Acadia: the rocky coast of Maine, between ocean and granite

Acadia covers a large part of Mount Desert Island, a granite island on the coast of Maine, in the far north-east of the United States. You’ll find cliffs pounded by the Atlantic, rounded summits dropping into the sea, lakes and forests. It’s the great national park of New England, and one of the most visited in the country.

History and origins

The Wabanaki peoples have lived here for at least 12,000 years. Samuel de Champlain sailed along the island in 1604 and named it “île des Monts Déserts” (island of barren mountains), because of its bare summits. The name has stuck, in its English version.

At the end of the 19th century, the great fortunes of the East Coast had their summer residences built here. Some worried about seeing the island covered in villas. George B. Dorr, known as the “father of Acadia”, spent his life buying up land and persuading his neighbours to donate theirs. The park grew out of those gifts: a national monument in 1916, a national park in 1919, the first east of the Mississippi. It took its present name in 1929.

John D. Rockefeller Jr. made his own contribution: he had a network of carriage roads built, closed to cars, with their granite bridges. The park now has 72 km of them.

What to do there

• Cadillac Mountain: the highest point on the Atlantic coast of the United States, at 466 metres. You can go up by car or on foot. From October to early March, it’s one of the first places in the country to see the sun rise.
• The Park Loop Road: a 43 km road that circles the east of the island, partly one-way, along the ocean.
• Sand Beach and Ocean Path: a sandy beach at the back of a cove, then an easy trail along the cliffs to Otter Point.
• Thunder Hole: a cleft in the rock where the waves rush in with a sound like thunder. The show depends on the sea: it’s at its strongest one to two hours before high tide.
• The Beehive: a small summit you climb by iron rungs set into the cliff. Short, but not advised for anyone with a fear of heights.
• Jordan Pond: a lake with very clear water, with two round hills in the background, the Bubbles. The lakeside restaurant has been serving popovers, light hollow rolls, with jam for more than a century.
• The carriage roads: 72 km of wide gravel roads, free of cars, to explore on foot or by bike. Bike rental shops are in Bar Harbor.
• Bass Harbor lighthouse: a small lighthouse set on the rocks, on the quieter side of the island. It’s the classic sunset photo.
• The Schoodic Peninsula: the only part of the park on the mainland, an hour’s drive away. The same granite coast, far fewer people.
• Bar Harbor: the small town at the entrance to the park, with its lobster restaurants and its whale-watching boats.

Stories and good to know

• In 1947, a fire ravaged the east of the island for several days and destroyed a large share of the villas in Bar Harbor. The fir forest gave way to birches and maples. It’s to them that we owe today’s autumn colours.
• Peregrine falcons had disappeared from the park. They have been nesting there again since 1991.
• The Island Explorer shuttle is free and serves almost the whole park, but not the summit of Cadillac Mountain.
• Fog is frequent on the coast in summer. It can hide the view in the morning and lift at midday.

Practical information for your road trip

• Pass: with the surcharge for non-residents, the America the Beautiful pass pays for itself with this park alone. Everything is explained in our guide to the national parks pass.
• Getting there: Bar Harbor is about 5 hrs’ drive from Boston. The nearest airport is Bangor, a little over an hour away.
• Parking: in summer and in October, the car parks at Sand Beach and Jordan Pond are full by mid-morning. Arrive early or take the shuttle.
• Weather: even in summer, bring something warm and a windbreaker. The ocean rarely gets above 15°C.
• Where to stay: in Bar Harbor for the bustle, in Southwest Harbor for the quiet. The park has several campgrounds, to be booked ahead.
• Combine it with: the coast of Maine, Boston, or the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont, for a road trip through New England.