Acadia National Park Part I – Getting Situated
We made it to Acadia and I can’t quite believe it!
Not only had we reached this iconic place that we’d heard and read about for years, but it was a milestone that we’d been tracking since the beginning of the year. You see Acadia National Park marked the end of something very significant. It was the last place we’d spend with our traveling family unit before we parted ways.
After almost two months of amazing time together (both here and in Europe) this was it. Within days my dad would fly back to Europe and within a week Paul’s dad and stepmom would start the long RV drive back to Miami. It was a potent and emotional thought.
Acadia would also be the last major place we explored in Maine before we switched gears*. After this, summer would officially be over and we’d likely head south. Just the two of us and the paws, once again traveling alone on this big road trip life of ours.
How did it all go by so fast?
*NOTE1/ We’ve actually ended up extending our travels in Maine, but I’ll tell you about that later
RV Planning & The Passage Of Time
It’s a strange thing when you plan RV travel. Sometimes you spend weeks or even months doing it, researching travel routes, figuring out which towns will be interesting to visit, reviewing RV parks and choosing sites. It’s a helluva process especially when you’re a Type A, somewhat OCD person like I am (Paul’s better at it, admittedly).
And then there’s the booking headache! We don’t always book our sites in advance, but for Maine we wanted specific sites at very specific times during the (very) short high season, so we knew it was going to be a necessity. We booked ALL of our sites from Aug through Oct more than 6 months ago, back when summer seemed such a long, long ways away.
Then we waited….and we traveled slowly north….and we saw new places….and spring passed into summer….and we had adventures…and life happened…and we cried, and laughed…and more time went by…and then suddenly we were here!
What??
I know part of all this is age. Time seems to go faster as we age (everyone says it, everyone experiences it), but I’m still amazed when it happens to me. This was IT, our big summer goal, our month exploring an amazing, spectacular island. Then we’d all part ways, fall would be here and before you could snap your fingers we’d be heading back south. Egads, it’s hard to wrap your head around.
But we didn’t need to think about all that yet…
We had JUST pulled into our site and we had PLANS. We were going to brew some beer (yes, we really did….and it was such a blast I think I may have to do an entirely separate blog post on it), we were going to explore miles of dog-friendly hikes, we were going to sail and cruise, see some lighthouses, meet some blog friends, enjoy some lounging and basically just immerse ourselves into EVERYthing this place had to offer.
Oh and yeah, we ended up LOVING it!
Staying In The Area
The biggest thing we did before we came here was book our prime waterfront site at Narrows Too Campground.
Now there are many places to stay around Acadia National Park, both on and off the Island itself, and there are a WIDE range of budgets too from pretty darn cheap (down to $15/night with 50% senior pass, if your rig is small enough to fit into one of the National Park Campgrounds), to hugely expensive ($120/night for premium waterfront sites. Unfortunately camping at private parks in Maine is generally NOT a cheap endeavor).
But there are some interesting ways to save too.
For example there are two Encore/Thousand Trails campgrounds next to Acadia NP (specifically Mt Desert Narrows and Narrows Too). You won’t be able to book a waterfront site with your membership, but you can get a nice discount on one of their regular sites. Also these same two parks take Passport America in the slower months (not valid July/Aug or holidays) which will give you 50% off the daily rate (5 nights max, standard sites only) if you stay during that time. Lastly pretty much every private park in the area will offer a hefty monthly (and an even heftier seasonal) discount. So the longer you stay, the more you save over the nightly rate**
In our case we decided to do a mix.
This was our last stop with family and we wanted it to be both extra special and extra memorable. So we made the conscious decision to splurge for a premium waterfront site for the month. We got a fabulous site and since we booked for a month we benefited from the monthly discount (big difference!), but it was still the most expensive month of “rent” we’ve paid in our 8 years of RVing! Eeeek!
