Acadia National Park

The first people to inhabit Acadia were the Wabanaki. To learn more about the original inhabitants of Acadia, visit: https://www.nps.gov/acad/learn/historyculture/wabanaki.htm

Each National Park is distinct for its own beauty. Acadia’s beauty lies in its mountain top views, each breathtaking and well worth a trip to see.

When visiting Acadia, you have several lodging options. My friend and I chose to camp and were happy we did. We stayed at the Mount Desert Campground, which is a short drive to Acadia and offers picturesque sites, showers, and a cozy communal gathering spot, where campers can recharge their devices and enjoy a cup of coffee.

I enjoyed spending my early mornings at the gathering spot where I met fellow campers, who kindly shared their favorite spots to visit in the area.

My favorite morning, however, was a quiet rainy one, when I had the porch at the gathering spot all to myself. As my phone charged, I sat and watched the rain, enjoying the pitter patter of the drops:

As for the length of time needed for a trip to Acadia, that depends on you. My trip to Acadia was part of a road trip through Coastal Main with a friend in July of 2019. We spent three days in the Acadia area and felt it was plenty of time.

We drove through the park the first day to map out our stops and to get a feel for how crowded our must see spots would be.

Our first morning, I woke early to catch the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain because sunlight in the continental U.S. hits here, first. Can you hear the cheers?

My friend and I spent the second morning at Jordan’s Pond, which we explored by following a trail that circled the pond:

The third day we visited Sand Beach where we lounged, had a picnic, and dipped our toes in the ocean to cool down. Prepare to walk a bit if you plan to visit during the busy summer months. Because of the crowds, finding a parking spot is not easy.

Deciding how to spend your time in Acadia comes down to your idea of outdoor fun and physical stamina. My friend and I are leisure outdoors women. You’ll never catch us trying to survive off the grid or hiking a difficult trail, but you will find us chasing a sunrise, lounging on a beach, or strolling down a trail and stopping to take a selfie with every flower, butterfly, and tree in sight.

This is is what I loved most about Acadia; how regardless of your sense of outdoor adventure, there is something for every lover of the outdoors. And that the surrounding areas are just as worthy of your time is an added bonus.

We spent our time outside Acadia eating great seafood and visiting the many quaint coastal towns surrounding the park.

To learn more about Acadia, including the new requirements for entry, visit the park’s official site at https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm

Please note that this trip took place in 2019 pre COVID. The Spanglish Girl Team encourages all to follow CDC guidelines when making decisions about travel.