Fall in Acadia National Park

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For the past four summers, Connor and I have attempted to visit Acadia, yet these plans have always been foiled by technicalities. With a stroke of luck, we threw together this vacation last week and planned a trip over the only 4 day weekend available on my work schedule. Though I have visited Acadia many times in the summertime with family, this was Connor’s first visit and my first time in fall and honestly, there’s no other place I’d like to experience a New England autumn than in a National Park. Here’s what you need to know about Acadia this fall.

Due to COVID-19, the park has implemented a vehicle reservation system. This means that alongside the park pass that you can purchase online, be sure to also reserve a time slot to visit two of the park’s most popular destinations: Cadillac Mountain Summit and Sand Beach (including Thunder Hole). Cadillac Mountain is one of the first spots in the US that the sun’s rays touch in the morning, so plan ahead if you want to witness magic. The following itinerary outlines the perfect way that you can optimize a two-day weekend trip to Acadia and tackle both of these spots as the Sand Beach reservation is a ONE WAY road so- if you miss it, it’s gone.

Finally, one of the more obvious tips (that I didn’t even follow) is to pack for cold and warm temperatures. At 6AM, you can feel the below-50 chill and by 2PM, you’ll be ready to peel down to a tank top. That’s a New England fall for ya!

Day 1: Sand Beach Reservation

I’ll mention it again because this is so important: the Sand Beach entrance is part of the Park Loop Road and only the left lane is open. The right lane is utilized for parking so if you see an open spot, do not wait to pull over.

Sand Beach & the Beehive: Park in the Sand Beach parking lot. Here, you can access restrooms and take in the Maine coast. Sand Beach is one of the few beaches comprised of majority shell, but the grain of the sand is still very fine! Just right of the parking lot entrance is the trailhead to the Beehive. Its unique iron rungs and breathtaking views made this hike at the top of our list. However, this hike is not for people with a fear of heights as there are a few moments where you really do not want to miss your step. From the Beehive, you can continue on to hike the Bowl which is also worth the trip.

narrow ledges on the Beehive - because a lot of people stopped to take pictures, there were often moments when you were waiting to move forward while on a ledge.

2. Thunder Hole: You can either choose to hike from the Sand Beach parking lot to Thunder Hole along the Ocean Path trail or you can drive. We elected to drive because the most ideal time to hear the waves clapping is two hours before high tide and we were right at that mark. Therefore, be sure to research the tide charts and plan accordingly. However, we arrived on a fairly calm day and the waves were not rough enough to create any action.

3. Otter Cliff and Otter Cove: We made several stops after Thunder Hole to hike parts of the Ocean Path trail and take in Maine’s rocky coast line. Rock climbing is a popular sport in Acadia and we observed some climbers scale the cliffs from a distance. At Otter Cove, we went on another hike to enjoy the fall foliage and encounter a landscape that reminded us of Carmel, CA. On the opposite side of the road, we marveled at the crystal clear water and the iridescent mussel shells.

hike from Otter Cove to a Carmel, CA-esque scape

crystal clear water in Otter Cove (PS there are no otters)

4. Jordan Pond and the Bubbles: Growing up, my family always made a stop at the Jordan Pond Restaurant for their famous popovers and took a family photo in the Adirondack chairs with the Bubbles in the distance. I was excited to experience Jordan Pond in a new way by hiking the Jordan Pond Trail and combining it with the Bubbles Divide Trail and South Bubble summit. The view was magnificent. Again, the South Bubble has a small segment in which its descent may not be for those with a fear of heights, but not as intense as the Beehive hike. There’s nothing like a good popover and a blueberry drink to reward yourself after a long hike.

view of Jordan Pond from the South Bubble

5. Dinner: We love Acadia, but don’t skip out on the town of Bar Harbor. The true highlight of dinner was the fresh Maine blueberry soft serve at CJ’s. For actual dinner, we grabbed fish chowder and lobster rolls at Peekytoe Provisions.

Day 2: Cadillac Mountain

Sunrise: If you’re one of the lucky ones, you were able to snag a sunrise reservation ticket. One of the perks of fall is that sunrise no longer means 4:30AM, but instead a more feasible 6:30AM. Thus, despite missing out on a sunrise ticket, we were able to catch the sunrise over the water from the back of our hotel before we ran out for breakfast. The glassy reflection of the golden glow and the smell of the ocean was euphoric. Had I known how gorgeous the view was from the hotel, I would have done this again and again. This is simply an experience that you cannot miss out on.

view from Bar Harbor Regency Holiday Inn

2. Blueberry Pancakes: At Jordan’s, breakfast starts at 5AM on the dot every day and there is no shortage of customers around here. We arrived a few minutes before 7AM and managed to grab a table before the real line began to pile up.

3. Cadillac Mountain: Though there are trails to hike to the Summit, Connor and I chose to drive to the top. Cadillac Mountain is the highest point in Maine and views stretch for miles. Despite its popularity, I wouldn’t consider this spot one of my favorites as it is more touristy than other parts of Acadia (and I will admit, it is pretty cold up here too).

view of the porcupine islands from Cadillac Summit

4. The North Bubble, Conner’s Nubble, and Eagle Lake: For our last hike in Acadia, Connor crafted a combination of trails that would take us up and down the other bubble, up a steep ascent to Conner’s Nubble, and a true test of ankles traversing across the rocks alongside Eagle Lake. Along the way, we enjoyed the fall foliage from multiple vantage points and even discovered wolf’s milk slime mold on a rotting log. Though the weather made have played a role, the hike up the North Bubble was less congested than the South Bubble, and I enjoyed how quiet this hike was comparatively to the previous day. In fact, we overheard a father explain to his daughter that adults travel to experience some quiet because we live in a crazy, crazy world.

wolf’s milk slime mold - single celled sacs filled with a pink-orange fluid. surprisingly, they are not fungi!

5. Wild Gardens of Acadia: To round out our trip, we made a stop at the Wild Gardens of Acadia, a garden maintained by a community of volunteers. The garden is meant to showcase the different habitats within Acadia and its native plant life that resides in each.

6. Lunch: Before hitting the road, we stopped at Stewman’s Lobster Pound for lunch. As Connor described it, the ambiance of this restaurant really makes you feel like you’re in Maine. Finally, I could not leave without one last blueberry soft serve at CJ’s.

cajun shrimp roll from Stewman’s Lobster Pound

7. Portland: Finally, treat yourself to a stop in Portland. We made stops at our favorite kombucharies (Wild Root and Urban Farm Fermentory) and had an outstanding dinner at Eaux Soul Provision. I highly recommend grabbing food and drink in Portland to round out the perfect trip.

the yummiest kale, blue cheese, bartlett pear, and pecan salad from Eaux