4 days in Acadia and Bar Harbor

A gentle first day in town. Walk the shore path past the old summer houses, learn about the Wabanaki people whose homeland this is, cross to a small island on the sand bar at low tide, then wander the harbor at dusk.

1. Breakfast

   A blueberry pancake breakfast

   Pancakes or muffins made with wild Maine blueberries, a local specialty, with coffee. A good start before a walk on the shore.

   Local tip In season, ask whether the blueberries are fresh.
2. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Shore Path

   A public path along the water in Bar Harbor, past old summer houses and out to a view of the Porcupine Islands. Level and easy, a good way to wake up and look at the sea.

   Go when Morning, before the town wakes up and the light is soft on the water.

   Local tip The path is flat and easy, with benches along it. The sea fog can roll in suddenly, so a light jacket is a good idea.

   

   About 6 min walk0.3 mi
3. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Abbe Museum

   A museum of the Wabanaki peoples, the Native nations of Maine, who have lived on this coast for thousands of years. It sets the park in its real history and is a good stop if the weather turns.

   Go when Midday, or any time the weather turns.

   Local tip This is the place to learn about the Wabanaki, the people of this coast, before you walk the park. Check ahead on opening.

   

4. Lunch

   A lobster roll

   Sweet lobster meat on a soft toasted bun, simple and the classic taste of the coast. Eat it at a picnic table by the water.

   Local tip Ask whether it comes with butter or mayonnaise, because both are traditional and people are loyal to one.

   

   About 15 min walk0.8 mi
5. 3
   AfternoonGo by the tide

   Bar Island

   A small wooded island that you can walk to across a gravel bar, but only around low tide. Check the tide times, go out with plenty of time to spare and leave early, because the water returns fast.

   Go when Around low tide only, with plenty of time to walk back.

   Local tip Check the tide times for the day and be back well before the bar covers. Wear shoes you do not mind getting wet, and stay off the bar if the tide is turning.

   

   About 15 min walk0.7 mi
6. 4
   EveningAn evening stop

   Bar Harbor

   The harbor town where the trip starts and ends, with a waterfront, a village green and small shops. Walk along the front at dusk and watch the boats come in.

   Go when Early evening, as the light fades over the harbor (about 6:43 PM).

   Local tip Walk the waterfront and the village green, and look out at the Porcupine Islands. In summer the town is busy, so linger early or late.

   

7. Dinner

   Seafood by the harbor

   Steamed clams or mussels, fried haddock or a whole lobster, at a table with a view of the working harbor.

   Local tip Tables fill early in summer, so book ahead.

   

The big day. A sunrise on the highest point of the coast, a beach of tiny shells, a cleft in the rocks where the sea booms, and a still pond below two rounded hills as the day closes.

1. Travel from Bar HarborAbout 13 min by car or transit2.7 mi

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. Breakfast

   A thermos and a muffin for the summit

   Hot coffee and something sweet, eaten on the granite while the sun comes up.

   Local tip Pack it the night before, because the cafes open after sunrise.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time, go early

   Cadillac Mountain

   The highest point on this stretch of the Atlantic coast, with a bare granite summit and views over the islands and the bay. Come for sunrise, with a warm layer, and check ahead on road access and any reservation.

   Go when Sunrise, or the hour after, when the granite glows.

   Local tip Dress warmly, because the summit is windy and cold before dawn. Check ahead on road access and on any reservation for the summit road, which can book up.

   

   About 13 min by car or transit2.7 mi
4. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Sand Beach

   A short cove of pale sand, much of it tiny shell fragments, between granite cliffs. The water is very cold even in August, so it is a beach for walking and sitting rather than swimming.

   Go when Midday, when the cove is lit.

   Local tip The water is very cold, even in August. Walk the beach and the steps to the ocean path, and keep an eye on the surf.

   

5. Lunch

   A picnic by the sea

   Sandwiches, apples and cheese eaten on a rock above the shore, with the surf below.

   Local tip Take all your rubbish with you, and keep food away from the gulls.

   About 13 min walk0.7 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonGo with the tide

   Thunder Hole

   A narrow cleft in the shore rocks where waves sometimes boom as they fill it. It is best with a rising tide and a swell. Keep behind the railings and away from the wet rocks, because big waves can be dangerous.

   Go when About two hours before high tide, when the waves are strongest.

   Local tip Stay behind the rails and well away from the water. Waves here have knocked people off their feet, so do not go down onto the wet rocks.

   

   About 15 min by car or transit3.4 mi
7. 4
   EveningWorth the time

   Jordan Pond

   A clear, deep pond below two rounded hills known as the Bubbles. A flat path circles it, and the water is often still in the evening.

   Go when Evening, when the pond is often still (about 6:43 PM).

   Local tip Walk the flat path along the shore and look back at the Bubbles reflected in the water. Bring a layer, because the evening turns cool.

