Looking to take the family to Acadia National Park in Maine

Anyone been or know much about the area and what to do while there?

It's an amazing place! Do the park loop road, drive up to the top of Cadillac Mountain, take a carriage ride to Rockefeller's bridges, eat popovers outside at Jordan Pond House, and lots of great little lobster shacks in the area.

TempleAg97 said:

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It's an amazing place! Do the park loop road, drive up to the top of Cadillac Mountain, take a carriage ride to Rockefeller's bridges, eat popovers outside at Jordan Pond House, and lots of great little lobster shacks in the area.

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We just got back Sunday. We did everything you mentioned and it was amazing. I'll add..hike the trail around Jordan pond. One side has the famous wooden trail. It's an easy hike, and takes about 2 hours. And hit up Beal's Lobster Pier. It's been there 94 years and it was fantastic. Enjoy, it's an awesome place. It was our first time and we can't wait to go back.

Following. We're (husband, 2 teenagers, and me) planning a mid-October trip.

There have already been great suggestions, so I won't repeat.

My favorite places to stay up there are Under Canvas Acadia, Terramor Outdoor Resort if you want something a little more glampy.

If you're going for the NE harbor hotel vibe, Harborside Hotel, West Street hotel and Bar Harbor Inn are all great but they do fill up really quickly. The Asticou Hotel (Higher end) is an awesome location just outside the park.

If you're driving up from Boston Kannebunkport is a great stop to break the trip up.

All great suggestions.

If you are going in or near peak season secure lodging and restaurant reservations now. I went on tail end of fall season and finding a walk up dinner spot was a challenge.

To beat crowds I would get on road as early as possible. Do the loop and maybe a small hike (or sunrise viewing on Cadillac) then late breakfast in town. Grab a to go sandwich/box lunch at Downeast Deli, back to park set up at sand beach for your late lunch and chill. Pick a good spot for sunset and back to town or a lobster pound for dinner.

I did the trek over to Harbor head to see light house, it was under construction and it took time to get there. I don't regret doing, but that time have been better spend in park.

Sunrise at Cadillac may need advance tickets.

The coast road up from south is pretty great classic NE towns every 10 or so miles. If you are driving up from Boston or other airports south of acacia you should consider the route.

If i were to go back I would look into bike rentals and do the carriage roads this way, and would consider a ferry boat north along coast to Nova Scotia.

Not sure what the ages of your kids are, but we were there in July a couple of years before Covid, which is peak tourist season. We rented bikes and rode the carriage roads from Bar Harbor down to the south end of the island (past Jordan Pond) and up to the top of Day Mountain. You can get a shuttle to take you and your bikes from Bar Harbor up to Jordan Pond to avoid the really steep road up to the park from the town if you want.

Despite the large crowds in the park and on the trails around Jordan Pond, we had the Day Mountain Loop trail nearly to ourselves and ate lunch at the top of the mountain in complete solitude. The trail up and the area near the top of the mountain have a gorgeous view of the Cranberry Islands and out into the Gulf of Maine. If you are not in at least somewhat good shape or your kids are small, it is probably not a good choice for a ride, but it is well worth it if you are up to it. There is also a hiking trail that is shorter (but steeper) than the carriage path road to the top of the mountain, but the Day Mountain Loop and the carriage road to the top have better views to the south IMO.

We also did a wildlife/lighthouse viewing cruise out of Bar Harbor that was really cool. Lots of seals, eagles, ospreys, etc. and it is a great way to get good views of some of the historic structures that are not easy to photograph from the shore.

We didn't do it, but I have heard a number of good things about the lobster boat excursions where they take you out and show you how they fish for lobster, let you haul a few traps, etc. I have seen a lot of folks say their kids really enjoyed it. We did a 4-hour fishing charter that was fun, and I think the same company also does a nature and lobstering tour ( Fishing Charter Bar Harbor area Maine | Island Cruises ).

If you are going there during the peak tourism times, make reservations and look for accommodations early. We wanted to rent kayaks or do a guided kayak trip but they were all booked up by the time we tried to book them a couple of weeks before our trip.