Before we arrived we were nervous about whether it was going to be worth it, but in retrospect we were very happy we did it. We enjoyed every single day at our site, logged endless happy hours with our gorgeous view, and reveled in the ever-changing moods of the tides and the water. Our family enjoyed it, we enjoyed it and we even had friends over who enjoyed it. It was well worth the one-time splurge in this special place!
**NOTE2/ The camping season in Acadia usually runs from around mid-May to around mid-October (Narrows Too, where we stayed is open a little longer -> it opens May 1 and closes Oct 22). Priciest months are typically July & Aug with discounted prices possible before and after that.
Getting Around
One of the other reasons we chose the campground we did was because it’s on the free Island Explorer bus route that goes into Acadia National Park.
We’d been duly warned warned about the crowds and the (often) over-full parking lots all around the park, so being able to access free shuttles was a real bonus. The #9 bus route stops literally inside Narrows Too campground (right opposite the check-in office) so it’s super easy to catch it. It’s a really sweet system and runs often enough (both into Bar Harbor and then around the various sightseeing loops of the Island) that it’s quite convenient. Plus you can bring your bikes and even (if you wish) your dog!
We ended up taking the shuttle several times into Bar Harbor (great service!), but we ALSO found that we could avoid the crowds simply by going into the park early. As long as we were at whatever trail we wanted to hike by 9AM (at the latest, earlier is even better) we had no problem finding parking spots. By 10AM the crowds were starting to amass and by 11AM it was time to get out of Dodge! Once we figured that out we did all our hiking early and really had no issues at all.
Oh, and for those that prefer a guided tour there are ALSO plenty of interesting options for that in Acadia. There are guided tour buses (Oli’s Trolly rates well), horse carriage tours (Carriages of Acadia), guided ranger-led walks, as well as kayak tours, sea cruises and sightseeing planes. See a nice list of options HERE).
VISIT & PAW NOTES/ The Island Explorer bus is FREE and operates from June 23 through Columbus Day. The buses are dog-friendly, kid-friendly and bike-friendly. See routes and schedules HERE.
The Popular and The Quiet Side Of MDI
The other thing to know about Acadia National Park is that it has several different parts to it.
The majority of the park (30,300 acres) is located on Mount Desert Island (also called MDI and pronounced dessert, thanks to the French who originally named it) with two smaller bits located separately on Isle au Haut (2,728 acre Island, SW of MDI) and the Schoodic Penninsula (2,366 acre peninsula, across the water due east of MDI). Mount Desert Island is where most people go and it’s where all our explorations this month were centered***.
And it’s BIG, much bigger than you’d think just from looking at a map. MDI is a horse-shoe shaped island covering 108 square miles (280 km sq.) making it the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. In addition the two different sides or “fingers” of the Island have very different feels.
On the right-hand “finger” you’ll find the main city (Bar Harbor) as well as the main 27-mile Acadia sight-seeing loop (= The Park Loop Road, which runs one-way clockwise around the coastal section, but is two-way on the inland section). It’s where all the famous sights are and where almost all of the best-known photography spots are, and if you only had a single day to see Acadia NP it’s where I’d advise you to go too.
The sightseeing loop is gorgeous with mountains, overlooks, stunning cliffs, beaches you-name-it (it’s a “must do”), while Bar Harbor is your typical Maine tourist town (somewhat too touristy for my tastes actually), plus it’s where the cruise ships anchor when they’re in town. You most definitely want to see this side of the Island, but you also need to be prepared for the crowds. It’s known as the “popular” side of MDI and it’s earned that reputation!
The left-hand “finger” is very different. There’s no “official” sightseeing loop here (plenty of roads, just no specific loop) and there are no big tourist towns (only smaller towns), so it’s generally far less crowded. For this reason it’s literally known as the “quiet” side of MDI, and it really is!
We did all the regular tourist stuff on the popular side, but we spent most of our time (and did most of our hikes) on the quiet side of the Island. We definitely preferred the more relaxed feel on that side.
