Down East Maine: Acadia National Park

Near Bar Harbor is another ecotourism location that is well traveled. Do not expect to be alone much in this park. It is well worth the crowds and is set up to allow for ease of travel by their two lane one way loop. We found this park two days while we were in Maine. One day was cloudy and gloomy and the next sunny and clear. It was as if we discovered two different parks.

These photos were taken from the same mountain but clearly the sunny day is worth the view. With Acadia, it is a park of your own making. The park is mainly a drive through with roads that lead to every view. It takes very little walking to see anything in the park and is wheelchair accessible. But there are also hiking paths, biking areas, and areas to sit and enjoy the view.

Most of the shoreline is rock and impossible to safely navigate to the water’s edge. But one location, Sand Beach, is a long stretch of inlet that has a decent area to swim if the fancy strikes. Being the off season it was worth just walking along it and discovering the amazing views from the sand. Tides here can vary as much as 15-20 feet. So in the afternoon, low tide will give you a completely different feel than early morning where the high tide is crashing over the rocks in famous Down East style.

Acadia is well worth the travel and just a step from Bar Harbor, Maine. So whether you come in on a New England cruise or drive in from somewhere nearby, make sure to see this wonderful and amazing natural park.