As far as seeing the park, there is a good loop road system and a free shuttle bus from downtown Bar Harbor you can hop on and off at the spots you want to see. Parking gets really hard to find at the individual sights/trailheads during peak season and the bus is much easier and more convenient.

When is peak season? If I want to go the last week in June, do I need to get reservations a year out?

The Chicken Ranch said:

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When is peak season? If I want to go the last week in June, do I need to get reservations a year out?

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June/July with it peaking around July 4th. We were there at peak last week and it wasn't bad at all. I was expecting RMNP/Estes Park type crowds and it was far from it. We did book lodging early, and reserve our park times and timed entry for Cadillac Mountain. We didn't have to wait at all for most of the lunch/dinner spots. Although we did have to wait about 45 minutes to get into Beal's Lobster Pier. But the trails around Acadia were not that crowded and we were able to do everything we wanted/planned.

You definitely do not need reservations a year out like Yellowstone.

Thanks!

Interesting, I always thought the fall was peak season for the leaf peepers

Jeanie's or 2 Cats for breakfast - I prefer the former

Side Street Cafe is my favorite place for dinner

The park is a hikers dream....you can link a zillion trails together to fit whatever distance and elevation gain you want. Tons of achievable summits.

Precipice Trail is awesome.....if thats too extreme, the Beehive Trail is its kid brother.

I think you still need a permit to drive up Cadillac Mountain at certain times, so check that. You can also hike it - there is an approach from all four sides (the west approach is the most difficult)

Thunder Hole is cool to see for a few minutes

There are carriage rides in the park

It is one of the few national parks where the trails are dog friendly

Enjoy! We've been 5 or 6 times and love it!

The Chicken Ranch said:

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When is peak season? If I want to go the last week in June, do I need to get reservations a year out?

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I think generally Mid June to the end of August is peak season. May-early June and September-October are shoulder seasons, though October is also fall color season up there.

I would say for lodging you want to be at least 6 months out, but the best VRBOs will book up faster than that. For reservations for things like parking/driving up Cadillac mountain, look at the park website to see when they accept reservations in advance and be as early as you can on that. For fishing/tours, kayak and bike rentals, etc. I would say 3-6 months is probably plenty.

If you're thinking about mid-Oct, you could be in the snow. or cold.
you are more than likely past leaf season. its a long way up there.........

AgRyan04 said:

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Interesting, I always thought the fall was peak season for the leaf peepers

Jeanie's or 2 Cats for breakfast - I prefer the former

Sidesteps Cafe is my favorite place for dinner

The park is a hikers dream....you can link a zillion trails together to fit whatever distance and elevation gain you want. Tons of achievable summits.

Precipice Trail is awesome.....if thats too extreme, the Beehive Trail is its kid brother.

I think you still need a permit to drive up Cadillac Mountain at certain times, so check that. You can also hike it - there is an approach from all four sides (the west approach is the most difficult)

Thunder Hole is cool to see for a few minutes

There are carriage rides in the park

It is one of the few national parks where the trails are dog friendly

Enjoy! We've been 5 or 6 times and love it!

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Precipice is typically closed March to mid-August for Peregrine nesting. Beehive is good, but only for kids that are old enough to handle it and for adults that are not scared of heights. The are some exposed ledges and ladders that are not for those who have a fear of heights. Gorham Mountain is a good choice with great views for those not ready to go up the Beehive trail.

Here are a few pics from the Beehive Trail back in 2014 just to get a flavor for what I meant about being not for those with a fear of heights.

We were there two weeks ago.

Lots of good info in here.

You need an advanced purchase pass to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Best thing we did was e-bike the carriage roads in the park.

Beal's is great as in Bar Harbor Lobster Pound and the Ice Cream boat.

Drive to SW harbor, NE Harbor and Seawall, etc. good place to get away from the crowds.

We did not go to Schoodic but wish we had. Also our boat trip day got cancelled due to fog.

