Acadia National Park

[Gray Ghost]

I haven't been there since i was probably nine years old. I'd like to make it back this summer. Just looking for some advice as to lodging/camping and good hikes up there. Thanks. -GG

[Rivet]

I went this summer and stayed at Quietside campgrounds - a small family run operation near SW Harbor. They had wooden tent platforms in wooded sites with fire rings.
Did some short but nice hikes - Acadia mountain and South Bubble. Wanted to do Beehive, but too steep for my sister.
Drove the loop road and up Cadilac mountain. Took a whale watch cruise from Bar Harbor. Also, went on a sunset horse carriage ride up a small mountain.

[Boreal Chickadee]

Gray Ghost,

My son and I go every summer to Acadia for at least one week and as close to two as I can fit in. Hands down, the nicest campgournd is the National Park Service at Seawall. Hope you don't mind being serenaded to sleep by listening to waves on the shore. There are car camping sites but we always choose the walk in sites for privacy. We hike and bike everywhere on the island. I'll be glad to fill you in on anything you want to know. Well, no I can't fill you in on beer joints becasue that's not what I do but anything else I can probably help with.

A picture of of our site in 2205. That's a Eurela basecamp (8' by 10' footprint) to give you perspecitve on size.

[Boreal Chickadee]

Photo showing my son walking back to the tent ( It was a tad rainy that day) along the path that is kept well cushioned with wood chips. YOu can just see our tent between the trees.

[Gray Ghost]

Thanks a lot PB. How are the lobster prices up that way? I'm addicted to those red beauties!

[Boreal Chickadee]

Prices are good. I haven't bought a lobster for myself for two years now since developing a seafood allergy. When WalMart first opened in Ellsworth, oh about 7 or 8 years ago, even they sold fresh lobster! Mainely Delights, a small simple,(read port-a-potty) restaurant in Bass Harbor was always our favorite spot for lobster dinner. Cheap and simple. Lobster, cole slaw and corn on the cob with a dough boy for desert. The best desert on the island is still the $1.25 dough boys at Mainely Delights! Nice people run the place. Go back a second night and they'll remember you.

[Boreal Chickadee]

Gray Ghost, Do you bike? There are 51 miles of carriage roads open only to walkers, bikers, and in some places , horses. We're really spoiled and do 95% of our yearly biking at Acadia. Very addicting to fly down those mountains.

A flat portion of the carriage road by Aunt Betty's Pond:

[Boreal Chickadee]

Carriage Road bridges like this one are scattered throughout the system. EAch one is different and a masterful design. One summer I made sure I photographed all of them.

[Gray Ghost]

Not much of a biker, PB. Those look like awesome roads, though. How are the views from the peaks on Acadia? Also, is it difficult to get to the beach? I remember going to that lone beach briefly one summer and we had it to ourselves in the middle of a rainstorm.

[Boreal Chickadee]

The peaks are all bare except for a few lesser ones so views are fantastic. A lot of open ridges.

Sand beach? Right ooff the park loop road. Easy access. But I've got a few other little beaches up my sleeve that are bypassed by 99% of the vactioners. Sand beach is cool, especially for its ground up shell beach but the others are coffeetable book photogenic.

Rain is a grat time. For some reason people think they will melt in the rain! I can't figure out why

I found the picture of the better photo of the campsite. I'm going to try and delete the first photo in my earlier post and put in the new one. It's a better view of a walk in site at Seawall. My only complaint is taht aobut four years ago they went to crushed stone for the sites because of drainage issues. so now you're high and dry in the norning but.. make sure you bring a real good tarp to put under your tent to save your tent floor. And I'm very generous with padding under my bag.

[Gray Ghost]

Great news on the beaches...i was under the impression that Sand Beach was the only beach in the park..glad i was wrong. I won't be heading up there until this summer if I'm lucky, but I will be in touch to get your picks on hikes, beaches, etc. Thanks again for the great info. -GG

[wyldeflower]

Acadia Park

There is an article on Acadia in this month's Nat. Geographic. I read it last week; made me want to go; I've never been. It's on the list 4 sure.