# Arcadia National Park - Maine



## o3jeff (Apr 2, 2013)

Thinking about planning a vacation up there to do some hiking. Any must do things or hike recommendations?


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## marcski (Apr 2, 2013)

It's stunning.  Hiking is breathtaking and bring your bikes, the Rockefellers built a great network of carriage roads.


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## kbroderick (Apr 2, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Thinking about planning a vacation up there to do some hiking. Any must do things or hike recommendations?



My suggestions:



Get to Winter Harbor and the Schoodic Peninsula to get away from the tourist-heavy scene on MDI.
Go at off-peak times if possible; Sand Beach is great, but the park loop road can be crowded. Visiting MDI after Labor Day is a whole different ballgame than doing it in mid-July.
Get up early to enjoy the sun rising over the Atlantic. If you're lucky enough to stay on the water, this is easier and the views are just incredible.
Enjoy some lobster.


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## bigbog (Apr 2, 2013)

Kbroderick is on target...off-peak is prime...but anytime in hot weather is fine....some day other than a Saturday, catching the breeze coming off the water or .....and even in(kayak)...thinking you do o3j...y/n?
Hiking boots..not to be forgotten.

$.01


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## o3jeff (Apr 2, 2013)

bigbog said:


> Kbroderick is on target...off-peak is prime...but anytime in hot weather is fine....some day other than a Saturday, just to find some smooth rocks in a secluded portion of a cove(many) to catch the breeze coming off the water.....and even in(kayak)...thinking you do o3j...y/n?
> 
> $.01



No Kayak, yet... Looked into them last year but figured I don't have enough time to do all my hobbies already.


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## bigbog (Apr 2, 2013)

Yeah...even the beginning plastic canoes aren't cheap these days....but something on one's feet that'll give you great traction on rock is a definite ..   Schoodic Pt ...and the whole Peninsula is ripe for hanging out _on the rocks_ during a hot spell in summer.....and yes,(see following by D.Metsky)...two true hikes...
The area version of the Chart Room is good for prices and food...kinda quiet and if temps are ok, there are tables outside.

$.01


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## David Metsky (Apr 2, 2013)

It helps to get the name right - it's Acadia. 

If you like scrambling and steep somewhat scary pitches the Beehive and Precipice trails are the classics. They are fairly short but very steep and involve some metal steps pounded into the rock faces. Most folks who are active have no problems scrambling up the ledges but it's not for folks who are afraid of heights. You can combine them with a few other trails (no map here at work) to make a good dayhike, but they're more like half-day hikes by themselves. Try to get to the parking areas early on the weekends, they fill up. You can also do the 4 peaks hike which is a solid day hike that gets you some great views and lots of variety.

There's some great hiking on the Western Lobe of the park, much more quiet than the Bar Harbor side. And while you're there, stop in at Beal's Lobster Pound in Southwest Harbor; ain't nothing better.


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## wa-loaf (Apr 2, 2013)

David Metsky said:


> It helps to get the name right - it's Acadia.



Yes, was going to say!



David Metsky said:


> If you like scrambling and steep somewhat scary pitches the Beehive and Precipice trails are the classics. They are fairly short but very steep and involve some metal steps pounded into the rock faces.



If you head up early in the season the Precipice is often closed for breeding falcons.

Let me know when you are going. I can show you a few routes to avoid having to pay to drive the park road to get to Sand beach and Thunder Hole.


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## deadheadskier (Apr 2, 2013)

Off Island, but Cleonice in Ellsworth is a fantastic restaurant if you're looking for good eats.  Better than anything on the island IMO.


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## o3jeff (Apr 3, 2013)

Thanks guys. Maybe Bvibert or another kind mod can update the title with the correct spelling.


