Jarrett and I had planned a fantastic vacation in the fall of 2019 for the following May. We were going to go back to California but instead of focusing on the coast like we did previously, we’d travel inland and go to a few national parks and other fun spots. However, like everything else, the Covid-19 pandemic foiled our plans and our trip was cancelled. Jarrett and I, like the rest of the population, spent the majority of the year at home or exploring things locally.
In September one of my best friends from home was getting married on the coast of Southern Maine. It was a small outdoor wedding so the restrictions were a little more relaxed at the time. Jarrett and I decided that after the wedding festivities, we should take a few days off from work and go up to Acadia National Park.
Before we left the Portland area the day after the wedding, we had to stop at Holy Donut for some potato donuts! If you’re in the area, I definitely recommend picking some up! We then started our drove up coastal Route 1. Some of the drive was beautiful, while other parts were a little rough around the edges.
We stopped in Camden to get lunch at Blaze Brewing. We got pizza and beers, all which were enjoyable. I’m not usually an IPA fan, but my favorite beer from the flight I got was Blinded By The Colors, a double New England IPA. We continued north and stopped at another brewery in Ellsworth – Fogtown Brewing Company. I think they’ve expanded the taproom/beer garden since we’ve been there but at the time, they just had a little outdoor area and a window to order at. My favorite beer there was the Wise Guy lager. If you’re in the area, I recommend stopping in for a beer, it’s a cute place with great people.
Once we got into the Bar Harbor area, we checked into our hotel, which was a series of little cabins right across the street from Hulls Cove. They were dated, but Jarrett and I aren’t too picky since we’re only ever in the room to sleep. They also had a refrigerator, which we always appreciate when traveling. The location was so convenient too. It was about a 5 minute drive to the entrance of the park and only a little further to get downtown. We spent some time walking around downtown but it was pretty crowded so we only stopped at a bar with outdoor seating for a quick bite to eat before going back to the cabin.
When we had checked in Sunday afternoon, the woman at the front desk said that if we didn’t want to battle the crowds at Cadillac Mountain for sunrise, we could get a great view at Hulls Cove as well. If you aren’t familiar, Cadillac Mountain is the first place to see the sunrise in the United States for a portion of the year and has an auto road to the summit, making it a popular tourist destination. Hulls Cove was right across the street from where we were staying, which was much more convenient for us. Unfortunately we didn’t get a very dramatic sunrise but it was still beautiful.
We headed to the National Park around 8am and drove up to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. There weren’t a lot of people there at that time so there was plenty of parking, we were able to explore freely and get some great pictures. The weather was perfect while we were there – it was warm but not muggy, there was a nice breeze and luckily no bugs!
I had reached out to a friend of mine prior to our visit for trail suggestions as I hadn’t been to Acadia since I was a kid. We were going to start out at Jordan Pond and summit Sargent Mountain and Penobscot Mountain, finishing back by the pond. If you’re interested in doing the same hike (roughly about 5 miles), I’ve included a map and directions in this post!
We parked at the Jordan Pond parking lot and followed the short trail to the water, then took a left and headed clockwise around the pond. My first reaction to Jordan Pond was just WOW, it was beautiful. The water was so clear, it’s known as the clearest lake in Maine. It was really peaceful when we arrived and there weren’t many other people at all.
The Jordan Pond Path was a lot of fun – it had wooden planks most of the way to walk on. When we were there, they were replacing some of the planks so we did have to take a slight detour into the woods but it didn’t take too much away from the experience. This part was very flat and easy. The planks were a little uneven in spots but nothing crazy. We even saw people running along this trail so as long as you watch your step, you’ll be fine!
At the opposite end of the pond was where the real hike started. When we got onto Deer Brook Trail we immediately started climbing straight up. I was out of breath during this section but it was still fun. During this part of the hike we came across the Deer Brook Bridge, where the Around-Mountain Carriage Road intersects with Deer Brook. It was very pretty.
When we got to the next trail sign, we followed Sargent East Cliffs Trail to Sargent Mountain. There were some parts with a bit of rock scrambling which I loved. At the summit we stopped for a snack. It was a lot windier at the summit than below tree line – as always – make sure to pack layers!
2. View of Jordan Pond from Sargent Mountain South Ridge Trail
From the summit, we followed Sargent Mountain South Ridge Trail which cut across the mountain towards Penobscot Mountain. There were so many beautiful views on this part of the trail. In some spots you can look down on Jordan Pond but at the same time you can also see the ocean. Acadia is really cool in that aspect – you have mountains and the ocean all in one park.
There was a small descent and small ascent to get to the summit of Penobscot Mountain but it was easy. The way down from Penobscot Mountain was probably my favorite part of the hike. We took the Penobscot Mountain Trail which had a lot of natural features and steps.
At the end of that trail, we crossed the Carriage Road and got onto Spring Trail which led us back to Jordan Pond. When we got back to the parking lot, it was around noon or so and it was packed – much different from when we first arrived. People were circling and waiting for a parking space. If you plan to do this hike, or really any hike at Acadia, I’d recommend getting an earlier start, at least by 9am to avoid the parking problem. After our hike we went back to the cabin to shower and eat lunch.
After lunch we went back to the park for some easy exploration. We did a short walk on Jesup Path (I believe this is fully handicap accessible but not 100% sure). Then we went to Sand Beach. Jarrett had never been before so I needed to show him how pretty it was. Our final stop in the park was the famous Thunder Hole! It was so fun trying to guess which waves were going to make the biggest booms. One wave that we didn’t think was going to make a big crash, ended up catching me completely off guard and almost soaked me 🙂
We had to head back to New Hampshire early the next day so didn’t get to do anything else at the park. The Beehive Trail, the Bubbles and the Precipice Trail are all on my to-do list so we’ll definitely be going back.
Have you been to Acadia National Park? What’s your favorite part? Let me know below.
📍I acknowledge the lands mentioned in this post are the ancestral lands of the Passamaquoddy, Wabanaki (Dawnland Confederacy), N’dakina (Abenaki/Abénaquis) and Penobscot people.
The Adventures of Suze 
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