the carriage roads are not suitable for road bikes with thin tires, so plan to rent or bring a hybrid or mountain bike. Otherwise, you’ll need to stick to the paved roads, which means sharing space with tourists hoping to catch those same views from their car.
We also enjoyed touring the park’s Wild Gardens.
Nearby cities: Bar Harbor is the biggest nearby city and offers plenty to do: Shopping, dining, people watching. It is geared toward the coastal New England tourist, so don’t expect a bargain or empty restaurants. Nevertheless, it’s worth at least a day trip – maybe for a cup of coffee or some window shopping.
There is plenty more about Acadia that we didn’t mention here, so forgive us if we left out your favorite part of the park (you can always just tell us in the comments section below). For those of you who haven’t ventured past Ogunquit or Portland, we encourage you to take a long weekend and explore this beautiful park. We know we’ll be back again soon.
Learn more about Acadia National Park and what you can do when you visit.
WTF [Why the Flamingoes?] 