Our visit to coastal Maine in July was glorious! From the buttercream houses and lobster shacks to stunning gardens and busy marinas, Maine really puts out the welcome mat. The best Acadia National Park itinerary includes lots of lobster and time in nature…even if you’re only staying for two or three days.
Your Acadia National Park Itinerary
Acadia National Park is quite a bit smaller than, say, Yellowstone.
So it’s easy to see the best of the park in a short visit. If you’re an avid hiker, though, you may want to add on additional days, as there are many epic hikes!
There is also great antiquing to be had in these parts.
Day 1: See the Highlights of Acadia National Park
Plan a half day to see the main sights of Acadia National Park or a full day if you’d like to enjoy a beach picnic or include a long hike.
You’ll basically be driving much of the 27-mile Park Loop Road, either from Bar Harbor or from Southwest Harbor—known as “the Quiet Side”—on the other side of the park.
It’s easy to get into the park from either side.
1. See Cadillac Mountain and Drive Park Loop Road
Cadillac Mountain is a popular place to take in the sunrise in Acadia National Park.
However, you’ll likely need to get up very early, and there’s also a good chance it might be fogged in. (You’ll still need a reservation! See my top tips below for details.)
We arrived here around 10 am and still thoroughly enjoyed our visit. At 1,530 feet (466 m), Cadillack Mountain is the highest peak on the Eastern Seaboard.
On a clear day, you can see the outer islands, Schoodic Peninsula, Maine’s gorgeous coastline, and so much more.
You can either walk the easy—but very windy— half-mile paved Cadillac Summit Loop Trail or try one of the more challenging trails.
The Cadillac North Ridge Trail, for example, is a moderate 4.2-mile out-and-back hike with an elevation gain of 1,148 feet.
Or, there’s the South Ridge Trail, a moderate 7-mile trail with 1,581 ft of elevation gain that’s known for its spectacular views.
As for us, we opted for the half-mile loop trail here!
My top tips for visiting Acadia National Park
• Reserve your time slot pre-trip to visit Cadillac Mountain if you’re visiting between May and October as you must have a reservation to drive Cadillac Summit Road. There are great aerial views from here, so don’t miss it!
• Plan a half day to walk or cycle the historic carriage trails inside the park. It’s a great way to see the park since no cars are allowed. It’s easy to rent e-bikes!
• Stop at the lobster shacks for great lobster and seafood. Don’t miss the blueberry pie!
• Don’t stay in Bar Harbor if you prefer to avoid crowds. (More advice on where to stay below.) Do stay here if you want walking access to lots of restaurants.
• Take the free shuttle into the park to avoid parking hassles.
2. Picnic at Sand Beach
Sand Beach, inside the park, is aptly named!
In fact, as a San Diegan, I thought this was a pretty impressive beach.
It even reminded me of some of the gorgeous beaches we saw back in February near Hana, on the south end of Maui, in fact…with much colder water, of course.
It makes for the perfect picnic (and restroom) stop. We picked up healthy sandwiches at Thrive in Bar Harbor for our picnic lunch here, which were delish.
There are even filtered water stations here to refill your water bottle. The challenge, however, is to score parking.
You’ll probably notice the long line of cars parked on the side of the road as you approach Sand Beach.
That’s because the parking lot is quite small and it’s a popular stop!
This is honestly the case at all the popular stops in the park. It’s funny because the park feels quite empty until you near a sight on your list.
My rec? Pull into the parking lot and plan to wait 10 minutes until a spot opens up. This worked well everywhere for us. Otherwise, take the free shuttle in!
Looking for fewer crowds and easier parking? Continue up the Loop road to Fabri Picnic Area or Otter Cove.
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3. See (or skip) Thunder Hole
Not far from Sand Beach is Thunder Hole.
Thunder Hole is so named because this carved inlet (allegedly) creates a loud thunderous reverberation when a storm or turning tide crashes in here.
The National Park Service suggests arriving an hour or two before high tide for the best chance of hearing it. And apparently, wave sprays can reach over 40 feet.
We arrived one hour before high tide and saw zero waves. There were *masses* of people everywhere, though (which I cropped out of the photo below). So I’d be inclined to skip it if I found myself nearby again.
4. Tea and a hike at Jordan Pond
This is, by far, the most popular stop in the park, and I do recommend it…but prepare yourself for a parking nightmare.
Jordan Pond House is a lovely little restaurant inside Acadia National Park.
And it’s famous for its popovers—airy, slightly sweet rolls—served with tea, either inside the restaurant or on the restaurant’s lovely lawn by the pond.
If you want to eat a meal here, I highly recommend you reserve well ahead and arrive 30 minutes early to wait out the crowded parking lot. (The auxiliary lots are also packed.)
The free shuttle I mentioned earlier also stops right at Jordan Pond!
If you’d rather just visit for tea, you can skip the reservation and walk over to the outdoor popover prosecco bar and get instant service. (Arrive mid-afternoon after the lunch rush if possible.)
Be aware, though, that you’re weirdly not allowed to eat on the lawn unless you have a restaurant reservation, although there is other outside seating.
Since I’m always up for a tea and sweet treat, we hit the popover bar.