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## Angus (Apr 3, 2013)

definitely bring bikes


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## LasersInTheTaiga (Apr 4, 2013)

I spent a week out in Bass Harbor (western side) last October (and have been camping on MDI multiple times before). On non-hiking days,  I would recommend getting off MDI via boat and heading (with bikes)  on the state ferry to Swans Island, or taking one of the for-hire nature cruises to Frenchboro and out around the other islands. The scenery is spectacular, and the quiet of Swans Island is pretty fantastic. Being out on the water and the outer islands offers a different perspective on the area. I personally recommend bassharborcruises.com. Eli is a BH native and a great naturalist/guide.

For hiking, my favorite is the loop you can do starting from the Jordan Pond house. You go up over Sargent and Penobscot mountains, then down to the pond and past the bubbles, then over the long ridge of Pemetic mountain. A majority of this hike is above the trees. You can also bail out when you get down from Sargent, too, and just walk back along the pond.


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## deadheadskier (Apr 4, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Thanks guys. Maybe Bvibert or another kind mod can update the title with the correct spelling.



Typo repairs for forum members now require a $5 fee payable via Paypal.


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## o3jeff (Apr 5, 2013)

deadheadskier said:


> Typo repairs for forum members now require a $5 fee payable via Paypal.



No souvenirs for you!


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## Bumpsis (Apr 5, 2013)

Just check in with park rangers at the park visitor center and pick up the hiking and biking trail map of the park and the island ($ 4.95 in 2011). It's very deatiled and really helpful in planning your hiking/biking activities. If you're camping in one of the commercial camp grounds, I would recommend the Somes Sound campground. A bit cramped for my taste but the loaction is great, right on the western side of Somes Sound. They have kayak rentals right at the camp and they offer actually decent boats in which you can cover some good distance. Being on the western side is really much nicer.
Oh, the best T shirts are sold by the Acadia National Park (ANP) in their visitor center, in case you're into such souveniers. The best Lobster Pound that we found (most affordable) is located just a mile up the road from the Seawall Campground (ANP campground). You can get a great lobster dinner for half of what you pay in any of the local restaurants, but you have to stop in at the lobester pound and reserve it in the morning.
One last recommendation. Acadia seems to be a home to a very tasty blueberry that I have not seen anywhere else. It's really different from the typical blueberries that you find in the stores and it just tastes great. It looks darker than a typical blueberry and many people won't touch it because they don't see it as edible. I think they are out and ready to be picked in first two weeks of August. Our hikes would get frequntly delayed becuse the kids and I would just pick berries.


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## bigbog (Apr 6, 2013)

Bumpsis said:


> .....One last recommendation. Acadia seems to be a home to a very tasty blueberry that I have not seen anywhere else. It's really different from the typical blueberries that you find in the stores and it just tastes great. It looks darker than a typical blueberry and many people won't touch it because they don't see it as edible. I think they are out and ready to be picked in first two weeks of August. Our hikes would get frequntly delayed becuse the kids and I would just pick berries.



Yeah....that's what you get with something grown _wild _, naturally in the out-of-doors, on the bushes....the higher ground seems to produce good growing environments, from there on up into Washington Country(bigtime harvesting in early August).   Seems even supermarkets up here are all filled with hot-house grown from NJ, Mexico, and other places overseas (not hitting on NJ).  The good old mass-marketing, cheaper bottom-dollar.  Quite a difference in taste is right.  Think something about the more natural acidity in the soil adds the right stuff...   Blueberry picking up here in early August is like apple picking in NYS and MA later on towards Fall(used to be Fall..lol).


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## Skimaine (Apr 6, 2013)

Yes, getting a slice of wild Maine blue berry pie is a must. A scoop of Gifford's vanilla ice cream is highly recommended.


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## Bumpsis (Apr 7, 2013)

The woods on Mt. Desert Island also produce some really great tasting wild mushrooms if you're into this kind of thing. It is possibe, in right spots to bag a king bolete (Boletus Edilus). Nothing better than sauteing some freshly picked boletes in butter at your camp site.


