Exploring Acadia National Park: A 3-Day Itinerary in Maine

For those who have read my blog Kennebunk & Kennebunkport we are continuing our New England adventure as we head North to Acadia National Park. For those who have not read my Kennebunk blog, head on over there after to hear all about our first leg of the trip! Although this blog will focus mostly on our last four days in Maine of exploring Acadia National Park here is a short breakdown of our full 7 day itinerary spent in the New England state:

Day 1: Travel Day, arriving in the late afternoon, drove to Kennebunkport and settled into accommodations

Day 2: Explored the town of Kennebunkport

Day 3: Beach Day at Gooch’s Beach

Day 4: Drove to Acadia from Kennebunkport, hiked the Beehive Loop in Acadia

Day 5: Hiked Ocean Path, drove up to Cadillac Mountain, and shopped in Bar Harbor

Day 6: Hiked Acadia Mountain and drove back to Portland

Day 7: Return flight out of Portland International Jetport

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Specs of Acadia National Park

Acadia is close to 50,000 acres of national preserve settled along the Atlantic coastline. It is made up of several islands including Mount Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula, and Isle au Haut. However, Mount Desert Island is the most popular for hiking and sightseeing. Acadia has 60 miles of coastline and more than 150 miles of hiking trails.

You should note that there is an entrance fee to Acadia National Park. You can purchase a Standard Pass ranging from $20-$35, an Annual Pass for $70 or the America Beautiful Pass (annual pass for all national parks around the US) for $80.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

 

Getting to Acadia

Maine has a few airports to fly into, including Portland International JetPort, Bangor International Airport, and Presque Isle International Airport. Where you are coming from will most likely dictate which airport is most convenient for you. The closest major airport to Acadia is Bangor Airport (BGR). However, our first stop on the trip was in Kennebunkport and the closest airport to there is Portland International JetPort. When traveling to Portland, we did learn that the airports in Maine are quite small and have limited flights coming in and out. Another option to consider is Boston Logan International Airport, which is about a two-hour drive away from Portland and 5 hours from Acadia. However, Boston Logan may offer more options for flights coming from your area and/or may offer flights at more affordable prices. When searching for flights, I like to use different search engines to help my research. A few we have found helpful include: Trip.com, Kayak.com, Google Flights, and so many more. We always check the direct airline website in addition to these as the airlines do run their own specials from time to time.

The state of Maine is very large and the coastal towns, which was our primary reason for visiting, are quite a distance apart so we rented a car and would definitely recommend doing so. However, if you are only going to the national park, you could get away without a car as the park does have a free shuttle to get around between different destinations in proximity to the park. If you do decide to rent a car, many of the search engines mentioned above offer flight and car packages, as well does Costco. We found Costco’s packages to be very affordable.

Read my blog Tips for First Time and Seasoned Travelers Alike for tips on planning, booking, and traveling, or my blog Mastering the Art of Confident Packing for tips and tricks on packing.

Day 4: Kennebunkport to Acadia

We woke bright and early to start our trek up to Acadia. We grabbed some breakfast at Mike’s All Day Breakfast spot before hitting the road to Acadia. Our shoes were still a little wet from the rain so I was super happy to have used our Veken Packing Cubes for this trip. I was able to put our wet shoes in the shoe bag and our wet, dirty clothes in the laundry bag, helping to stay organized for the next leg of the trip.

The route is a beautiful drive straight up the coast. The fastest route takes you a bit inland and takes about 3.5 hours, but you can get a great coastal drive for about one hour longer.

We arrived early afternoon and stopped at Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound to experience of our first lobster pound! What is a lobster pound you say? This is a small, order at the counter, restaurant that offers lobster by the pound. You can pick a lobster from the tank or tell the clerk how many pounds of lobster you would like. Most people order 1-2 pound lobsters. They then cook the lobster whole and serve it to you on a big metal tray for you to breakdown and devour. You can order sides such as potato salad, mac n’ cheese, or chips. Our kids are not big lobster fans, but Trenton Bridge does have a kid friendly hotdog. This was definitely a highlight for my husband and I! We could have eaten at a lobster pound everyday we were in Maine!

After filling our bellies, we had enough time to take our first hike. And, what a hike it was! We headed up Beehive Loop, which is a moderate to high intensity hike. Although Beehive Loop is only a 1.5 mile loop with a 504 feet elevation gain, it is quite challenging with some sections requiring the use of rungs and ladders. If you are afraid of heights, this may not be the hike for you. We did take our kids, who were 8 and 11 at the time, and they finished the hike with good effort. The summit of Beehive Loop offers incredible views of Sand Beach. My youngest reports this to be his favorite part of the trip. It is a fairly popular hike in Acadia so expect some crowds.

