Acadia

We spent a week in Bar Harbor exploring Acadia National Park back in May. The weather was mostly cooperative, and we packed in as much hiking and eating as we could manage.

Getting Our Bearings

First morning in Bar Harbor, we walked across the land bridge to Bar Island at low tide. The bridge only appears twice a day when the tide goes out, connecting the island to the town for a few hours at a time. Locals say you’ve got about three and a half hours to explore before the ocean reclaims the path. We made it back with time to spare.

Bar Island Land Bridge

The view back toward Bar Harbor from the island was worth the muddy walk. You can see the whole town tucked into the harbor, with the mountains of Acadia rising behind it.

Bar Harbor from Bar Island

The Beehive Trail

Tackled the Beehive Trail on our second day. It’s only about half a mile, but you’re climbing iron rungs bolted into cliff faces the whole way up. Not for anyone with a fear of heights. The trail gains 500 feet in elevation and some sections are pretty much vertical.

Beehive Trail

Made it to the top and the view of Sandy Beach stretched out below was incredible. You can see the whole coastline from up there.

Panoramic View of Sandy Beach from the Beehive

Cadillac Mountain

We hiked Cadillac Mountain on one of the nicer days. At 1,530 feet, it’s the highest point on the North Atlantic seaboard. The summit gets crowded because you can drive to the top, but the views are worth dealing with the people.

Cadillac Mountain Hike

Puffin Cruise

Took a boat tour out to Petit Manan Island to see the Atlantic Puffins. The lighthouse there was built in 1817 and stands 119 feet tall. We passed a few other lighthouses along the way, and the captain mentioned one of them was actually for sale. It was out of our price range…

Petit Manan Lighthouse

The puffins nest on the rocky islands around the lighthouse from May through August. We got lucky and saw dozens of them. They’re smaller than you’d think and comical to watch as they crash-land on the water.

Atlantic Puffin

Also spotted razorbills, seals hauled out on the rocks, and a few Common Eiders paddling around. The eiders are sea ducks that spend most of their time in the ocean. The males have that distinctive black and white pattern.

Common Eider

Rainy Day Drive

Had one drizzly afternoon so we drove the coastline instead of hiking. Pulled over at a bunch of spots to take photos of the shoreline. The fog rolling in off the ocean made everything look moody and dramatic.

Acadia Shoreline

Food

The seafood was excellent all week. Had clam chowder at least three times. The lobster dinner at Bar Harbor Inn was a highlight, even if eating a whole lobster is messy work.

Lobster Dinner at Bar Harbor Inn

One evening we found a place that specialized in cheesecake. Got a sampler with six different flavors and (reluctantly) shared them.

The Drive Home

Our return flight got cancelled, so we ended up driving the rental car straight home. Seventeen hours without stopping for the night. Not how we planned to end the trip, but we made it back in one piece. Already looking forward to visiting again, hopefully with a confirmed flight next time.