***NOTE3/ We DID also go and explore the Schoodic Peninsula. In fact it’s where we’re parked right now (this week)! But that blog post will come later. For the month we were by MDI, we kept all our outings on the Island.
Dogs & Dog-Friendly Stuff
One of the other reasons we decided to settle for a month here was the fact that it’s so darn dog-friendly.
Our campground (Narrows Too) had a HUGE (seriously the biggest I’ve ever seen) off-leash dog area, as well as a lovely beach area (walkable at low tide). Polly loved it there!
In addition Acadia National Park is one of the very few National Parks in the USA that allows dogs on their trails. Most National Parks allow dogs in parking areas, overlooks and campgrounds, but very rarely allow them on hiking trails. For that reason we just haven’t spent much time in National Parks on our RV travels. We don’t like to leave Polly at home alone, so we prefer to travel to places we can bring her rather than places we cannot. It’s a small sacrifice that we’re more than happy to make for our furry family.
But when an opportunity like Acadia presents itself we’re on it like bees on sugar!
Not only can your bring your dog along to hike on ~145 miles of trails in the park (only a select few are prohibited because of difficult access, like climbing ladders), but you can bring doggie onto the Island Explorer shuttle bus and take pooch to just about any restaurant or brewery that has an outdoor sitting area. Polly went almost everywhere with us here and it made the entire experience SO much better!
The Month We Spent Here
A month in Acadia is a long time and I could easily write an entire book on our stay here (in fact many have already been written by others), but for the sake of your sanity I’ll endeavor to keep my ramblings a tad shorter.
So over the next few posts I’ll focus on highlighting the best of the best of what we enjoyed here. I’ll cover our favorite 5 easy hikes, our favorite “other” outings (we did quite a few) and the couple of fav eateries we found in the area. Plus of course I’ll be doing my usual campground review. Hopefully it’ll give you a feel for what this place is all about.
I expect it’ll up taking around 2-3 blog posts all in all (more or less). Stay tuned for the adventure….
Useful External Links
- Acadia National Park -> Official website HERE
- Acadia Island Explorer Bus -> Official website HERE
- Joe’s Guide To Acadia National Park -> Great, in-depth website & guide HERE
- Acadia Magic -> Another great, in-depth website & guide HERE
- The Photographers Guide to Acadia National Park -> Super useful page HERE
Wow. Beautiful. We might have to leave the West sometime in our RV. It looks like if you are a Thousand Trails member you can add those two Encore Parks included as part of the new Trails Collection for $199 a year.
Yes I think there are some really good deals to be had through the membership program. You won’t be able to get a prime waterfront site (they’re not included in the program), but you can nab one of the standard sites for a screaming price. It’s well worth investigating!
Nina
We just got that to add to our TT membership. You’re right about the great deal for $199. Well worth it!
Acadia NP had been on my radar at one time, but the thought of crowds, traffic, and cost in the east quickly became a determent. Looks beautiful and sharing it with family makes it even more special. Look forward to seeing and hearing more about your visit.
We were definitely worried about the crowds when we got here, but honestly it wasn’t nearly as bad as some other National Parks we’ve been to (e.g. Yellowstone), plus we found that as long as we went in early it was fine. Discovering the “quiet” side of the island made it even better, plus we discovered an even quieter place (we were the only people there!) that I’ll mention in one of the next two blog posts.
Nina
Yellowstone – just spent two weeks there in July NOT battling the crowds. Staying inside the park and starting each day early were the keys to a relaxing visit. Avoiding the park entry craziness every day saved countless hours and starting them early allowed us be where the crowds had not yet arrived. It’s one of the few (if not the only) NPs where one can book 12 months in advance and I’d highly recommend doing just that. Felt strange booking in 2016 but like you, the time flew by! However, it was totally worth the wait for our awesome beast sized site in Grant Village CG and the lake side view provided the cherry on top! Serendipity often works but pulling into the best beast sized sites inside NPs with no stress is hard to beat!
