Traveling to Acadia National Park

TRAVEL TUESDAY

Today, I'd like to take you on a visually stunning tour of Acadia National Park.  Acadia is located on Mount Desert Island, Maine.  Accessible just outside the town of Bar Harbor.
This is one of those National Parks, that if you can find time in your life, it is definitely worth adding to your bucket list.  I visited the park during the fall, however I imagine Spring and Summer would be just as amazing!  Most of the roads in the park are closed during the winter months.

Acadia is one of those National Parks that if all you can do is take a drive by car, you'll still be able to see a lot of it!  The roads climb and wind all through the park, giving you amazing vantage views of the ocean, mountains, rivers, lakes, granite cliffs and more.

The park is famous for all of their 17 different stone carriage road bridges.  If you can go off on foot there are 120 miles of hiking trails or walks along the old carriage roads.  I recommend doing both, take a day or two and travel by car and get out and take a few walks.

In the fall, the colors are absolutely amazing.  Blood reds, brightest of corals, many shades of yellows, oranges, reds and more!

Make sure you bring your camera everywhere with you while you travel the park.  There are many stunning pullouts, trailheads and points of interest along the way.

Although Acadia is mostly beautifully green lush forests, there is also a lot of beautiful granite rock.

You'll find the beautiful granite.  Both high up in the mountains, and as well down along the coast.

If your lucky, you might even get a chance to see some wild life, seals along the coastal waters, or possibly even a moose in the morning hours drinking from the lakes and rivers.

One of my favorite stops was to the Thunder Tidal Blow Hole.  Sometimes this may be closed off closer down for your safety. (It was when I was there.)  But it is still a beautiful event to watch the tide come in and shoot up into the sky as it hits the blow hole.

On this particular day, if you stood too close, you got a little wet:)  But there was actually a Nor Eastern going on on this particular day, so normally it isn't likely so windy.

Enjoy the 27 mile loop drive along the ocean shoreline and coastal lush forests.

Drive along Somes Sound, the only Fjord along the eastern coast of the United States.  This large body of water, almost splits through the entire island.

Enjoy walking along the rivers, and viewing the many waterfalls throughout the park.  Most of which can be seen by a short walk on foot.

There are many old carriage houses, and old brick buildings covered in vines that are just amazing to look at.  Additionally, there are so many beautiful inns, and bed and breakfasts to stay at around the island that give you a feel for being in a time long ago.

I never got bored just driving through the forest.

Even on the rainy day I was there, it was still absolutely beautiful to get out and drive around and see all the colors.  The granite rocks have so many more colors when they are wet, I discovered from the next day when it wasn't raining.

Acadia also has some spectacular sunsets, whether you are driving around the park loop, or sitting a top Cadillac Mountain watching the sun go down.

IF YOU GO:

*  Closest small airport is Bar Harbor - Closest larger airport is in Bangor, Maine.
*  The National Park has several campgrounds, or Mount Desert Island has many tourist hotels both inland and seaside to stay at.
*  There are fee's to enter a National Park, but a pass is good for 7 days.  However, if you plan your trip along the FREE park days, you won't have to pay at all.  Visit HERE to see what are the free days.
*  If you enjoy running, try the Mount Desert Marathon in October
*  You can also see Acadia via Air Tour, Boat Cruise
*  You can even enjoy a day at Sand Beach (on a warm day).