We stayed at Balance Rock Inn. Fantastic hotel right on the water and almost in town but felt like it was isolated.

Bar Harbor itself is restaurants, bars and t shirt shops. My wife was very unimpressed with the shopping. I was ok with it due to the bars!

We also drove back to Boston and did Ogunquit and Kennebunkport. Both are fantastic but crowded.

We're not as worried about chasing leaves. That's just the time we could all go, and my husband picked the location. He does not like to travel, so I jump at any chance to go when he mentions it. I also travel without him though.

We just got back last night. Fantastic trip that both my wife and I loved. We were looking for relaxation, nature, a little hiking and alot of great food. We'd been to Portland and then south towards Ogonquit and Kennebunkport before, but never north and the mid-coast. This was ideal and we'll definitely be back.

We flew into Portland and did a night there for dinner, breweries etc. After a couple trips to the city we're probably good forever and would just hit the road right after landing next time. Maine Beer Co is one of my favorite breweries so happy to visit them again and went to Bissell Bros as well which was great if you like NEPIA

Then did two nights in Bar Harbor and stayed at a great B&B (The Atlantean). Food was great, room was comfortable, and very convenient location. Did several hikes in Acadia. Started with the Ocean Path Trail, which starts out very crowded because its right at the entrance and the views are amazing. But within about a half mile or so most of the crowd is gone since alot of people go just to climb out to some rocks and take pics. Walking the rest of it is well worth it and not hard, but just amazing views. You can then easily connect to the Gorham Mountain trail and take that up. Its a bit more moderate, but gets you up above the Ocean Path trail to the peak at about 600 feet and is really fun. Also it then dumps you right back at the entrance by the parking for the Ocean Path which is convenient.

We also did the Cadillac Mountain which you need a timed entry for. Would recommend getting an earlier one. We did that and then hiked down and back up. The Jordan Pond path is about a 3 mile loop around the lake and its relaxing, easy and peaceful. Highly recommend

Fav Bar Harbor meals: Dinner and Havana

Then two nights just north of Camden at another incredible B&B (Inn at Sunrise Point). Another incredible location, meals and hospitality. There definitely isnt quite as much to do in or around Camden as there is Bar Harbor but thats ok. Couple fun little bars and we did a sunset sail on a nice boat with just 6 of us total so wasnt one of those big crowded ships.

Where would be a place to spend 4/5 days in Maine? Which city. If you desire breweries and just wandering.

Matsui said:

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Where would be a place to spend 4/5 days in Maine? Which city. If you desire breweries and just wandering.

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If you want breweries and just wandering, Portland is probably your place. Bar Harbor has a few, but probably but Portland has a bunch.

txags92 said:

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Matsui said:

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Where would be a place to spend 4/5 days in Maine? Which city. If you desire breweries and just wandering.

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If you want breweries and just wandering, Portland is probably your place. Bar Harbor has a few, but probably but Portland has a bunch.

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Just spend a couple of days in both. They're only about 3 hours apart.

The System said:

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txags92 said:

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Matsui said:

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Where would be a place to spend 4/5 days in Maine? Which city. If you desire breweries and just wandering.

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If you want breweries and just wandering, Portland is probably your place. Bar Harbor has a few, but probably but Portland has a bunch.

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Just spend a couple of days in both. They're only about 3 hours apart.

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And stop in Freeport for a night along the way to hit up Maine Beer Company.

If you need family stuff to do, the flagship LL Bean store is there. It is like 5 different buildings and would probably entertain kids.

Perfect thank you.

The LL BEAN main store building is under renovation - reopening in September. Currently they have a very large tent in the parking lot that a they are using for retail sales plus the other buildings are open

The Travel board is a gold mine today. Bar Harbour, is another place ive considered. I always talk myself out of it though out of fear I'll compare it to the Oregon coastline. We do this trip every year and love it

txags92 said:

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We didn't do it, but I have heard a number of good things about the lobster boat excursions where they take you out and show you how they fish for lobster, let you haul a few traps, etc. I have seen a lot of folks say their kids really enjoyed it.

