Greg and Laurel's Travels: Acadia National Park

From July 9th to the 24th of 2022, we were on a long road trip with the goal of camping for 6 nights at Acadia National Park in Maine. Along the way, we visited and stayed overnight with friends and family, many of whom we had not seen for some time. One was a friend of Laurel's from school whom she had not seen in over 50 years! We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of those that we were fortunate enough to connect with. For those we did not meet with, we hope there will be a next time. We will not chronicle those experiences here, but only stick to the Acadia experience. Also we wish to give a big thanks to our daughter Ruth and son-in-law CJ, who were kind enough to house-sit and cat-sit for us, enabling us to take our journey.

Acadia was a fantastic, beautiful, and extremely enjoyable place to experience. We only saw a small portion of its 50,000 acres. Bar Harbor was the nearest town of any size to our campground, and offered all the shopping, dining (and bars) we could want, though it was rather expensive.

Without further ado...

Thursday, July 14, 2022

We set up camp at the Blackwoods Campground.


Greg at the Campsite


Our Trusty Tent -- home away from home for 6 days

Free shuttle buses (supported in part by L. L. Bean) run throughout the park. We quickly learned the ins and outs and used this service rather than deal with the congestion and lack of parking available at peak times. One bus stop was at the entrance to our campground, and from there we could transfer to other routes to get where we wanted to go.

Friday, July 15, 2022

Views from our first morning walk in the park, the very popular and crowded Ocean Path Trail which goes from Sand Beach to Otter Point, mostly along the Loop Road.

Spent the afternoon exploring Bar Harbor, ME

Saturday, July 16, 2022

Up early the next morning to drive to the top of Cadillac Mt. (reservations required to drive to ensure enough parking for everyone). The views are stunning.

Looking east just after sunrise --

View of Bar Harbor from the Summit

Looking west --

The summit is pink granite.

Jordan Pond

Wild Flowers on the Summit

Late Morning Hike around Jordan Pond

About 1/3 of the trail was boardwalk

View of Jordan Pond from the Trail with The Bubbles in the Background

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Morning boat ride to see the puffins and lighthouses. The day started out misty and foggy but cleared through the morning. While no longer in use, the three lighthouses we saw remain operational and could be used if needed.

Harbor Seals

We don't have the camera equipment to get bird pictures, but here is an attempt at the puffins:

Monday, July 18, 2022

Morning walk to Bar Island, just offshore from Bar Harbor. The path to Bar Island can only be accessed 2 hours before and after low tide.

Path at Low Tide, looking from Bar Island to the mainland

Cairns on the Island


Wild Flowers on Bar Island (milkweed and lupine)

I saw some Monarch butterflies in the milkweed, but not many.

Cairn at the Summit

View from the Summit


Tidal Pool

While I was exploring the tidal pools, I heard a thunk nearby. I though a kid might have thrown a rock, but looked up to see this gull had dropped a blue crab on this stone, then proceeded to eat it.

Path 90 Minutes Before Low Tide

In the afternoon we walked the Little Long Pond Carriage Road. There are 45 miles of carriage roads in and around the park. When Rockefeller owned much of the area he did not want cars interfering with the natural beauty so he built these roads that allowed only horses, carriages and walkers. They are beautifully maintained. Some are not at all crowded. This one is outside the park and maintained by Mount Desert Island Land and Garden Preserve (gardenpreserve.org). No bikes are allowed on the carriage roads outside the park.

Again, bird pictures don't really work, but this entire thicket was full of warblers nests and chicks hidden in the undergrowth. If you look closely you can see one warbler right in the middle of the picture on a dead branch.