I will say that I found the popovers a little underwhelming, but the restaurant website shows them filled with lobster or ice cream, either of which sounds like they’re worth trying. (Not available at the popover bar, however.)
However, the blueberry iced tea was so memorable that I ordered some once we got home!
Fun fact: Jordan Pond is as big as a lake!
I thought ponds were small and lakes were big, but someone explained to me that lakes are fed by an external source of water, like a river or a spring, while ponds are only fed by rain.
A walk around Jordon Pond Path is an easy and scenic way to walk off your lunch or pastry. The loop around the whole pond is 3.3 miles and flat.
It’s very family-friendly with small children or older adults. We loved it.
As noted earlier, there are lots of great dinner options in Bar Harbor. You’ll find bakeries, coffee spots, groceries, gas, shopping…and lots and lots of tourists.
We dipped into Bar Harbor a few times for coffee and groceries, but stayed 10 minutes north, which we loved!
Where to Stay in Acadia National Park
There are two “lobes” that encompass Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island. And the good news is that it’s easy to get into the park from either side.
Stay near Bar Harbor for easy access to restaurants and the carriage trails in the park, but expect crowds. We stayed 3 nights in a historic cottage 10 minutes north of Bar Harbor for the best of both worlds.
It was a bit like glamping—and small—but came with 24/7 access to fresh homemade blueberry pies and ice cream stored in an outdoor fridge! (Venmo or cash.)
Stay near Southwest Harbor if you like the idea of being on the “quiet side” with fewer tourists and restaurants (but still plenty of great food options). This is a less popular option as there’s not too much to do here but it has a “locals live here” feel.
We stayed at the scenic Harbor Cottage Inn B&B for two nights, which offered delicious breakfasts and comfortable rooms.
We didn’t feel the same generous Maine hospitality that we did at our other B&B stay in Camden though.
(If you’re stopping in Camden on the way to Acadia, I highly recommend Camden Windward House.
Perhaps our favorite B&B stay ever. Kindest inkeepers ever and glorious gardens, too!)
Day 2: Ride the Carriage Trails & a Sunset Schooner Sail
Forty-five miles of rustic, historic carriage roads weave through the center of Acadia National Park. They were gifted by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, who was himself a horseman.
For modern-day park lovers, these carriage roads are a fantastic boon as they are only accessible via walking or bicycles. It’s a wonderful way to see the park!
There are several places to rent e-bikes in Bar Harbor (highly recommended as these are by no means flat trails). We rented from Maine State Sea Kayak. A half-day rental was around $69 per e-bike.
Cycling Acadia was really a highlight of our trip.
If you like the idea of enjoying Acadia’s carriage roads while learning about the park’s environment and sights, consider a guided e-bike tour.
You can get complete details on price and availability on the e-bike tours here.
In the evening, head out to Frenchman Bay on a historic Windjammer!
What’s a windjammer, you ask? It’s a multi-masted sailboat once used in the 19th and 20th centuries to haul commercial cargo.
Today, these majestic sailboats are used recreationally.
We went out of Southwest Harbor for a sunset cruise with Ambergris Voyages and enjoyed a lovely few hours floating through the bay and past the Cranberry Islands (even if the wind wasn’t cooperating the way we’d hoped).
This was a bare bones cruise, though with no music or drinks.
If you’re staying on the other side of the island, nearer Bar Harbor, consider a cruise on the Schooner Margaret Todd, which includes live music and drinks for sale.
You can check price and availability on the Bar Harbor winjammer cruise here.
Day 3: Extra Hike or Day Trip to Little Cranberry Island
There are dozens of beautiful hikes in Acadia National Park for all levels.
From the popular and flat Wonderland Trail that serves up tidepools at low tide and the more moderate Bubbles Trails with scenic views of Jordan Pond to Acadia’s perhaps most famous trail, The Beehive Trail, which involves plenty of scrambling, aided by metal rod “ladders.”
For a more relaxed day, consider taking the Cranberry Cove Ferry to Great Cranberry or Little Cranberry Island as we did.
This little ferry makes four stops on its route and is a family-friendly way to enjoy a little time on the bay at half the cost of the schooner sails.
We spent a few hours on Little Cranberry Island, which is home to just 65 people year-round…200 in summer when cottages open up.
There’s honestly not a lot to do on the island, but it was fun to be off the beaten track and check out island life.
We spent 20 minutes in the Islesford historical museum, peeked into a few dockside art galleries, and lunched at a lobster shack.
We also hiked across the island in about half an hour; no car or bicycle required. There was a gorgeous long stretch of beach to explore there.
With lobster traps stacked everywhere and family names on homes that match those of their ancestors in the museum, this is a tight-knit fisherman community…one that gathers during long winters for arts, crafts, and communal meals.
There is also a restaurant in Islesford dockside as well but it appeared to only open for dinner.
Your Acadia Itinerary is a Wrap
Our coastal Maine trip definitely lived up to my expectations!
I did not hear a single car horn honk during the whole trip once we left Boston.
As one local told us, “It’s just not done in rural Maine. If someone honks, it had better be an emergency!”
Summer in Acadia is a glorious time to visit. And the warm welcome from locals made it even better.
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