This was my favorite hike in Acadia! A bit challenging, but worth it…read more If you are even remotely afraid of heights, this is probably not the hike for you. My husband turned around and bailed, and several people I passed were scared and stuck at difficult spots throughout the climb. It starts with some serious rock scrabbling and then it only intensifies from there. You have to be able to climb vertical metal bars punched into the stone and navigate some pretty narrow ledges with sheer drops (think mini version of the worst parts of Angel's Landing) to get to the top. It's not long - less than a mile - to the top. But, it got a little intense. I LOVED it. Wonderful views throughout, beautiful and just challenging enough to get the blood pumping. It's not encouraged to go back down the way you came - and you can easily continue on hiking as it meets up with a loop to come back down to the parking area or you can continue on some other trails to continue your journey.

I visited around 7 am, and the trail was not too busy, but there were some lines and short waits of…read moreless than a minute at the most exposed areas of the trail. I think the cliff exposure is similar to Angel's Landing, but this trail is much shorter and not as strenuous. It's no walk in the park either, so definitely be safe and there's no turning around in the difficult part once you start because there's only room for one-way. If you have rock climbing experience, it makes a huge difference because it felt like a long slab climb with jugs. The trail was honestly shorter than I expected, and I completed the loop returning via the bowl trail in less than 2 hours. Great views throughout with lots of resting points so you could easily spend longer. You can chill by the pond on the loop, or relax at Sand beach nearby afterwards.

Listen up: this intense hike does not mess around…read more All those things you read at the trailhead and on the websites are true. If you're not in great shape, and if you have even the tiniest whisper of a fear of heights, then this hike is NOT for you. No kids, full stop. There's a reason it's on lists of "The Most Dangerous Tourist Attractions In The World" and the like. Now that you're appropriately warned, I can also say that this is one of the most memorable and fun hikes I've ever done. You start at the very small parking area (plan to park along the road, or honestly, just take the shuttle that stops here) and have the easiest part of the hike first. After just a bit, you'll come to your first climb up a rock face, then you wrap around the mountain to find a scramble up a talus rock slope. At the top of the that rock scramble you bop over and then under a tunnel of rock, and that's just getting you warmed up. Expect 90-degree granite cliffs where you cling to iron ladder rungs, exposed rock faces where you shuffle along the face on a tiny ledge, and a lot of thigh/glute/calf workout as you basically scale up the side of a cliff with many many many ladder segments as your sweaty palms cling to the iron rungs. In a word: awesome! At the end, you end up on the top of Acadia, looking out to the water. We visited in October when the foliage was prime, and obviously that's a pro move. Everyone talks about Cadillac but if you're willing to put in the sweat, this is the views without the crowds. Once you're at the top, they recommend coming down a different trail that pops you out on the road closer back to town, and then walking back to the trailhead. We did just that and it's the way to go--descending those ladders in two-way traffic is a recipe for problems. Shoutout the bus driver who stopped for us on the road so we didn't have to walk all the way back! If you're into hikes like this but don't want, you know, the FULL hike like this, I'm told the Beehive Trail has a little taste of this kind of thing and that may be the way to go. But if disaster flirting is your thing and you're a responsible hiker and it hasn't been raining, hit up the Precipice Trail for sure.

I love this. Not for beginners. Mostly steps and some…read moresteeper parts. When going uphill I had to stop a lot. A very good workout, and I would love to do it again when I am in shape. Don't do it midday, be there around 9. Leaving later would be too hot (it was 60F today and at 9 we were boiling from sun) Also, leaving early because of tourists. But, older people who can handle it can do it. For example: my friend who is 57 could walk and do it, but another 57 year old was much slower and behind the group. But, she did well.

Gorgeous hike. Not hard and 1.5 hours is a good time. There are a few places you have to scramble…read moreover rocks. Love everything about this hike.