Great tips (and awesome planning to get such a great site)! We went to Yellowstone a few years ago and did find we could avoid the crowds if we went in super early (I found I had to go in almost right after sunrise!). We were staying outside the park though, which was a detriment to seeing such a large area. Staying inside would have given us more accessibility. Yellowstone is just so HUGE!
Nina
Narrows Too is officially on my bucket list! I’ve only spent 2 short days in Acadia a couple of years ago and I really want to go back for a longer stay.
I’m so glad we got to stay a month. There’s no doubt you can “see” Acadia in a few days, but spending the month there allowed us to really dig in and explore it. Hope you manage to get back someday!
Nina
Hurry up with those other blogs! Heading to Narrows Too on Monday (10/2)!
Oh sweeeet! Fall colors should be exploding, and weather is still perfect. You’ll have a blast.
Nina
We didn’t include Maine in our first trip to the east coast specifically because we want to spend some real time there. Your post is going to be so helpful when we get back there ! Lovely photos, especially Paul and Polly on the coastal rocks.
I think that’s a good choice. We’ve really loved our time in Maine (even more than I imagined) and being able to spend in-depth time here has made it even better.
Nina
MID is on my list of favorite places in the world. Last year we planned to spend the summer there but life happened (in spades!) and we didn’t even make it up there this year. Next year for sure though only on our way to Nova Scotia and PEI. Thanks for another beautiful post to remind me. We are in agreement about Bar Harbor and the Quiet Side.
As to time: when my grandmother turned 100 I asked her about it since I already felt at 49 that time was moving faster. Her answer was classic, Oh yes, she said, I go to sleep on New Years Day and when I wake up it’s already New Years Eve. She taught me two invaluable lessons: “learn something new every day” and “never mistake a phase for a finality.” She lived to 102 and only stopped tutoring 2nd graders when she was 98.
Wow, what a woman and what a story! Thanks so much for sharing that. I’ll try to remember your grandmothers sage advice and incorporate it into my own life.
Nina
Looks absolutely stunning. Hope to make it up that way some day. Thanks for the inspiration.
Nina,
All I can say is NICE!!!Thank you for posting and the info. We are in the west thinking of future east coast endeavors. You inspire us!!
Thank YOU!!
We haven’t been back to Maine since our first two years of fulltiming. I’d like to head back to spend more time hiking and exploring Acadia but I don’t know if I’m ready for the humidity and insects. I’d love to revisit New England but I’m waiting for the humidity to be removed and the insects to be eradicated!!! Great report on the area. So glad you were able to share it with family. Lots of memories being made.
Honestly we haven’t experience any bugs since we’ve been in Maine. I don’t know if it’s the time of year, or it’s unusual, or just dumb luck but we’ve been blissfully bug free for all of late summer into fall. As for temps it’s definitely been very warm, but not overly humid…or maybe I’m just getting used to it!
Nina
We were there the first 3 weeks of June in 2015. The lilacs were in bloom, then the lupines were but if we experienced bugs I don’t remember them. It was pleasantly cool, not humid but we felt guilty as family and friends south of us were experiencing heat and humidity.
We did find something called Natrapel whilst in the Grand Tetons and being pestered and it works well.
I am so jelly! Acadia is on my list of ‘to see’. So happy to see that you and Paul are enjoying the time you have with your family. Your pictures are amazing!
I cant believe it, we were there four years ago about the same time that you are there. And I so agree with you its so beautiful out there and am glad that you finally made your way east ward this year. Like you I am a western gal but the east has its own characteristics that can not be overlooked. Maine is one of Steve’s favorite state and has been nagging about revisiting 🙁
Yeah, as a dedicated Western Gal I wasn’t sure I’d fall to in love with the East, but I’m so happy that we’ve had the chance to properly visit. It’s totally changed my perspective. Sometimes it’s good to go outside your travel “comfort zone”. We’ve had so many new adventures this year.
