10 Best Places to Visit in Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is a beautiful nature retreat in eastern Maine. It's a true gem of the eastern USA and here's 10 of the best places to visit there!

For those of you that are new.. welcome to my blog! My name is Savanna Crowell and I'm a wanderer who likes to share travel tips and insights on my favorite destinations. If you are interested in knowing more about my background, travels, or dreams in life, check out the 'About Me' section of my website. And don't forget to follow me on Instagram @slc_travels to join me on my journeys!

10 Best Spots in Acadia National Park

1. Cadillac Mountain

This is one of the best places in the park! You can drive up to the top of the mountain (you must purchase a reservation ahead of time - it's separate from the national park pass). It's the highest point in the eastern USA and offers magnificent views of a glaciated coastal and island landscape.

2. Jordan Pond

Jordan Pond is a beautiful lake with a mountain landscape. There's a restaurant overlooking this beautiful view or a path which goes around the entire lake that you can hike on!

3. Sand Beach

Picture from Parkcation.com

Sand Beach is a beautiful, clean beach along the Park Loop Rd. I would definitely recommend visiting during your time here because it's so unique from the rest of the park and you can just park and walk right to the beach.

4. Otter Cliff Overlook

This was one of my favorite places we visited. It's along the Park Loop Rd. and I love it because you can just walk around and explore the beautiful rocky coast.

5. Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

Picture by VisitMaine.com

The east coast is known for its shoreline lighthouses, but this is one of the best out of all of them. It's on the southwest portion of Mount Desert Island. It was built in 1858 and stands 56 feet above the water. You can access it by car and it's free to visit!

Hours: daily 9am-sunset

6. Thunder Hole

Thunder Hole is a natural wonder within the park. It's a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, where the waves roll into. At the end of this inlet, down low, is a small cavern where, when the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like thunder. Water can spout as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar!

7. Park Loop Road

Park Loop Road is the loop that goes around the entire park. You can access pretty much every place on this list from the park loop road.

8. Champlain Mountain and Beehive Loop Trail

Photo by AllTrails.com

This is a 6.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail. It's a moderate level trail to a beautiful overlook that gains 2,080 ft in elevation. If you are planning on hiking in the national park, this is the trail I recommend doing!

9. Bubble Rock

This is one of the most famous views in the park. It's from the south side of Jordan Pond and is a gorgeous hike to this famous rock. To access this trail park at the Bubbles Parking Lot, a relatively small roadside parking lot located along the Park Loop Road roughly 2.3 miles south of the turnoff for the Cadillac Mountain Summit Road.

10. Gorham Mountain Trail

This is one of the most popular hiking trails in Acadia. With a 525 foot summit, Gorham Mountain is not one of the higher mountains on Mount Desert Island, but its close coastal location provides views that are spectacular. It's a moderate trail only 1.8 miles roundtrip, so if you are looking for a shorter hike this is the one to do in the park.

In Conclusion,

These are just a few of the beautiful places in Acadia National Park. I hope I have inspired you to check out some of them for your next vacation! Until next time friends..keep exploring!! xxx, Savanna