After moving to Maine, we couldn’t help but plan a trip to the only national park in the northeastern US, a place where low mountains, glacial lakes, and the North Atlantic Ocean collide. We spent a long weekend in Acadia from our home in Portland.

Given Maine’s climate, Acadia’s annual visitors are concentrated in the few months of summer. We recommend early fall for the best experience: once kids are back at school, but before peak foliage—usually in early October—which also attracts major crowds. Late spring / early summer before school is out could be good too, but you have to be mindful of black flies.
At peak times of the year, you may need to book ahead for certain popular activities like parking at the summit of Cadillac Mountain for sunrise.
Certain areas of the park close at certain times of the year to help protect peregrine falcons. Read here for more information.
The fastest route to the park from the southwest is via I-95 and then US-1A. If you’ve got more time (and patience for traffic), we recommend following US-1 northeast from Bath all the way up to Ellsworth and then down to Mount Desert Island. This route will take you through picturesque seaside towns like Wiscasset and Camden. We’d even recommend staying in one of these towns for a night or two on your way up or down if you’ve got the time.

Stretched our legs at the viewpoint on Caterpillar Hill in Sedgwick, just a few minutes’ drive to the Deer Isle Bridge. Deer Isle is not part of Acadia, but we visited on our way up.
Once on Deer Isle, we hiked at Barred Island Preserve. We parked at the dedicated lot. It’s a popular hike with only so many spots for cars, so we recommend arriving early in the day. We timed our hike with the tides so that we could walk out to (and back from—don’t forget this part!) the island. The walk through the forest to the sea is very dramatic with lots of exposed roots, moss, and moody light filtering through the trees.
Checked into our Airbnb and settled into Southwest Harbor.
Our Airbnb had a full kitchen which we used over the course of our stay to cook some of our meals using fresh ingredients from local grocery stores.
Takeout dinner from Little Notch Bakery and Café in Southwest Harbor.

Hiked Beech Mountain Trail. Parked at 44.315221, -68.343691. Moderate hike with great views down to Long Pond and out to the coast.
Hiked Flying Mountain Trail. Parked at 44.299617, -68.316340. Very easy hike with nice views, but not as good as Beech Mountain.
Visited Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.
Walked around the southern edge of Long Pond. Parked at 44.300235, -68.349902. Easy, peaceful stroll.

Hiked North Bubble to South Bubble then around part of Jordan Pond. Parked at 44.341180, -68.250421. High-ROI hike. Great views from both summits. A curiously-perched boulder at the summit of South Bubble.
Drove to the main Jordan Pond parking lot. Walked around the southern half of Jordan Pond. Tons of crowds, but still enjoyable.
Drove to Otter Cliff Overlook.
Drove to Little Hunters Beach.
Hiked Ship Harbor Trail. Easy trail with nice water views.

Hiked the Beehive to the Bowl, over Gorham Mountain, then down to the Ocean Path at 44.316674, -68.190717 and northeast to Sand Beach. Parked at 44.330180, -68.183945. We recommend doing the Beehive as early in the day as possible as it’s one of the park’s most popular hikes, and we certainly recommend doing this whole loop as opposed to just up and down the Beehive. Be warned: The Beehive has a reputation as a “dangerous” hike, owing mostly to the ladders and narrow trail section near the top, but it’s only dangerous for unprepared tourists that think they can schlep themselves up in flip flops. As long as you know what you’re doing and are not afraid of heights, it’s no problem.
Drove through Bar Harbor. We visited during COVID and didn’t want to get out and rub elbows with all the crowds, so a self “driving tour” of the town sufficed.
Raven’s Nest on the Schoodic Peninsula for sunset. Parked at 44.352972, -68.074287. Few visitors are aware of this little slice of the park south of Winter Harbor. Even fewer people are aware of excellent sunset spot. There’s only enough room for 5 or 6 cars, so we recommend getting there an hour ahead of sunset.

Drove to Cadillac Mountain for sunrise. The summit of Cadillac Mountain is well-known as the place the sun first rises in the US. This is actually only true for about 6 months of the year, but that’s just a technicality… See here for more info. During peak season, you will need to book ahead for a parking spot.
Drove back to Portland.

On Deer Isle, we would have liked to have had time to visit the Edgar M. Tennis Preserve.
Also on Deer Isle, we would have visited the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts if they were receiving visitors at the time we were there.
In non-COVID times we would have loved to spend time walking around Bar Harbor.
We chose to drive to Cadillac Mountain for sunrise on this trip, but next time we’d like to hike up for sunrise (with headlamps of course!).
The Precipice trail is at the top of our list for next time. We’ve heard it’s like the Beehive on steroids.
Isle au Haut, an island about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of Deer Isle, is home to a patch of the park. We’d love to take the ferry there for a day next time we’re in the area.