Highlights of Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is one of the 10 most popular and most frequently visited national parks in the United States. It is also the first national park established east of the Mississippi River. A big chunk of Acadia NP is located on Mount Desert Island in Maine. The park, however, also preserves other nearby islands along the Atlantic coast.
Acadia is well known for beautiful and rugged scenery, great hiking, and a diverse flora and fauna. We camped in the park for 3 nights, which gave us enough time to explore the park and the nearby towns at a slower pace. Here are the highlights of Acadia National Park.
Cadillac Mountain
One of the highlights of Acadia National Park is Cadillac Mountain. At 1,530 feet, it is the highest point on the North Atlantic coast. Not surprisingly, the views from the top of the mountain are fantastic. You have a beautiful panorama stretching over the Schoodic Peninsula and many forested islands. Cadillac Mountain itself is great. It is predominantly made of granite and the huge boulders on top add to its charm. Many people come here to see the sunrise. Although we didn’t do that, I can certainly imagine how beautiful it must be. Not surprisingly, however, it’s wonderful to sit on one of the boulders and admire the views at any time of the day.
Park Loop Road
Park Loop Road is a 27 mile loop in the eastern section of the park. The road gives you access to multiple overlooks, the Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, beautiful stone bridges, and Cadillac Mountain.
Sand Beach
Sand Beach is one of several highlights of Acadia National Park. Although lovely, the beach is incredibly crowded. We arrived early and found a nice place at the edge of the beach under some trees. However, within half an hour other people arrived and decided to crowd the little shaded area we stakes out for ourselves. It felt a little uncomfortable to have other people basically sitting on top of us, so we left. Perhaps in a less busy season It would have been a more pleasant experience.
Carriage Roads and Bridges
John D. Rockefeller Jr. funded the multiple carriage roads in Acadia National Park. The roads and trails are closed to motor vehicles. We loved checking out the stylish stone bridges which blend nicely with the environment.
Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
A short hike over huge boulders will take you to this beautiful lighthouse perched on a cliff south of Bass Harbor. The views from here are spectacular, so I definitely recommend a stop here.
Acadia National Park is a great park. I briefly described our highlights of Acadia National Park. Overall, though, I loved the rugged coastline, the huge boulders, the forest, and the charming towns nearby. If you’re in the North East, make sure to visit the park.