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We did the lobster boat tour. It wasn't too expensive to rent out the whole boat so we did that for a sunset tour. It was beautiful. And while you pull up traps and learn about lobster, you don't get to keep them. It had something to do with licensing for tour operators vs commercial fisherman. So back they go. Still, I definitely recommend it. It was a highlight of the trip. Here is who we used:

https://www.sailacadia.com/private-boat-charter/


There is also rock climbing on the cliffs along the sea. Acadia Mountain Guides is the outfitter that takes you out.

while we were at Beal's eating lobster, we walked to the back to watch a boat unload their catch and saw a family getting on a boat with a local fisherman to go out on a tour. He even had a cooking set-up to cook a few lobsters once they hauled in the traps. That actually looked like it would have been fun.

txags92 said:

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Matsui said:

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Where would be a place to spend 4/5 days in Maine? Which city. If you desire breweries and just wandering.

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If you want breweries and just wandering, Portland is probably your place. Bar Harbor has a few, but probably but Portland has a bunch.

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As stated in another thread Ogunquit and Kennebunkport are close to Portland and can be combined if you wanted to stay around the area. There is also decent hiking around Portland. Ogunquit has a classic theatre and they have a robust summer series if you into that sort of thing.

Question(s)
How many days would it take to do those things you mentioned in your post? Would 6 nights be too much for a vacation in this region of Maine?

I think at least four full days - two in the park, and two exploring other areas and at least one trip on the water, whether it be whales, sailing, sunset cruise, lobster boat, etc.

You could easily fill up a full week with all the hikes and other sites to see.

If you have the time, a drive to Campobello Island, just across the Canadian border to the east is worth going to. The Roosevelts (FDR) had a summer house there. It's the only national park run by two countries (if I remember correctly) The last town you drive through in the US is Lubec, the easternmost town in the US. Not to be confused with Eastport just north of there that claims to be the easternmost city. On the western outskirts of Lubec is Monica's Chocolates. Fantastic chocolate store.

We stayed on the below VRBO BOAT in Darmascotta Maine. One of our best vacations. Was right downtown with everything within walking distance. Parking was no problem. Was an easy drive to Acadia and most other places.

VRBO BOAT in Maine

steve00 said:

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The System said:

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txags92 said:

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Matsui said:

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Where would be a place to spend 4/5 days in Maine? Which city. If you desire breweries and just wandering.

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If you want breweries and just wandering, Portland is probably your place. Bar Harbor has a few, but probably but Portland has a bunch.

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Just spend a couple of days in both. They're only about 3 hours apart.

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And stop in Freeport for a night along the way to hit up Maine Beer Company.

If you need family stuff to do, the flagship LL Bean store is there. It is like 5 different buildings and would probably entertain kids.

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You don't need to stay for a night in Freeport. Its literally just 20 minutes from downtown Portland

It's getting tight on time but work in a side quest to the Lobster Festival in Rickland on your way to Bar Harbor from Portland.


The Maine Maritime Museum in Bath is surprisingly good. if you like plants the Coastal Botanical Gardens in Boothbay are excellent as well.

If you can stay on the Schoodic and take a ferry to Bar Harbor is a fun way to experience the town but you will spend less time in the park because of the commute back and forth.

Young's Lobster Pound in Belfast is a great experience as well and could be on the way.

The Milkman said:

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steve00 said:

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The System said:

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txags92 said:

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Matsui said:

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Where would be a place to spend 4/5 days in Maine? Which city. If you desire breweries and just wandering.

---

If you want breweries and just wandering, Portland is probably your place. Bar Harbor has a few, but probably but Portland has a bunch.

---

Just spend a couple of days in both. They're only about 3 hours apart.

---

And stop in Freeport for a night along the way to hit up Maine Beer Company.

If you need family stuff to do, the flagship LL Bean store is there. It is like 5 different buildings and would probably entertain kids.

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You don't need to stay for a night in Freeport. Its literally just 20 minutes from downtown Portland

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It depends on how much you enjoy Maine Beer Company.