Moon National Parks Sampler

Mount Desert Island has been luring visitors since French explorers first answered the island’s siren song in 1604. Raw, remote, and seductive, it dangles like a pendant into the Atlantic, flashing its voluptuous profile to passing navigators and mainland drivers. Although only 15 miles from north to south and 12 miles from west to east, the island is home to about 30,000 of Acadia National Park’s roughly 46,000 acres. It’s a miniature masterpiece, a gem of a natural and cultural resource that’s laced with hiking trails and carriage roads, etched by a craggy coastline, sprinkled with ponds, and lorded over by bald peaks.

Acadia’s appeal is contradictory: It’s accessible, and yet it’s not. More than two million visitors annually arrive on Mount Desert by car, bus, plane, or cruise ship, all eager to view the park’s icons. The park loop road makes that easy. But even on the most crowded days, it’s possible to slip away and find solitary peace on a hike or a paddle or a bike ride. Step off the major thoroughfares, and birdsong replaces idle chatter, pine perfumes the air, and signs of civilization disappear from view. Off-the-beaten-path gems might lack the drama of the icons, but they feed the soul, ease the mind, and restore much-needed balance to a hectic life.

Truth is, there is no one Acadia. Beyond Mount Desert Island, more sections of the park beckon. Islesford and Baker Island are connected by passenger ferries and excursion boats, as is the mainland Schoodic section of the park; oh-so-remote Isle au Haut lets the curious view from the safe confines of a boat while inviting the hardy to hike and camp in near solitude; and Schoodic’s pink granite shores receive far fewer visitors than Mount Desert Island.

While the park is the region’s flawless gem, it’s set amid other precious ones. If stretched taut, Hancock County — with Acadia as its centerpiece — would have more than 1,000 miles of coastline. No saltwater locale on the entire eastern seaboard can compete with the region’s variety of scenery or its natural resources, which include the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the Donnell Pond Public Reserved Lands, three scenic byways, and countless preserves. It’s inspiring scenery that feeds dozens of artists and artisans, whose galleries and studios pepper the region’s byways.

A recent quotation put this area in its proper contemporary perspective: “Maine is so lovely,” a British visitor to Acadia sighed nostalgically, “I do wish England had fought harder to keep it.”

Planning Your Trip

WHERE TO GO

Acadia on Mount Desert Island

Mountains tumbling to the sea, ocean waves crashing upon granite ledges, serene ponds and wildflower-filled meadowlands—the Mount Desert Island section of the park has it all, in spades. Watch the sun rise out of the Atlantic from Cadillac Mountain’s summit, drive along the icon-rich Park Loop Road, hike trails through forestlands and up coastal peaks, scale granite cliffs, or paddle the coastline’s nooks and crannies. Intimate yet expansive, wild yet civilized, Acadia is as accessible or as remote as you desire.

Mount Desert Island Communities

Excursions into the park depart from the surrounding communities, which have attractions of their own: museums, gardens, shops, and theaters. Bar Harbor is the island’s hub; tony Northeast Harbor is located at the mouth of Somes Sound, a rare fjord; Southwest Harbor is the heart of the island’s quiet side. All edge sections of the park, and, of course, these communities, along with the smaller fishing villages, are where you’ll find a lobster dinner with all the fixings.

Schoodic Peninsula

Everything changes when you continue north on Route 1: the pace slows, fast-food joints and even stoplights disappear, and independence reigns. Schoodic Point’s pink granite shores are undoubtedly the highlight of the park’s only mainland section, but there are other reasons to mosey off the beaten track. Back roads and scenic byways loop through fishing villages, bisect a mountain- and lake-speckled wilderness preserve, access a National Wildlife Refuge, and edge those pink shores. It’s a bonanza for hikers, bikers, anglers, boaters, and bird-watchers.

Blue Hill Peninsula

Water, water everywhere. Around nearly every bend is a river or stream, a cove, a boat-filled harbor, or a serene pond. It’s an inspired and inspiring landscape dotted with historic homes and forts. The locals, a blend of summer rusticators, genteel retirees, artists, boatbuilders, and back-to-the-landers, have worked diligently to preserve not only the landscape but also the heritage. It’s a fine place to kick back, relax, and savor the good life.

