We left Augusta and headed for Acadia National Park. We had a beautiful drive through the Maine roads, with the foliage near peak. Through our camping apps, we had found a campground that was still open and didn’t require reservations not too far from Bar Harbor so we headed there with the plan to backtrack and stay at the Walmart in Ellsworth if we couldn’t stay at the campground. Fortunately, even though it was Friday afternoon in prime leaf-peeping season, the very large Bar Harbor Campground still had a choice of sites for us and we found a pull through site without any hookups in the sun. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the campground and looking at the views of the harbor.
In the morning, we took advantage of the free Island Explorer bus service, which provides propane-powered buses throughout the park and out the Bar Harbor road. The service is funded by LL Bean, and works brilliantly. Too many people already access the park in their private vehicles, so there’s a lot of traffic on the roads and the parking lots are packed, and we couldn’t imagine how much more hectic it would be if people weren’t taking advantage of the bus service. The best thing for us was that the buses even allow dogs, so we were able to board at the campground, change in Bar Harbor to a bus going to a trail head, hike the trail end to end with the dogs, and then catch the bus at the end of the day to get back to Bar Harbor to get the bus back to the campground. The buses go frequently enough and are on a predictable schedule - even with an app that shows where they are! - so we never waited more than 10 or 15 minutes for a bus.
The bus from Bar Harbor to the North Ridge Cadillac Mountain Trailhead was packed with cruise ship tourists. Bar Harbor just started letting cruise ships dock in the town in September, and lots of cruise ship tourists decided to visit Acadia. Most weren’t really prepared for hiking and dropped off on the shorter trails, but we still saw plenty of people on the trails. We can’t decide whether the number of people using the park is a good thing or a bad thing; it’s good that the park is so accessible and so many people take advantage of it, but it seems somewhat incongruous to be on the trails in the beautiful natural space with so many people around.
In the morning, we took advantage of the free Island Explorer bus service, which provides propane-powered buses throughout the park and out the Bar Harbor road. The service is funded by LL Bean, and works brilliantly. Too many people already access the park in their private vehicles, so there’s a lot of traffic on the roads and the parking lots are packed, and we couldn’t imagine how much more hectic it would be if people weren’t taking advantage of the bus service. The best thing for us was that the buses even allow dogs, so we were able to board at the campground, change in Bar Harbor to a bus going to a trail head, hike the trail end to end with the dogs, and then catch the bus at the end of the day to get back to Bar Harbor to get the bus back to the campground. The buses go frequently enough and are on a predictable schedule - even with an app that shows where they are! - so we never waited more than 10 or 15 minutes for a bus.
The bus from Bar Harbor to the North Ridge Cadillac Mountain Trailhead was packed with cruise ship tourists. Bar Harbor just started letting cruise ships dock in the town in September, and lots of cruise ship tourists decided to visit Acadia. Most weren’t really prepared for hiking and dropped off on the shorter trails, but we still saw plenty of people on the trails. We can’t decide whether the number of people using the park is a good thing or a bad thing; it’s good that the park is so accessible and so many people take advantage of it, but it seems somewhat incongruous to be on the trails in the beautiful natural space with so many people around.
A lot of people were staying at the campground, but the campsites were spacious and the campground as a whole was very quiet.
Dogs on the bus! They were model canine citizens!
Lots of spectacular views.
On our second day in Acadia, we intended to take the motos to the other side of the park, but it was too cold and windy to ride. So, we waited until the afternoon when it warmed up a bit and got back on the bus with the dogs and headed to the Jordan Pond area of the park where we hiked around Jordan Pond with a side trip up South Bubble. The Jordan Pond loop is wide, flat, and very easy hiking, but we decided to add a challenge and hike up South Bubble. I checked to make sure the Bubble loop was dog approved, and found that it was. However, as we neared the summit, there was a stretch of trail that required the dogs to be lifted from ledge to ledge. I squawked and whined and wanted to turn around before one of us ended up going over the edge, but Tom kept going, with the dogs, and we eventually made it to the top where the view was well worth the climb. Fortunately for me, the trail down the backside was much less challenging and we made it back to the flat pond trail without any injuries, except perhaps to my psyche.
Despite waking up to frost on the moto seats on our third morning in Acadia, we eventually bundled up and headed for Schoodic to see a different part of the park…and have a lobster lunch. I was very slow because I’m not a very confident scooter driver, and because it was even colder when I tried to go over about 40mph and I couldn’t wear any more clothes and still expect to be able to move. But, we made it to the restaurant that had been recommended for lunch, then on to a hike, then to the lighthouse, then back to the campground. I’m sure there were a few drivers who wouldn’t have been heartbroken to see me drive off the edge of the road and disappear, but nobody exhibited excessive road rage and we safely made it back to the camper.
I was so excited at the appearance of the lobsters that I didn’t think to take a photo until nothing was left but a pile of shells. Obviously, it was delicious.
We hiked the Ship Harbor trail, which winds along a small harbor and goes out to the ocean where we could hear the waves crashing against the rocks.
We then rode to the Bass Harbor Head lighthouse before the long and cold trek back to the campground.
After a few hours of dog snuggles and being hunched inside the pink fuzzy provided by my brother Matt and his family in VT, I was warm enough to pack up so we could leave Acadia in the morning.