Our first National Park traveled was Acadia, Maine. I feel like we got spoiled going to such a great National Park as our first one. No wonder we are so obsessed with hiking now! I am going to give you all the “nice-to-knows” that I wish I knew before traveling. Our trip was 5 nights and 6 days, so the itinerary will be based on that. However, you can shorten or extend the itinerary however you see best!
Day 1 (Travel day)
- Stay in Bar Harbor (we stayed in an AirBnB right downtown, and it was perfect).
- Very important to stay in a hotel or AirBnB right downtown Bar Harbor. It was so nice being able to walk to dinner/ice cream/shopping.
- Fly into Bangor international airport, if you can. It’s a little over an hour drive from Bangor to Bar Harbor.
- If your flight is late and you’re looking for fast food, make sure you stop PRIOR to Bar Harbor.
- Once you pass Ellsworth on your way to Bar Harbor, you won’t find many fast food places.
- We flew in around 8pm and stopped at Wendy’s (187 High St, Ellsworth, ME 04605) on the way to Bar Harbor. Thank goodness, because this was the last fast food place we passed.
- If you get in early, stop at The Travelin Lobster on your way to Bar Harbor for some Lobster Rolls. We never got to check this place out, but it was on my list! So although I can’t personally recommend, based on research I believe it would be great!
- Open 11:30am – 7pm every day
- If you have time on day 1, or do first thing on day 2
- Head over to Hannaford to pick up groceries for your trip. This is the local grocery store in Bar Harbor. Don’t forget to grab water and snacks… vacation essentials 🙂
- Open 7am – 9pm every day
Day 2
- Wake up and grab coffee, duh!
- Places we tried and recommend: Choco-Latte Cafe or Acadia Perk
- Disclaimer** cute cup above was from Graffiti donuts
- If it’s open, walk the Shore Path (this was closed during our trip and I’m still upset about it…)
- Begin at the Town Pier next to agamont park
- It’s a roughly 1.4 mile walk (easy) right along the shore. A beautiful start to your trip!
- Morning Puffin Tour through Bar Harbor Whale Watching company from 9:30am – 12:30pm.
- For tickets click here
- Bring binoculars if you have them! Otherwise you can rent them on the boat for $5.
- The tour is 3 hours, but was very fun to be on the water and see the most adorable puffins (pictured below)
- After you go back and have lunch, head over to Great Head Trail (1.9 mile hike).
- We unfortunately did not have time to do this, but if you do you can park at the eastern edge of Sand Beach and start the hike from there.
- Great Head Trail is a moderate difficulty hike that offers unbelievable ocean views with some wooded sections.
- After your hike, go back to your hotel or AirBnB to freshen up for dinner. Before dinner, stop over at the stores in downtown Bar Harbor for some shopping.
- Our first full day we went to West Street Cafe for dinner.
- Majority of our group enjoyed their meal here! You can get a reservation at this restaurant as well which would be nice during the busier months in Acadia.
- Check out my Yelp review here
- End your first full day at Jordan Pond Ice Cream. You will see a pattern each night of this itinerary….
- The absolute greatest ice cream we have ever had… and I’ve had a LOT of ice cream in my life
- It’s right downtown Bar Harbor (the name is a little confusing, but it’s not in Jordan Pond)
- Address: 45 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
- Open until 10pm
- My favorite flavor: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup. David’s favorite flavor: Cookies and Cream. **But every single flavor is amazing!!
Day 3
- Cadillac Mountain sunrise (if you are up for an EARLY morning)
- You can hike up the mountain, but we drove. If you do drive, you will need to make a reservation online. It’s $6 and you will also need a park entrance pass on top of the reservation.
- Cadillac Mountain is the first place in the US to see the sunrise, so that’s why I recommend getting a sunrise reservation. The tickets open 3 months prior, so try and snag it early because they fill up quick.