Deer Isle and Isle au Haut

If Deer Isle isn’t the end of the world, there’s a sense that you can see it from here. Tethered to the mainland by a soaring bridge over Eggemoggin Reach, Deer Isle and Little Deer Isle are fishing communities accented by a vibrant arts community. Depart the island’s tip by ferry for Isle au Haut, where the most remote and rugged piece of Acadia National Park awaits hikers and those for whom even Deer Isle is a bit too crowded.

Ellsworth and Trenton

To visit Mount Desert Island, you must pass through the madness of Ellsworth and Trenton, a traffic-clogged, curse-inducing strip of mini malls and big-box stores. There are a few gems hidden amid the sprawl, including historic buildings, trails for hiking, and lakes for boating. Perhaps most delightful is Birdsacre, the former home of ornithologist Cornelia Stanwood, now a preserve with nature and bird rehab centers. It’s a fine place to refuel your soul.

WHEN TO GO

Realistically, Acadia National Park is a three-season park (spring, summer, and fall), even though it’s open in winter for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling (with some restrictions), and even camping. Peak travel time for Acadia is the Fourth of July to Labor Day, with the absolute peak around the first week in August.

Spring tends to be something of a blip in Maine; the park starts reawakening only around mid–late April, when the entire Park Loop Road has reopened (including the Cadillac Mountain road). Even then, some of the carriage roads tend to be fragile and open only for foot traffic, not for bicycles. Trails can be muddy, and ice still coats some of the rocks, but you’ll be rewarded by hardy wildflowers poking up here and there. Until about mid-May, you’ll also be spared the annoying blackflies. In May the weather can be unpredictable, and many businesses still haven’t opened for the season.

Summer kicks off in late May, but June is relatively quiet until the end of the month. If you yearn to be car-free on Mount Desert, plan to be here in summer, particularly between late June and mid-October, when Acadia’s Island Explorer shuttle service operates. Summer means plentiful festivals and fairs, nightlife in Bar Harbor, nature tours, concerts (jazz, classical, and pop), carriage rides, hiking, and whale-watching trips.

Fall is fantastic in the park and on the island—it’s my favorite season here. Nights are cool (mid-40s to mid-50s), days are often brilliant, and the fall foliage vistas are dramatic (see www.mainefoliage.com). The word has spread through the grapevine, though, and it’s popular with cruise lines, so you won’t be alone—but the visitor head count is still far lower than in July and August.

Explore Acadia National Park

THE THREE-DAY BEST OF ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

Ready to hit the Park Loop Road running? You can pack a lot into three days, taking in the highlights and actually experiencing the park with hikes, bike rides, boat trips, or ranger-led programs. You might even include the Schoodic section of the park. For easiest park access, base yourself in Bar Harbor; even better, stay at one of the park’s campgrounds.

Day 1

Pack a picnic, head to the park visitors center, purchase a pass, pick up the Beaver Log, then drive or pedal the Park Loop. Now, you can complete the loop itself in about two hours, but it’ll take the better part of the day if you stop at all the sights, including the Nature Center, Wild Gardens of Acadia, and Abbe Museum at Sieur de Monts Springs, as well as Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Jordan Pond House, and Cadillac Mountain (or save that for sunrise tomorrow). Make it a whole day by adding a hike. Perhaps stretch your legs with a walk along the Ocean Trail or ascend Great Head or Gorham Mountain. If time permits, visit the Seawall area and Bass Harbor Light. In the evening, if you’re not completely exhausted, perhaps attend a ranger-led program at either Blackwoods or Seawall Campgrounds.

Day 2

Rise early and catch sunrise from the summit of Cadillac Mountain. Spend the morning and early afternoon exploring one of the park’s outlying holdings, taking either the ranger-narrated cruise to Baker Island or Islesford or catching the ferry to Winter Harbor and exploring the Schoodic section of the park either by bicycle or on the Island Explorer. On returning, if time permits, head to the Jordan Pond House for tea and popovers on the lawn. Work it off with a walk or pedal on the carriage roads. End the day with a sunset horse-drawn carriage ride to the Day Mountain summit.

Sand Beach is one of many sites along Acadia’s Park Loop Road.

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND WITH KIDS

Acadia National Park is a great place to introduce kids to the great outdoors. Begin at park headquarters, where you can sign them up as Junior Rangers. Then pick and choose from the programs offered, including ranger-led hikes that appeal to your family’s interests and abilities. Good choices for easy family hikes include the Ocean Trail, Jordan Pond Nature Trail, Ship Harbor Nature Trail, and Wonderland. If you’re into geocaching, ask about the park’s EarthCache program (www.nps.gov/acad/earthcache.htm). Between park visits, you’ll find plenty of other activities with real kid appeal. Here are a few sure bets.