When our family hikes, we fill our camelback with water, pack lots of snacks, and are sure to follow the pack-in/pack-out philosophy. If you have not heard of this philosophy, it is a great rule of thumb to leave the trails as you found them. Do not remove anything, disturb as little as you can, and leave no trace. We love to bring our Camelback as found on Amazon to keep us hydrated. We also like to use the All Trails App for our maps. It gives us all the details we need to know about the trail (distance, loops, elevation gains) with the option to download the map in case you do not have service.

After our hike, we made our way to our accommodations, Under Canvas. This is a glamping resort that offers high end canvas tents for sleeping. They provide a variety of glamping options to meet your unique needs. We opted for the Stargazer with Kids Tent, which consists of two tents: one larger tent for the adults with a king size bed and private bath and a smaller tent with two beds for the kids that is located adjacent to the larger adult tent. Under Canvas is located in Surry, Maine, which is about 30 minutes outside of the center of Acadia National Park; however, it is nestled in the forest steps away from the sea and offers a mystical, breathtaking backdrop. They have a larger canvas lodge that has a small restaurant and cafe with lounging areas to relax and play boardgames. The grounds have a large picnic table area to eat, fire pits to roast marshmallows, and trails to follow down to the beach. Under Canvas is a hidden gem in Acadia. We loved our time there and is definitely a recommendation of ours!

Day 5: Hiking and Shopping

We started our second day in Acadia with a hearty breakfast at Jeannie’s Great Maine Breakfast located in the heart of Bar Harbor. We then hit the trails. Our first trail for the day was the Ocean Path, which is 4.5 miles with a 374 foot elevation gain. It is a good walking path with great ocean views. There are small trails to walk out closer to the shoreline. Attractions along the way include the Otter Cliffs, Thunder Hole, and Monument Cove. We did not hike the entire 4.5 mile trail as we wanted to get to some of our other hikes, but it was a great start to the morning!

When hiking I am always sure to wear my Columbia Hiking Boots with the red laces. They are trendy but look so cool in pictures (look above)!

Next up, we hit Acadia Mountain, which is a 4 mile hike up and back. It is quite rigorous with a 708 elevation gain, which is a significant incline. This trail requires climbing up large boulders and steps. After almost an hour of intense hiking, we reached the summit, and were gifted stunning views in all directions! It was a tough hike, but it was definitely worth it! There is a 6 mile loop option, which will take you by Man O’ War, which offers a lovely view of Brook Falls; however, my family was spent and very hungry so we made our way back to Bar Harbor for some lunch.

Bar Harbor, although touristy, is a cute town situated on the NorthEast coast of Mount Desert Island. It has great souvenir shops, restaurants, and small treat shops. Being there early July, we were in high season so the town of Bar Harbor was bustling, making it hard to find availability at many of the restaurants. As we were walking around Bar Harbor, we stumbled upon the Fish House Grill and had a delightful meal of fresh fish and pasta. Other hot spots that were recommended to us included: Geddy’s, Galyn’s, and Peaky Toe Provisions; however, they were extremely busy at the lunch hour. After an hour of shopping, we then hit the road to Southwest Harbor to explore the Bass Harbor Head Light Station. It was an incredible view of the lighthouse and southern part of Acadia but it was quite a drive and took a lot of time out of our itinerary. On our way back, we stopped at The Upper Deck for more fish and chips! Although we had delectable meals at each of these locations, I would be remiss if I did not mention Jordan Pond House Restaurant. This is an iconic restaurant in Acadia offering infamous popovers with idyllic views of Jordan’s Pond and its surrounding mountains. They do require reservations and book out quite far in advance. Good luck with your bookings!

We then headed back to Under Canvas, ending our day with roasting marshmallows by the fire in our brand new pajamas!

Day 6: Final Day in Acadia

Our final day had arrived but we had so much more we wanted to see! We grabbed some breakfast at the Under Canvas restaurant cafe and checked out of our humble tents leaving this quaint refuge behind. We decided on Cadillac Mountain for our last destination in the national park as it is an iconic summit and it did not require any hiking. The kids were toast! Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the Eastern seaboard with its summit at 1526 feet. Although there are hiking trails on Cadillac Mountain, you can also opt to drive to the summit and wander as much or as little as you like. We spent a little less than an hour exploring before it was time to hit the road back to Portland to catch our flight.

Day 7: Returning home

As we made our way back to Portland, I felt a sense of elation and peace. Acadia gave my family the respite we needed from the hustle and bustle of day to day living while granting us genuine time together as a family away from distractions.

This blog only offers a very small portion of things to do and see in Acadia National Park, but I hope you found some inspiration for planning your next adventure! Now head over to my Kennebunk blog to read the first half of our itinerary!

Comment below about your favorite experiences or ask questions you may have for planning your next adventure.

with love and dreams,

Jessica