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## o3jeff (Apr 8, 2013)

Bumpsis said:


> The woods on Mt. Desert Island also produce some really great tasting wild mushrooms if you're into this kind of thing. It is possibe, in right spots to bag a king bolete (Boletus Edilus). Nothing better than sauteing some freshly picked boletes in butter at your camp site.



Are there poisonous mushrooms around there too? Hate to grab the wrong ones!


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## o3jeff (Apr 8, 2013)

Great ideas and things to look into so far. Thanks and keep them coming.


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## wa-loaf (Apr 8, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Are there poisonous mushrooms around there too? Hate to grab the wrong ones!



Yeah, don't pick any if you don't know what you are doing. Not sure if there is anything that will kill you, but plenty that can make you very sick.

Lots of Chanterelles grow in the area. Those are the only ones I'm confident picking.


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## o3jeff (Apr 8, 2013)

wa-loaf said:


> Yeah, don't pick any if you don't know what you are doing. Not sure if there is anything that will kill you, but plenty that can make you very sick.
> 
> Lots of Chanterelles grow in the area. Those are the only ones I'm confident picking.



I've seen on the news that they can wreck havoc on your stomach and digestive system. My grandmother used to pick wild mushrooms at their cottage and I remember them being real good!


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## wa-loaf (Apr 8, 2013)

Also, there are a couple 1000 foot mtns near Tunk Lake that's maybe 30 mins NE of Acadia. They make a great hike, have virtually no tourists, and spectacular views of the island.

http://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trail/donnell-pond-public-reserved-land-black-mountain/

You can play with this website and find a bunch of nice hikes in the area.


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## David Metsky (Apr 8, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Are there poisonous mushrooms around there too? Hate to grab the wrong ones!


If you need to ask, this is not the pasttime for you.


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## bigbog (Apr 9, 2013)

Jeff...are you seriously going to trust a bumpqueen's dietary recs?   Will you write me into your will for your skis...y/n?


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## o3jeff (Apr 9, 2013)

bigbog said:


> Jeff...are you seriously going to trust a bumpqueen's dietary recs?   Will you write me into your will for your skis...y/n?



Hell no!

Actually no one's has dibbs on the skis yet, my 11 yo nephew already claimed my car, TV, iPhone, iPad an Macbook if something happens to me!


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## Bumpsis (Apr 10, 2013)

You can eat these:
http://www.naturephoto-cz.com/photos/maly/boletus-edulis-xxx010.jpg


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## mlkrgr (Apr 11, 2013)

Don't forget the buses either. I like how you can do one way hikes; and there are numerous options and the buses make them viable unless you have someone picking you up on the other side. Sure, Acadia can be busy during July and August but the point is there's always somewhere to get away from the crowds. Sand Beach can be amazing especially on a very hot day. On a streak of a couple hot days, that's when the beach is at it's best and it's far better than anything I've been to otherwise in Southern ME or NH. Taking the bus can have it's own headaches (like 5-10 minute layovers at Blackwoods Campground but that's one of the best campgrounds to stay in and you can't go wrong at $20 a night even though you'll spend a few dollars of it each night on showers even if you take every other day off from showering; showers are $1.50 for 4 minutes). One of the most amazing mountain hikes is hiking up Dorr from Sieur De Monts and traversing to Cadillac and then either decend North or West ridge. Let the bus pick you up in the end. Buses end a bit early from the North Ridge stop but if they do, hike towards the nearby two way road to catch the Jordan Pond bus which runs late.


