Acadia Nation Park has some amazing hikes (my absolute favorite hikes) and I will share with you the best hikes we found, how we managed to complete so many in such a short time, along with things to do and see in Bar Harbor! We had 2 full days and 2 half days – making it 3 full days.

Day 1

• Flight –>We flew into Bangor, our hotel was also in Bangor (the hotels in Bar Harbor were crazy expensive since it was a holiday weekend, so we thought the drive wouldn’t be too bad. Honestly, if I could do it again, I would try to stay closer). Bangor is about an hour and ten minutes from Bar Harbor. During the drive you will find antique stops and many seafood restaurants.
• Bar Harbor– since we had a flight all morning, we thought we would take it easy the first day and explore the area and plan out our hikes and food for the next two days.
• Lunch Time in Bar Harbor– We walked into Gaddy’s Restaurant and got a blueberry beer. I have a shellfish allergy and I asked them about any food that I could get, and I was SHOCKED they said they can’t prevent cross contamination even their lettuce was cut on the same board as their lobster. That was the ONLY restaurant that said that the entire time. However, I wasn’t impressed with their food items or set up. We went next door to Gayln’s, and I am so glad we did! That was probably my favorite place we ate at while we were there. I highly recommend it; I ate Haddock with asparagus and rice, and it was delicious!! And the person I was with got a whole lobster and lobster bisque combination and he was in heaven. The view of the water is also very nice here! To drink I got a blueberry mojito and he got a blueberry beer (Maine is the largest producer of blueberries in the world! They have the perfect soil for them).
• Bar Harbor Waterfront Walkway: After we ate, we walked around Bar Harbor. There is a path around the water that is lovely to walk around and take pictures, very relaxing. Shopping: After that we went to the local shops, we went ahead and got most of our souvenirs because we knew we would be spending most of our time hiking.
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• Bass Harbor Lighthouse–> after that we decided to take a drive over to see the Bass Harbor Lighthouse- it was about a 25-30 min drive. Not too bad and it was scenic. When we got there we walked to the right of the parking area and saw the top of the lighthouse and we were a little disappointed, but then we realized there was a trail that would take you to the bottom and you could walk among the rocks which was beautiful and relaxing. We sat there for about 15 mins admiring the water and the lighthouse. Make sure to wear good shoes since you will be rock stepping to get to the best views.
• Dinner: we went back to Bar Harbor and grabbed Dinner at Side Street Café, it was a pretty casual spot with sandwiches, Mac and Cheese, Salads, drinks, etc. We got the Buffalo Mac and Cheese and the Chicken Burrito. The mac and cheese was delicious, but I wasn’t very impressed with the wrap, to be honest. I would suggest this place as a quick lunch, but it isn’t a “must go” place to me. After that we walked around Bar Harbor a little more and saw some places to add to our list and shopped a little more and decided to go home and rest up for the next day.

Day 2

We woke up early and went to Acadia National park.

