Tips & To-Dos
Acadia National Park
Other than our wedding, the best part of this area is... of course... Acadia. There are some walks and spots you can explore without an entrance pass, but we recommend getting the full experience. An entrance pass (1 per car) is valid for 7 days. Fees & more info linked.
Cadillac Mountain
In the high season, Cadillac Mountain (which lays claim to the first sunrise in the US) is one of the most popular attractions in Acadia and requires a paid timed-entry reservation. BUT, reservations don't start til May 24th 😉 We recommend you "sneak" in for a neat drive and an epic view, minus all the summer crowds.
Beehive Trail + Champlain Mountain | ~4.25 miles
Beehive is a classic and really not too hard of a hike - just make sure you're mentally prepared! We highly recommend tacking on Champlain mountain via the South Ridge - it's lovely and pretty mellow, and you lose a lot of people from the main Beehive loop. Check out Maddie's route recommendation (with all credit going to the esteemed Shannon Catoggio 🙂) at the link. PS - If heights really aren't your thing, you can skip the Beehive Trail and take the Bowl Trail both ways.
Beech Cliff Trail & Canada Cliffs Trail | 1.8 miles
Lots of bang for your buck! The ladders are super fun and the views are incredible.
Gorham Mountain Loop | 3 miles
Great hike for anyone, but especially those who aren't psyched on our ladder-heavy recommendations so far. A pleasant hike to the top that loops back on a wandery walk right along the ocean.
Wonderland Trail | 1.3 miles
A mystical, meandering (mostly flat) walk to the rocky coast's endless collection of tidepools. You can also connect this trail to the Ship Harbor trail and loop back on the road for a longer oceanside jaunt (which we haven't done but sounds fabulous - about 2.5 miles).
Bar Island Land Bridge
If you time it right, you can walk the land bridge out to Bar Island, take a lovely hike around (the lupines should be popping!), and make it back before you get marooned. In our experience, Jalapeños Cantina's to-go margaritas make wading through the knee deep rising tide that much more exciting.
Acadian Boat Tours
A boat tour is a wonderful way to see Acadia. We took a Puffins and Lighthouses tour the same time of year in 2022 and the puffins had just arrived - it was incredible!
Garden Lounge
A lovely spot to grab a drink and sit outside on a nice day
Acadia Woods Kennel
Maddie's parents took their dog here for doggy daycare - they were great!