Nina
I am happy too. While I love the west and all your posts about it I found myself thinking, Oh I wish Nina and Paul would visit the east coast, there is so much that is wonderful about it. So glad you did and are finding so much of the beauty and good stuff. If you head to the Hudson Valley before heading west our driveway (We now have a part time house) is long and flat and our area (near Kingston) is known for its restaurants and microbreweries…oh and wine too. Not to mention the glorious Hudson, a 5 min walk from our house.
During our working years, from 1986 through 2010, we went to Acadia every three years in August for a week or two. There are still things we haven’t done there yet! We were really good at finding uncrowded spots and times, pretty much by getting up early like you did, Nina.
How lovely! I could totally see coming here every year, and like you said there are plenty of uncrowded spots if you get in early or go off the beaten path.
Nina
We just spent 2 months, mid-June to mid-August, at Narrows Too!!! Perfect location to explore Acadia, especially if you have a BIG rig;o)) The weather this summer was spectacular and we managed to hike to all 30 named peaked!!! We only visited Bar Harbor 2-3 times in the 2 months we were there. You are spot on about hitting the trails early. Also, once you get on the trails…the crowds disappear;o)) Another wonderful thing to do is walk the carriage road and explore the beautiful carriage road bridges!!! Can’t wait to read about the rest of your adventure!!! Acadia is one of our ALL TIME FAVORITE PLACES!!!!
We must have arrived at the park just after you left (maybe a week or so later?). How impressive that you hiked all 30 peaks!! Wow! And totally agree with you on the other tips. I think we only went into Bar Harbor twice the whole time we were here (it was just too touristy for our tastes), but we really enjoyed the other towns and the carriage trails too.
Nina
Thanks for linking to our photography guide!
You’re welcome! I’ve found your guides invaluable for the photography I’ve done here. You do beautiful work and the detailed tips are spot on!
Nina
That’s one of the few places I would like to visit in the east! Maybe a few summers down the road here… looks beautiful!! And love the dog friendliness of it.
We are born and raised in New England and have camped since childhood,retired now and have traveled most of u.s. And a great deal of Canada raving the last 15 years.l have to tell you that you planned the perfect trip to Maine.
We are getting ready to head to the rio grande valley for the winter.your blog is without a doubt my favorite,safe travels!
Glad to hear we got it right 🙂 We planned this so long ago I thought it would never happen. We’ve been very happy with everything we’ve seen and done here. It’s been a total blase to explore this State.
Nina
Hi, we have been to Acadia and Narrows Too many times over the last 25 years, we used to live in NH for awhile before we started full-timing 13 years ago, and would go up often. Would it be a spoiler alert to say what site you are in in the picture and whether you think it is the best of the Best Waterfront sites. We are planning to go through New England next year, and your writeup sparked some further interest, we were originally going to turn around in Camden. I know you said you are going to do your campground review, but we want to get a site ASAP. Thanks.
No problem! We were in site 16 and it was very nice, but there are nicer! The reason I say this is that we had full privacy on one side (passenger/door side of the rig), but it was open to our neighbor on the other side (drivers side of the rig), so we didn’t have COMPLETE privacy. For the BEST sites and complete waterfront privacy I recommend trying to get either 311, 312, 313, 314, 317 or 318. They are all wonderful. If I were to choose my absolute fav? It would be either 314 (if you want shade) or 317 (for views -> that’s the site to the left in the instagram pic I posted). Whatever you do avoid 309 and 310 at all costs since they are “buddy sites” that share a sitting area, something I really don’t like (I would NOT pay premium for either of these two).
Oh and if you can’t get one of the premium waterfront sites, then I’d recommend trying to book either 610 or 623 as they are at the bottom of the hill (nearest the water) and DO get a pretty decent view out the side.
Nina
Super! Thanks much, now we’ll see if the park will let us reserve a particular site.
Score! We got 317 for next year.
Oh awesome! You’ll love that site. Very private, very good views.