• The Beehive Trail – starts as Bowl Trailhead (across from sand beach) this was our first hike of the day and it was a great way to get our feet wet for our next hike. This is a short fun hike, that includes steep drop-offs, granite steps, iron rungs and handrails to help along the way. The hike might take about 2 hours depending how many other people are doing it. The worst part is how packed it was when we were there, we had to wait for the people in front of us to get up so we could go. However, it was worth it. The way down is different than the way up, and we came down quickly. It is 2 miles total.
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• Precipice trail– Starts at entrance to the park loop road, which is about a mile walk from the Beehive Trail. This is my FAVORITE trail; I already want to go back and do it again. This is like the beehive, only it’s not as packed, more iron rungs, ladders, steep drop-offs, wooden bridges, etc.. This hike does require some muscle strength (I saw many people turn around early in the hike). But it is so much fun! This Hike could be dangerous, and people have died on this trail before, not many- but even 1 person is too many. However, I did not feel like I was scared I would fall at any time- and I am typically a pretty cautious person and I fear heights. I am amazed at how much I loved it. The total loop is 2.6 miles, it is much harder and more exposed steep cliffs than beehive- but it is a MUST do for anyone looking for a unique and fun hike! It takes about 3.5 hours to complete the hike.
• LATE Lunch : We had protein bars to help hold us over, but we decided to go over to Jordan’s Pond House. My boyfriend got the lobster roll and I got a chicken salad sandwich- they both came with chips. It was pretty good. We also each got the famous popovers that everyone raves about. They were okay- we both didn’t think it was anything too special, it was a mix between a roll and a pastry (when you dip it in the jam), but when in Rome…
• Jordan Pond Trail—We then walked around the Jordan Pond Trail for a little just to get some pictures, see a few tiny squirrels, take in the views and fresh air- it is BEAUTIFUL!
• South Bubble Trail: it was a quick hike that takes you to a hanging rock. You can take a few cool pictures looking like you’re trying to push the rock over the edge. It was about 2 miles and took about an hour to complete.
• Drink and Live Music: We went to the Ivy Manor Inn and sat outside and listened to live music and got a few drinks. It was perfect and just what we needed after such a long fun day of hiking.
• Dinner– Since we had a late lunch, we weren’t very hungry, so we decided to start driving back and to find something on the way back to Bangor. We found a place called The Beacon Bar and Grill – it was okay. I had a side salad with the Haddock and sweet potatoes fries and the person I was with got the same thing but with lobster Bisque. It was great for a quick dinner.

Day 3:

We woke up, had breakfast and started our morning walking around Bar Harbor.

Lunch: we stopped at Freshies and grabbed a sub quickly to take as we headed to the next trail.

Jordan Cliffs Trail– Park at Jordan Pond. Length is about 5 miles and takes about 3.5 hours total. I would say this is another must do! This is a harder hike as well with exposed cliffs, handrails, iron rungs, etc. not as hard as Precipice trail. It has rocks that you will have to climb up, steep cliffs, etc. but is so worth it!!

Sunset Cruise–> After our hike we decided to do a lovely sunset cruise. Here is the place we booked through https://acadianboattours.com/activities/sunset-cruise/. It was great! You can BYOB, they give you details about the island- truly like a tour, you go to a lighthouse, you can see Thunder Hole, you will most likely see seals, then you wait for the sun to set. It was worth it.

Dinner–> Stewmans! The line looks long, but it goes fast I promise, and it is well worth it! Make sure to take a picture with the cool wall on your way in, hopefully you get a good view, but if not, that’s okay the food is delicious. I got Salmon that came with asparagus and potatoes and my bf got Haddock with potatoes and asparagus. We both got the blueberry mojito and I had a side salad and he got the lobster bisque. We both loved it, it was a great dinner spot!

Day 4

• The last day/ we leave at noon sadly, but we still made time to go back to Bar Harbor.
• Sunset at Cadillac Mountain (okay we didn’t do this, but I really wanted to!) instead we drove up around 9am to the top of Cadillac Mountain. Sadly, it was a very foggy day so we couldn’t see much, they had a cute shop, and we walked around the top a little which was nice, but not great due to the fog.
• Then we had to head to the airport! But we felt like it was a great trip and we accomplished a lot!! I hope you do too!
• Please check out my story highlights for Acadia on Instagram to get a better idea of the hikes and views and reach out if you have any questions, @Sunitagabrielle

Key Highlights

• Best Food: Gaylyns and Stewies
• Not Recommended to Eat: Geddys
• Best Hikes: Precipice, Beehive, and Jordan’s Cliffs
• Must Do: Sunset Cruise Drinks and live music at Ivy Manor Inn
• If we had time, we would have: Rented a bike and rode around the carriage roads and watched the sunrise at Cadillac mountain or stargazed from there

Thank you for reading please leave a comment or send me a note to let me know if I should continue to share my travel journey’s with you all!