- Link for sunrise reservations click here
- If you enjoy your sleep, I don’t blame you. However, still check out Cadillac Mountain regardless! This was one of our favorite views (and we didn’t go at sunrise because it was too foggy).
- For non-sunrise reservations click here
- Head back into town after sunrise and check out Graffiti donuts for a morning treat
- Really the only donut shop in town. Donuts are decent, my favorite was the blueberry crumb cake.
- Take a quick nap, and then pack your lunch for an all-day hiking event!
- Start by parking at Sand Beach.
- From Sand Beach walk towards Thunder Hole through the Ocean Path trail (.8 miles)
- From Thunder Hole, continue through the Ocean Path until you reach Otter Point (1.2 miles)
- Have lunch at Otter Point and fuel up for the remaining hike.
- Turn around and walk back towards Thunder Hole, stopping prior at Gorham Mountain Trail (1 mile)
- Hike Gorham Mountain Trail up to Otter Cliff which is different than Otter Point (1.7 Miles)
- From Otter Cliff, head back to Sand Beach Parking to end your hike (.6 miles)
- This whole day, you will have hiked 5.3 miles, however the beautiful views will make it feel like nothing!
- After your fun day of hiking, you deserve a drink! So grab a pre-dinner beverage at Bar Harbor Beer Works (make sure to sit outside while you enjoy)!
- Grab dinner at Testa’s Bar and Grill (you can make a reservation here as well)
- Must order’s: Calamari “Fritto Misto” as an appetizer, and Maine Street Lobster Tacos as your meal!
- Yelp review here
- Night Cap at Annex for live music and drinks! Or night cap (of ice cream) at Jordan Pond Ice Cream… duh!
- See notes from day 2 regarding Jordan Pond Ice Cream.
Day 4
- Pack lunch, water and snacks! You are going to have a full day of biking The Carriage Roads ahead of you!
- Rent bikes from Acadia Bike. You get the bikes for the full day and have the option of E-bikes or regular bikes.
- Once you are back in Bar Harbor, stroll around downtown and shop at all the cute stores!
- We recommend taking pictures of your favorite items but not buying them right away. That way when you continue shopping and find other things you like, you can compare back to that photo and see if it’s truly your favorite.
- Have dinner at your hotel/AirBnB or try out any of the following:
- Disclaimer, we can’t personally recommend these spots, but through research think they would be good places to check out!
- Geddy’s
- Stewman’s Lobster Pound
- Paddy’s
- Disclaimer, we can’t personally recommend these spots, but through research think they would be good places to check out!
- End, of course, at Jordan Pond Ice Cream!
Day 5
- Sleep in and enjoy a slow morning. Play a few card games and just relax, this is vacation you know? 🙂
- Grab coffee downtown and enjoy it by the water.
- For lunch stop at Lunch Soup and Sandwich Shop and fuel yourself for your afternoon hike!
- Again, we never went here, but heard amazing things about this place.
- Address: 8 Mt Desert St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
- Open 7 days a week from 11am – 4pm
- Drive to Jordan Pond House to find parking in order to hike Jordan Pond
- This is a 3.3 mile hike, that is moderately difficult.
- Pro-tip, go clockwise on the loop! This way you start with the harder part of the trail and end on the easier side.
- After your hike, grab some popovers at Jordan Pond House as a treat!
- Head back to your hotel/AirBnB after the hike and grab dinner or make dinner!
- It’s your last night, so you need to stop at Jordan Pond Ice Cream one more time!
Day 6
- Pack up your hotel/AirBnB and think about all the wonderful adventures you had during your time in Acadia!
- If you have time between your checkout and flight, take a quick 30 minute drive to Southwest Harbor for the best lobster rolls around at Beal’s Lobster Pier!
- Address: 182 Clark Point Rd, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
- Open 7 days a week from 11am – 9pm
- Check out my yelp review here
If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading! Please comment any feedback you have for us. Also let me know if you try any of the recommendations we had!
We Hike Parks 
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