A hidden treasure in Acadia National Park…read more Enjoy a peaceful hike along Jordan Stream. The path starts near Jordan Pond and goes to Cobblestone Bridge. It is so tranquil and quiet. The path hugs the stream as you pass small waterfalls, cross wooden bridges and walk on boardwalks through the boggy forest. Use the stones placed along the stream. Take care with the exposed roots. Listen to the babble of the water flowing as you enjoy nature with no one around. The Cobblestone Bridge at the end of the path was built in 1917. It is the only bridge in the park built completely out of rounded cobblestones instead of cut stones. A tranquil path to reflect on the wonders of Mother Nature. It was one of our favorites. Take only photos. Leave only footprints.

The walk around Jordan Pond is beautiful and stress free. We stopped here with a group of 5 and 2…read moredogs. We made sure that we got to the parking lot early (8 AM) on a weekday to ensure easy parking. During a past trip, we arrived in the parking lot at 11 AM and it was utter chaos. We did not want to make that mistake again. The early start meant that the trail was very quiet with low traffic when we visited in early June.

We took an absolutely delightful, relaxing walk around Jordan Pond and is a must-do. This 3.3 mile…read morehike is relatively easy with only one small section where you have to walk/climb across some rocks (but still easily do-able). Saw plenty of kids doing this hike without any issues. It takes about an hour to do and is absolutely worth it. Beautiful views of the pond with so much surrounding greenery - it's amazing. We came when it was super foggy so couldn't see too much which was a shame, but I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in the sun. Jordan Pond House is just a very short walk away from here, and if you can make reservations to grab a bite (or a popover) to eat, you should do it. We came for a breakfast of popovers, and then did the hike. Super enjoyable experience, overall! Even if you don't eat there, they have bathrooms, a water bottle re-fill station, and a gift shop here so definitely stop by to refresh. Parking can definitely be rough here as they have smaller parking lots. So plan ahead and be prepared to have some patience looking for a spot. Overall, definitely recommend this trail as one of your hikes during your trip.

Reserving this campground is tricky. Exactly 60 days in advance of your desired trip, you must be…read moreon recreation.gov at 6am (if you're in CA) and have in mind a handful of spots that you'd like to park your tent. In fact, it's a good idea to check online which spots might potentially be available a few days before you actually book. If you make a mistake while reserving, may the good Lord have mercy on you because corrections are more difficult than the reservation itself. Camping in Blackwoods is pleasant, clean, spacious, has respectful guests, and plenty of trees to tie up a canopy to protect from the sudden rain showers. With much to like, there's quite a bit of inconvenience. Having no showers on the premises is my biggest gripe. After hiking for most of the day, there's no getting around needing a shower. If you drive (that's right, drive) down the road a little ways outside the campground, there's a place that sells showers for $3 in quarters (that's 12 quarters) for 4 minutes. Apparently, you can obtain 12 quarters with a credit card, but reviewers warned that sometimes the machine is out of order so BYOQ. While Blackwoods asks that you only bring local wood for campfires (within a 50 mile radius), our party found the local firewood (which can be purchased at the shower place or across the street from the shower place) too wet from the frequent showers. Thus, making a campfire was challenging and frustrating even for our resident Eagle Scout. Undeniably, the restrooms are clean, but I found myself without toilet paper in some of the stalls. Luckily, a friend was able to hand me some TP. Speaking of paper, there are no hand towels or soap in the bathroom; however, I did see one outlet in the bathroom that some were using to charge their phones. Another inconvenience is that there is no dishwash station. In fact, not only do you wash your dishes at your camping site by walking to the spigot to get water (make your own hot water), but you have to walk to a different and farther station to dump your dishwater out so as to not clog the pipes with food. When it comes to dishwashing, there's a lot of walking back and forth. Get your 2 buckets. Get some water for washing and another for rinsing. Walk back to camp site. Heat up the water. Wash your dishes. Rinse your dishes. Walk to wash water disposal. Walk back to camp site. For entertainment, the amphitheater had nightly presentations. On one occasion, we attended one on animals in the park, but at the first sound of thunder, the ranger called it and we all had to go back to our camp sites. Surprisingly, our campground and Acadia NP in general was bereft of animals. Living in the suburbs of CA, one can see more wildlife than in Acadia NP. Before arriving at the NP, I had full intentions of using the free shuttles, but the shuttle schedules and transfers could cost you hours of time so we opted to drive our own car and brave the limited parking. Camping successfully at Blackwoods requires grit and determination. If you got it, go for it.

