Acadia Nat Park best way to hike?

[CMM]

We would like to explore Acadia National Park a bit. We enjoyed the Ollies Trolley tour previously and thought it was a fantastic overview. I was thinking the free bus might be the way to go on this cruise as we would like to have more than the short 15 minute stops.

 

Can anyone recommend the best way to do this? Which stop to get on and off and what to see? We are in our 40's and are looking for an average activity level (we have no mobility issues, but are not interested in a intense workout either)

 

Can you easily stop off at the Jordon Pond house and buy a popover? Would this fit easily into a few hours of exploring?

 

Thanks for any help.

[SailBadtheSinner]

There are hiking trails listed here: http://www.acadiamagic.com/acadia-hiking-trails.html . I would suggest the Ocean Trail, Jordan Pond Nature Trail, Jordan Pond Shore Trail, or any Carriage Road. The Island Explorer, the free bus, will transport you to any of these trail heads. A route #3 & #4 bus will get you to the Ocean Trail; a route #4 & #5 bus will get you to the Jordan Pond; routes #5, #6, or #7 go by Carriage Roads.

 

Here is an alert: the route #5, the Loop Road bus, begins and ends at the ANP Visitors Center and does NOT serve the Bar Harbor Village Green directly as it had done in previous years. You would have to take a route #1 bus to connect ANPVC and BH. Here is the IE link: http://www.exploreacadia.com/index.htm

 

If you have the time, you could easily hop off the IE at the Jordon Pond House Restaurant http://www.jordanpond.com/ and have a meal and popover(s) :D.

 

Enjoy your cruise and Bar Harbor, one of my favorite places.

 

 

SBtS

[Glaciers]

Excellent info SailBadtheSinner, thanks!

 

We will be on a 7 day from NYC departing Oct 2. It looked like the best time for fall foliage, if it can be planned at all...

 

Do you know which of these hikes would be best for taking photos of the fall colors?

[SailBadtheSinner]

If you were looking for good vistas, I would take the Ocean Trail, or Jordan Pond Shore Trail . Any carriage road will put you right in the middle of the trees. The Ocean Trail has the ocean to the east so it would best to do it before the sun gets too high

 

Since CC member CMM was looking for an easy hike I did not include the trail to the top of Cadillac Mountain where, IMO, the best photo opportunities would be had. You could take a tour bus to the top of CM but you'll only have a 15-20 minute stop at the top and no stops on the way up or down. Would that be what you're looking for?

 

The Cadillac Mountain North Ridge Trail is listed at Moderate.

 

Also, as I was researching hiking in ANP, I was reading aat Fodor.com http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/maine/acadia-national-park/activity_2062891.html where was written: the best way to catch the colors along the coast is travel on the Acadia National Park Loop Road. In fall 2007, the National Park Service placed Acadia National Park on its fall foliage list of "The 10 Best Places in the U.S. to Take Photographs."

 

The only way for you to do the Loop Road is on a tour bus or the Island Explorer (free bus) route #4. The advantage I see with using IE is it is free and you can proceed at your own pace. The Ocean Trail parallels the Loop Road for 3.6 miles.a

 

 

SBtS

[Glaciers]

If you were looking for good vistas, I would take the Since CC member CMM was looking for an easy hike I did not include the trail to the top of Cadillac Mountain where, IMO, the best photo opportunities would be had. You could take a tour bus to the top of CM but you'll only have a 15-20 minute stop at the top and no stops on the way up or down. Would that be what you're looking for?

 

The Cadillac Mountain North Ridge Trail is listed at Moderate.

 

Yes, this is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you. Of course, that picturesque pond of shore lined trees with multi-colored leaves would be nice too.

[joyride21]

Based on the links provided (thanks SailBad!) it looks like we will be able to take Island Explorer #1 from Village Green to the Visitor Center, then take #4 to the Cadillac North Ridge stop. From there we could hike up to the summit of Cadillac Mountain and then back down. Hop back on the #4, stop by Jordan Pond House for lunch and popovers. We would like to do one more trail after lunch before returning to Village Green...perhaps the Jordan Pond Shore Trail, and then hopping the #5 back. Does that seem doable or did I misread the maps?

[SailBadtheSinner]

WoW!!! You are really good, just what I was thinking but hoping no one asked cause I'd have to write it so it could be understood; do you want to take over :D. If you have enough time, your plan looks good. I hope you are in shape.

 

To consider:

The bus route #3, Sand Beach/Blackwoods, does the first half of the Loop Road route and would go by North Ridge Stop. Assuming it will stop there, it would eliminate the trip to the Visitor's Center but check at the information shack before boarding.

 

 

The only thing I'll add is that time is your enemy, so know the schedules and travel times.

 

When is your cruise? The buses are seasonal.

 

Enjoy your cruise and Bar Harbor.

 

 

An impressed

SBtS

 

 

[joyride21]

Yeah, you could say I am an overplanner. :) Thanks for the quick follow up. I did see that #3 goes by North Ridge, but according to the timetable it doesn't stop there, unless it makes intermediate stops not listed, which would be nice.

 

Our cruise puts us in Bar Harbor on October 4th, so I see service will be cut back slightly, but definitely still running.

 

Thanks again for the advice. I'll post when we return as to how it all turned out.

[SailBadtheSinner]

joyride21 wrote: ....I'll post when we return as to how it all turned out....

 

I'd like that, and pls include some pictures.

 

 

SBtS

[CMM]

Great information Thank you!

 

Has anyone done The Cadillac Mountain North Ridge Trail ? How was it?

[SailBadtheSinner]

CMM asked: ...Has anyone done The Cadillac Mountain North Ridge Trail ? How was it?...

 

Here is a an excellent review: http://www.summitpost.org/route/401169/north-ridge-trail.html

 

 

SBtS