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## o3jeff (Apr 11, 2013)

mlkrgr said:


> Don't forget the buses either. I like how you can do one way hikes; and there are numerous options and the buses make them viable unless you have someone picking you up on the other side. Sure, Acadia can be busy during July and August but the point is there's always somewhere to get away from the crowds. Sand Beach can be amazing especially on a very hot day. On a streak of a couple hot days, that's when the beach is at it's best and it's far better than anything I've been to otherwise in Southern ME or NH. Taking the bus can have it's own headaches (like 5-10 minute layovers at Blackwoods Campground but that's one of the best campgrounds to stay in and you can't go wrong at $20 a night even though you'll spend a few dollars of it each night on showers even if you take every other day off from showering; showers are $1.50 for 4 minutes). One of the most amazing mountain hikes is hiking up Dorr from Sieur De Monts and traversing to Cadillac and then either decend North or West ridge. Let the bus pick you up in the end. Buses end a bit early from the North Ridge stop but if they do, hike towards the nearby two way road to catch the Jordan Pond bus which runs late.



Thanks for the tip on using the buses.

Does the ocean water get warm enough to go swimming in there?


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## David Metsky (Apr 11, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Does the ocean water get warm enough to go swimming in there?


Are you from New England? If so, then yes. If you're from away, probably not.


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## mlkrgr (Apr 11, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Thanks for the tip on using the buses.
> 
> Does the ocean water get warm enough to go swimming in there?



Ocean water can be frigidly cold early in the summer especially if the highs just get up to 60s. Ocean water can frequently be under 55 degrees. However, I find the best month for the ocean as a repeat visitor is in August (particularly early to mid). If you get a stretch of 2+ days in the 90s, the water is great the second day on and it ends up being one of the best swimming experiences you can get. For warmer water, you can always go to Echo Lake as well. After a good storm, Thunder Hole can be a blast to watch 3 hours before high tide; otherwise it is still part of the beautiful Acadia scenery.

My favorite time to go to Acadia in mid to late July. You can catch wild blueberry season (usually) but it'd probably be a bit late this year with the big winter season and you can usually get in a good beach day if you go for a week (but it always doesn't happen).

Sand Beach parking ends up getting totally jammed especially during hot days, so taking the bus is highly recommended. It used to be hectic to do this when only the Sand Beach Route ran to the beach but you can also get there using another route called the Loop Road bus and the last bus back from the beach is just before 7 which is decent. Buses are well-maintained and only get really crazy on the first two weekends of August which I hear is the peak times of the season. Any issues they used to have with them a few years ago in terms of capacity of mostly been addressed.

Plus, another good tip is if you are staying in Blackwoods, you can walk down the fire lane at the bottom of A Loop and easily get to Jordan Pond, where there's great dining, etc. 

My favorite dining spot is Epi's sub shop. They've got great subs such as the precipice (vegeterian) sub and a cadillac (steak bomb) sub.


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## wa-loaf (Apr 12, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> Thanks for the tip on using the buses.
> 
> Does the ocean water get warm enough to go swimming in there?



Echo Lake has some nice swimming if you don't want to brave the ocean. It's also a great stop after hiking, especially on the west side. Just look for the parking on the southern end off of rt 102. There's also Lake wood closer to BH off of Crooked Road. If you want a little more adventure follow the trail to the left of the beach for a bit to find the naked people ...


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## o3jeff (Apr 12, 2013)

wa-loaf said:


> There's also Lake wood closer to BH off of Crooked Road. If you want a little more adventure follow the trail to the left of the beach for a bit to find the naked people ...



Kind of ironic it's called Lake Wood.


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## St. Bear (Apr 12, 2013)

David Metsky said:


> Are you from New England? If so, then yes. If you're from away, probably not.



This is funny.


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## mlkrgr (Apr 16, 2013)

wa-loaf said:


> Echo Lake has some nice swimming if you don't want to brave the ocean. It's also a great stop after hiking, especially on the west side. Just look for the parking on the southern end off of rt 102. There's also Lake wood closer to BH off of Crooked Road. If you want a little more adventure follow the trail to the left of the beach for a bit to find the naked people ...



Been going to Acadia for 20 years and never realized there was a naked beach in Bar Harbor.

But another traction to not miss is deep sea fishing on the Masako Queen out of Southwest Harbor.