Overall: stayed on the B loop and love the campsite selections. Restrooms were quite clean, roads…read morewere well paved so it was fairly quiet at night/morning. The entry was super streamlined and the cost of staying is incredibly reasonably priced!

Less than an acre, this is a nice short stop along the Park Loop Road. During our visit in late…read moreJune, there were a few flowers blooming. The plants are labeled for easy identification. Parking is readily available.

A beautiful garden with labeling of the plants. There is an on-site nature center. There was also a…read morebeautiful easy trail that loops back to the garden. The Holman / Dorr paths were easily accessible from the garden trail. These two trails were more difficult since vertical hiking and climbing were required. Due to miscalculation of time and prior commitment, our party of six didn't summit and cross the pass of Dorr Path. We had to turn back. My family will return and take care of this unfinished pleasure. Parking was plentiful.

The cold water didn't stop me from diving right in. The water had a vibrant color. I was in awe…read moreof the landapace surround me! It was so relaxing and refreshing. The sand was so soft and fine. There a good amount of ppl sitting on the beach.

I am not a warm weather person, so the chance to go to Acadia National Park on a very cold day…read moreseemed like Heaven. It sure was. Off season is the perfect time to visit that particular beach. We had the beach all to ourselves, took an amazing walk while the wind whipped and the sand felt like frozen tundra. The whole experience felt like we were last people on the planet and it was fun to pretend, surrounded by gorgeous views of sky and water. We bought annual passes to the park, so I have a feeling that I'm definitely going back a few more times before the beach fills up with people.

One of the best guided tours I have been on. Casey is an amazing guide and Jesse was great with the…read morelogistics getting us back and forth from the start and finish. The water was relatively calm which made for a nice day of sea kayaking. Casey was great with providing safety instructions before and during the trip. He was a wealth of information about the wildlife, geology of the area, and the history. It was like we had the ocean to ourselves. We saw a couple of bald eagles and tons of seals primarily harbor seals but several gray seals as well. Can't recommend this company enough. Kayak on the quiet side of the island. You won't regret it. My family of four would do this trip again.

Took a guided tour of Acadia with Jackson, and Maine State was perfect. Reservations were easy to…read moresecure, had every thing ready to go, and guide Jackson was fantastic. Highly recommended taking the guided tour.

Gorgeous views! It's worth paying the extra fee to get up on Cadillac Mountain. If you can snag the…read moremorning sunrise, DO IT, because this is the highest point on the eastern seaboard - Cadillac Mountain sees the first sunrise of the day. It's amazing.

I was a bit confused and thought that Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain were one in the…read moresame when reserving our time?! Ugh ... Once we were situated, we drove up the winding mountain to breathtaking views - large rocks and lakes! We saw some pretty wildflowers and birds as well. Was it worth the almost three hour drive? I don't know but we'll most likely never be here again so ... I'm glad that we experienced God's beauty in gorgeous Maine together :) We hiked a bit and even climbed some big rocks. Life is short - book the trip and buy the shoes !!!

My partner and I accidentally hiked up this mountain yesterday and it was a wonderful experience!…read moreWe started out hiking up a stone staircase trail near the Wild Gardens of Acadia- about halfway up, we saw markers pointing to the summit and realized we were climbing Dorr Mountain! It is amusing to me that there is a big pile of rocks marking the summit. It was a fun, roughly 3 hour excursion and I would happily recommend others also hike the path up to this summit- though perhaps with more prep work and better attired/equipped than we were.