Our Memorable Journeys

Day 7 -Mount Desert Island…Acadia National Park

This morning we left Belfast early and traveled north to Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park. We visited Acadia NP back in 2021 and loved it, but Mount Desert Island is more than that and we wanted to see some of the other less-visited and less-touristy areas of the island. It is the largest island off the coast of Maine and the second-largest island on the Eastern seaboard, smaller than Long Island but larger than Martha’s Vineyard. After a quick stop at the Thompson Island Visitor Center we drove to the summit of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. Vehicle reservations, available online only, are required to drive Cadillac Summit Road from May through October. Reservations have a 30-minute entry window, but no departure time. Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. We walked the paved Summit loop trail along the colorful granite boulders and enjoyed the panoramic views of the islands and village of Bar Harbor below.

Cadillac Mountain Summit

Looking Down at Bar Harbor

After we came down from the mountain we drove the National Park loop road along the ocean enjoying the rocky shores, granite peaks, and dense forests. We stopped to walk along Ocean Path at some pretty overlooks: Thunder Hole, Boulder Beach, and Otter Point.

Thunder Hole

Boulder Beach

We then left the park loop road and stopped at Somesville Historical Museum and Gardens, overlooking an ancient mill pond and tranquil Somes Harbor. We enjoyed our walk through the small quaint gardens. They say the Selectman’s building and Thaddeus Shepley Somes Memorial Bridge are the most-photographed scene on Mount Desert Island.

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