   

8. Dinner

   A simple dinner after the pond

   Popovers, light hollow rolls served warm with jam, are a long tradition around the pond. Have one with tea, then a plain dinner of fish or a salad back in town.

   Local tip Ask locally where popovers are served that day, since places come and go.

A day on foot or by bike. The broken-stone roads built for horses and carriages, now closed to cars, then a balanced boulder on a hill and the high granite cliffs on the shore.

1. Travel from Jordan PondAbout 12 min by car or transit2.2 mi

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Eggs and a cup of strong coffee

   A hearty breakfast of eggs and toast, to fuel a day of walking or cycling.

   Local tip Fill your water bottle before you go.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Eagle Lake and the carriage roads

   A big lake ringed by the broken-stone roads that the Rockefeller family built for horses and carriages, with stone bridges and no cars. Walk or ride a short stretch, and turn back whenever you like.

   Go when Morning, when the roads are quiet.

   Local tip The roads are for walking, cycling and horses, never cars. Keep to the right, give way to horses and turn back at any point.

   

   About 10 min by car or transit1.7 mi
4. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   South Bubble

   A rounded granite hill beside Jordan Pond with a huge boulder, left by a glacier, balanced on its edge. A short climb for a view of the pond and the sea beyond. Take care near the boulder and the edge.

   Go when Midday, when the view is clearest.

   Local tip It is a short, steep climb. Take care near the boulder and keep back from the edge, and do not climb on or push the rock.

   

5. Lunch

   A trail picnic

   A sandwich, fruit and a handful of nuts, eaten on the granite of the hill above the pond.

   Local tip There is nothing to buy on the trails, so bring water too.

   About 16 min by car or transit3.8 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Otter Cliff

   A tall granite cliff on the shore along the Park Loop Road, with the sea heaving below. Walk the ocean path beside it. Keep back from the edge and the wet rocks.

   Go when Afternoon, when the sun lights the cliff.

   Local tip Keep back from the edge and off the wet rocks near the sea. The ocean path beside the cliff is easy and level.

   

7. Dinner

   Chowder and a pie

   A bowl of creamy fish chowder, then a slice of blueberry pie, the comfort food of a cool Maine evening.

   Local tip Many kitchens close early outside the summer, so check ahead.

West of the sound, the island is calmer. A Japanese-style garden, a deep inlet that nearly cuts the island in two, a short nature trail by the water, then a lighthouse on a rocky ledge at the end of the day.

1. Travel from Otter CliffAbout 19 min by car or transit4.7 mi

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. Breakfast

   Coffee and a pastry on the quiet side

   A warm pastry or a muffin and a coffee in one of the small villages west of the sound.

   Local tip Many villages here have only one cafe, so go early.
3. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Asticou Azalea Garden

   A quiet Japanese-style garden by the water in Northeast Harbor, with paths, stones and a pond. Calm in any season, and bright with azaleas in late spring. Check ahead on opening.

   Go when Morning, or late May and June when the azaleas are out.

   Local tip A small, quiet garden, so linger over it. Check ahead on opening and on when it is in bloom.

   

   About 10 min by car or transit1.6 mi
4. 2
   MiddayWorth a short drive

   Somes Sound

   A long, deep inlet that almost cuts the island in two. Drive along the shore, stopping at the pull-outs for the water and the steep wooded hills above it.

   Go when Midday, as a pause between the garden and the south shore.

   Local tip Use the pull-outs rather than stopping on the road. The shore is steep and wooded, with the water far below.

   

5. Lunch

   A crab roll or a bowl of chowder

   A crab roll or a bowl of creamy chowder, eaten at a picnic table on a working wharf.

   Local tip Look for small wharf stands, which are often open only in the warm months.

   About 24 min by car or transit6.2 mi
6. 3
   AfternoonWorth a short walk

   Ship Harbor Trail

   A short, easy loop trail on the quiet southern shore, through spruce woods to a rocky cove at low tide. A good place to see birds and tide pools.

   Go when Afternoon, near low tide for the tide pools.

   Local tip An easy loop on a quiet shore. At low tide look carefully at the cove for small sea life, and leave it where you found it.

   About 19 min walk1.0 mi
7. 4
   EveningWorth the time

   Bass Harbor Head Light

   A small white lighthouse on a rocky ledge at the southern tip of the island, from 1858. The classic view is from the rocks below the car park. Keep off the wet rocks and mind the tide.

   Go when Evening, with the low sun on the lighthouse (about 6:43 PM).

   Local tip The classic view is from the rocks below the car park. The rocks are slick, so go slowly, and the lot fills early at sunset.

   

8. Dinner

   A last lobster dinner

   A whole boiled lobster with corn and drawn butter, eaten at a table by the water. A fine way to end the trip.

   Local tip Ask for a bib and a cracker, and allow plenty of time.