As you drive up the coast of Maine on Route 1 – past Portland, Freeport, and Rockland – you’ll find the beautiful Mount Desert Island. The island is home to Bar Harbor, College of the Atlantic, and most importantly, Acadia National Park. It is an absolutely beautiful destination, and we are so lucky to live within driving distance of it. We went for a long weekend in the fall, and the foliage only added to the beauty of the island. I am sure it is a lovely destination in any season. For this post, my best friend Kelly will be joining to add her own recommendations from her recent summertime visit to Acadia!

Our visit happened to coincide with the start of a government shutdown. This meant that certain areas were not available, but it also meant that our access to others was ‘free’ because no one was working. It made the experience a bit more of an adventure!

For Acadia, we are going to take you through each town on Mount Desert Island (and one along the way to the island), and then cover a few additional hikes and sightseeing locations!  

Belfast

Our first discoveries were a few destinations on our road trip up to Mt Desert Island. If you are traveling from south of Acadia via car, I highly recommend that you make these two stops. We were over an hour from our destination when we got hungry and wanted to get out of the car and walk around a bit. We discovered the adorable seaside town of Belfast, and with it the Belfast Co-op. The selection of prepared foods, ingredients, alcohol and more was like a dream to us. We stocked up on food for lunch, and extra to eat during our trip. We liked it so much that we also stopped here as we were leaving! The food was locally sourced, featured a wide variety, and was absolutely delicious.

A bit north of Belfast, we also stopped at the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. Here, you can travel up one of the towers of the bridge for a beautiful overlook to the river and surrounding land. There is also a fort here, which we walked around as well. It was a very cool structure and the views of the ocean from here were spectacular.

Southwest Harbor

Hunter and I stayed in Southwest Harbor, at the Acadia Cottages. We loved that it was quiet, self-sufficient and cozy. The cabins were so cute, clean and orderly, and the perfect size. Ours had a small bedroom, living space with a kitchenette, and a bathroom. We even saw deer hanging out on the property eating crab apples. I loved having a small kitchen and being able to prepare meals before going out for the day, and we made good use of all of the food we had purchased at the Belfast Co-op.

There are quite a few cute restaurants and shops in downtown Southwest Harbor. We ate dinner at Sips Café, which had great ambience and delicious food. We also bought pie slices from Quietside Café and Ice Cream shop, which came highly recommended. There was a general store that we often stopped in at for snacks and supplies as well.   

Seal Harbor

The best way to start a trip to Acadia is with an easy hike around Jordan Pond. It’s a 3.4-mile loop that stays flat, so it’s great for beginners! About halfway around the loop, you can cut over to the Bubble Trail to check out Bubble Rock. It’s a somewhat steep hike, but the rocks are set like stairs so it’s not treacherous, but it’s still tough… although little kids were passing us as we stopped to catch our breath so “tough” is relative. Bubble Rock is worth the hike though. I have no idea how it stays teetering on the edge of a cliff. Yes of course we tried to push it. The loop finishes at Jordan Pond House where you can order their famous popovers, blueberry lemonade, or one of their other healthy meals.

Bar Harbor

Downtown Bar Harbor is exactly what you would imagine when you picture a coastal New England town. There are cute shops with local art and tons of good food. The downtown is small enough that everything is very walkable – but you do have to drive to get to Acadia. Kelly & Maxx stayed at the Acadia Hotel tucked downtown between the Abbe Museum and the Spruce & Gussy gift shop. Behind the hotel is Cafe This Way which serves incredible breakfast and has plenty of outdoor seating. If you’re feeling fancy, the Bar Harbor Inn & Spa is an iconic waterfront hotel and home to the Reading Room restaurant. The restaurant has huge windows with a view of Frenchman Bay, so try to get a reservation at sunset!

Hunter and I ate at an adorable coffee shop that is unfortunately now closed – but there are plenty more options to choose from! We also get a couples massage at Massage Bar Harbor, which was an amazing experience. I’m sure it would have also been great had we done any amount of strenuous hiking on our own trip…

One of the wildest things was to see a giant cruise ship in the harbor. We could see this from Bar Harbor, and even from the summit of Cadillac Mountain. There are cruise lines that run from Nova Scotia area down to Maine, and it seems like a very unique experience to pull up to a New England town in a giant cruise ship. Downtown was flooded with people from the ship when we stopped there for dinner.

Bar Harbor is a must see when you are visiting Mount Desert Island and Acadia!

Hikes & Other Attractions

This was a more casual vacation for Hunter and I, so we did not endeavor to complete many strenuous hikes. Instead we opted for sightseeing and finding beautiful spots within short walking distance of parking. One of those locations was Echo Lake, which was absolutely stunning and reflected all of the fall colors showing off around it. There are a few trails that go around the lake as well.

We also opted to drive up Cadillac Mountain instead of hiking. There is plenty of parking near the summit, as well as a shop. This view is amazing, and provides the unique opportunity to see the ocean while on top of a mountain. I highly recommend coming for sunset or sunrise, but any time of day is beautiful. This is the first place the sun hits the United States each morning for much of the year, and specifically throughout the fall and late winter.  

Kelly and Maxx were a bit more adventurous! If you’re up for some danger, try Beehive or Precipice. These cliffside hikes have you holding onto rod iron bars while climbing up a steep cliff. We did Beehive and it’s physically easy but mentally exhausting! My hands are sweating just thinking about it.

Gorham Mountain is an easy to moderate hike with some cool rock features along the way. You can follow that trail to the Ocean Path which is another easy and beautiful stroll along the cliffs (from a safe distance). On the Ocean Path, you’ll find Thunder Hole – it’s literally a small cavern in the cliffs that sounds like loud thunder when the waves hit it just right! Keep following Ocean Path until you get to Otter Cliff. At 110 feet high, Otter Cliff is one of the highest Atlantic coastal headlands. You’ll likely see some rock climbers scaling Otter Cliff, and you can even sign up to do it too (with a guide). For what it’s worth, Hunter and I were able to drive to Thunder Hole and Otter Cliffs on our vehicular tour of the island, and make stops at each to see the sights.

Whether you are in the mood for an adventurous and athletic outdoor adventure, or a relaxing vacation in beautiful nature, Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park offer a spectacular destination with all of the coastal New England charm you could possibly desire. Kelly and I hope you will be able to visit soon, and that you’ll share your own adventures with us if you do!