SLIMY SEA CREATURES

You can’t beat the wow appeal of Diver Ed’s Dive-In Theater Boat Cruise (207/288-3483 or 800/979-3370, www.divered.com). Ed dives to the depths with an underwater camera while you wait onboard and watch the action. When he resurfaces, he brings along with him a variety of creatures from the depths for passengers to see, feel, and learn about.

OLYMPICS OF THE FOREST

Expert lumberjack Tina Scheer and her crew perform the most amazing skills at The Great Maine Lumberjack Show (Rte. 3, Trenton, 207/667-0067, www.mainelumberjack.com, 7 P.M. daily mid-June–early Sept., 4 P.M. Sat. and 2 P.M. Sun. early Sept.–mid-Oct., $10.50 adults, $9.50 over age 62, $8.50 ages 4–11). During the 75-minute performance, two teams compete in 12 events, including ax throwing and log rolling. You can participate in some and even arrange for your youngster to learn how to log roll. Talk about a great story for that “What I did on my summer vacation” assignment.

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM

The ultimate kid-in-a-candy-store experience is at Ben & Bill’s (66 Main St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3281 or 800/806-3281), where you can buy not only chocolates made on-site but also to-die-for ice cream in both adult- and kid-pleasing flavors.

LOBSTER LORE

Even if the kids won’t eat lobster, they’ll be fascinated by Captain John Nicolai, who tells all during two-hour cruises aboard the Lulu (56 West St., Bar Harbor, 207/963-2341 or 866/235-2341, www.lululobsterboat.com).

HANDS-ON NATURE

“Please touch” is the philosophy at the George B. Dorr Natural History Museum (105 Eden St./Rte. 3, Bar Harbor, 207/288-5015, www.coa.edu, 10 A.M.–5 P.M. Tues.–Sat., donation), a small museum on the College of the Atlantic campus in Bar Harbor. Kids have the opportunity to touch fur, skulls, and even whale baleen.

FERRY HOPPING

Spend the better part of a day on the Cranberry Isles, visiting both Big and Little Cranberry and either walking or biking around, or take the passenger ferry to Winter Harbor, and hop on the Island Explorer bus to visit the Schoodic section of Acadia National Park. En route, watch for seals, seabirds, and lobster boats hauling traps.

NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE

Check with the Abbe Museum (26 Mt. Desert St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-3519, www.abbemuseum.org, 10 A.M.–5 P.M. daily late May–early Nov., call for off-season hours, $6 adults, $2 ages 6–15) about scheduled special programs for kids, and time your visit to take advantage of them. There’s a resource room for children downstairs and a few other kid-friendly exhibits at this Native American history museum, but the events bring it all to life.

LAUGH FEST

Improv Acadia (15 Cottage St., Bar Harbor, 207/288-2503, www.improvacadia.com, $15 adults, $10 under age 13) stages a family-friendly show every evening.

Day 3

Pursue your interests, mixing and matching any of the following: Take a guided sea kayaking tour exploring the western side of the island, departing from Pretty Marsh; take a guided bird-watching tour with Michael Good of Downeast Nature Tours; hike Acadia, St. Saviour, or Flying Mountain, followed by a refreshing swim in Echo Lake; pedal or walk the Eagle Lake and Witch Hole Pond carriage roads; scale Acadia’s cliffs on a climbing lesson; or join one or more ranger-led programs.

Enjoy a guided bird-watching tour with Michael Good.

A 15-DAY ROAD TRIP

Spend 15 days here and you’ll have enough time to visit all sections of Acadia National Park, browse the studios of mega-talented artisans, go whale-watching, hike magnificent trails, kayak along undeveloped coastline, and view working lobstering villages and lighthouses. This driving tour begins in the Schoodic region, and then takes in Mount Desert Island before heading to the Blue Hill Peninsula via Ellsworth, with Isle au Haut as the grand finale.

The best air access is via Bangor International Airport. Book your first two nights’ lodging in the Schoodic region, nights 3 through 10 on Mount Desert Island (perhaps the first four on the east side of the island and the rest on the west side), nights 11 and 12 on the Blue Hill Peninsula, and nights 13 and 14 on Deer Isle.