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## wa-loaf (Apr 16, 2013)

mlkrgr said:


> Been going to Acadia for 20 years and never realized there was a naked beach in Bar Harbor.



More of a swimming hole than beach. You'll find mostly locals and kids who work in town there.


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## tomcat (Apr 23, 2013)

Precipice is closed as of yesterday, it opens usually around mid August again.  My favorite hikes for views are Pemetic and the Sargent/Penobscot Ridge.  You can hike Bald, Gilmore, Parkman and Sargent all with bare summits all in a short 4-5 mile hike.  On the other side of Somes Sound, Beech, Mansell, and Barnard all are 900-1000 foot range and very few people in summer.  If you are ambitious you can do the Acadia Traverse which covers 10-11 Peaks depending on route but is a tough 14 mile hike with more elevation gain than a Presidential summit or Katahdin but it is a great hike covering the main peaks in the main area of the park. 
For carriage road rides Around the Mountain Loop is around 12 miles and covers some scenic spots.  Starting at the Park Headquarters also gives you several options with several ponds and views. I ride here a handful of times each year and I can do  25-30 mile loops with less than a mile of overlapping the same trails.  The carriage roads are very well graded and there is no need for a super burly mt. bike.  I see people on road bikes ride them occasionally.  At the very least I'd recommend a hybrid bike though


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## ski_resort_observer (May 1, 2013)

Acadia is one of the most visited NPs in the country while being one of the smallest so hitting it up during the prime summer season gets pretty busy. Bar Harbor is a typical tourist trap but getting ice cream at Ben & Bill's is worth a visit. Incredible unique flavors. Check your maps as many roads on the east side are one way so if drive by a place you want to stop at your basically screwed. Biking on the carriage roads is fun...if you don't have a bike, plenty of places to rent one.


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## wa-loaf (May 3, 2013)

ski_resort_observer said:


> Acadia is one of the most visited NPs in the country while being one of the smallest so hitting it up during the prime summer season gets pretty busy. Bar Harbor is a typical tourist trap but getting ice cream at Ben & Bill's is worth a visit. Incredible unique flavors. Check your maps as many roads on the east side are one way so if drive by a place you want to stop at your basically screwed. Biking on the carriage roads is fun...if you don't have a bike, plenty of places to rent one.



Only one way road I know of is the Park Loop road.

September and early October are the best time of year there IMHO.


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## o3jeff (May 3, 2013)

wa-loaf said:


> Only one way road I know of is the Park Loop road.
> 
> September and early October are the best time of year there IMHO.



So I need to plan this as a fall vacation and plan something else for the summer now?


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## wa-loaf (May 4, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> So I need to plan this as a fall vacation and plan something else for the summer now?



Depends on your tolerance for crowds. Fall colors there are pretty spectacular, but then it could also be rainy for a week.


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## mlkrgr (May 4, 2013)

o3jeff said:


> So I need to plan this as a fall vacation and plan something else for the summer now?



For summer, you should start planning now. I wouldn't surprised if Blackwoods CG is full for now and you are stuck at a private CG if you are doing that. If you need to go to a private CG, Hadley's Point is very good, and then take Smugglers (isn't as good as it used to be and there pricing has went way up but for pricing for 4 adults it is comparatively reasonable as there's no extra charge like some of the other places).

For fall, you can easily get a reservation anywhere you want. The offpeak rates are exceptionally good at the private places ($25 a night) and you can get the $20/night at Blackwoods at last minute. Blackwoods is the best and the cheapest (but maybe not against the offpeak private rates once you figure shower costs)... only thing wrong with it is there's no showers; you have to go to a private place and pay $2 for 4 minutes 1/4 mile from the CG. Do keep in mind that you are forced to pay entrance fees ($20 for 7 day pass or $40 annually) at check in at Blackwoods which is on top of the $20/night site fee so it may not be your first choice if you will only spend a night or two.


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