Nina
This is a great time to come here by the way. Weather is PERFECT right now and fall colors are starting to explode. You’ll love it!
Nina
This is a wonderfully useful post. I wish you would write a book on the whole Acadia experience! It’s a long way from me (in New Mexico), but I’ll put it on my list. Thanks so much.
Not sure of your direction or time schedule from Acadia but try and cut across the White MTs. in NH and drive up to Mt. Washington or take the cog railroad up from the other side.Depending on the timing consider cutting across the Adirondacks to Saranac Lake and pick up the road heading South from Tupper Lake .Some of the best fall scenery in the USA.I just finsished my Adirondack cabin on Chazy Lake.Had a bunch of Amish guys build the shell and the wife and I did all the interior work.
Have to agree on Acadia.One of the best.
Acadia is wonderful, but come back another time and enjoy the “Bold Coast” of Maine in Washington County. There’s another 100 miles of coastline beyond Ellsworth. Same great views and authentic Down East life without the crowds!
We went, we saw, and we enjoyed very much…but that story is coming later 🙂
Nina
Add to activities: ebikes at Pedego Acadia! We stayed at Narrows Too and decided to rent these ebikes to climb Cadillac Mountain – AWESOME way to go! Saw more in half the time, and got the perfect level of exercise… we ended up buying our ebikes, it was so fun. Great way to see park and be outside. They’re right in Bar Harbor…
Excellent little idea. Cheers for that!
Nina
Nina…I love your reviews and since Maine is our favorite state we’ve ever visited this is by far my favorite review yet. Our favorite spot there was Schoodic Peninsula, but we loved everything about MDI!! We hope to return in the next year or two with plans to spend 1-2 months in the state, with at least half of it in this same area, since we only had 1 week in the entire state in our prior visit. I save many of your reviews for future reference. Thank you so much for writing such wonderful detail to share with your readers.
We are in the process of selling our home to travel full-time, after 4 years of part-time travel. We look forward to many wonderful memories as we start this new journey, many will include places you have inspired us to visit.
We’re in Schoodic right now and agree it is amazing. So pretty, and so quiet. Plus the campground here has some of the biggest sites we’ve ever seen. We’re enjoying it.
Nina
As usual your posts are wonderfully detailed and informative. This will be a great resource for our next trip to the New England/Maritimes area. No hints yet as to your winter plans? Or did I miss it? 🙂
I’ll announce full winter plans soon(ish).
Nina
I love all your post and look eagerly for them every morning. My husband and I and our Miniature Schnauzer were to leave September 5 and towing our 17ft Casita trailer. We were first going to go to Niagara Falls and the Finger Lake area and then to Acadia N.P. The night before we planned to leave my husband changed his mind be cause of first Harvey and then Hurricane Irma. Can you believe I got sidelined by a hurricane that shares my name ! I so enjoyed reading everything you wrote about the areas we had planned to visit because we were going to follow all of your advise and your wonderful reviews. From Maine we were going to continue down to Florida and New Orleans and then south Texas back to Amarillo. Hubby changed mind because not only Harvey and Irma but now a third hurricane Maria. All that caused gas prices to skyrocket. We will try again next year and I will be even more savy with your review of Maine . Loved that your dads made the trip with you as well as step mom.what wonderful memories to be cherished.
I’m sorry your plans were sidelined this year (the hurricanes have been terrible) but I hope you manage to get a wonderful adventure next year! Your route sounds lovely and I think you’ll enjoy it very much, if you decide to do it.
Nina
This is so awesome! Following your posts so that we have a guide to follow for next year’s adventures. 🙂
We spent most of last year traveling and exploring in the West where we visited Yellowstone, Glacier, Arches, Zion and Canyonlands. Acadia is on the list for this year, it’s been on our bucket list way too long to not have visited. It’s good to hear that the crowds weren’t too bad, we got lucky at Bryce Canyon but Zion was a nightmare! I’m bookmarking this post for when we do actually make it there.
Awesome tips!