A 3-Day, 2-Night Mountain & Sea Trip to Acadia National Park

When I booked the hotel, I was worried about bad weather—and sure enough, when the weekly forecast “revealed itself,” only Friday was sunny, with Saturday overcast and Sunday rainy. Disappointed but adaptable, I changed our plan: we’d leave bright and early on Friday. Since it doesn’t get dark until late in June, we could squeeze in visits to the key spots in the afternoon and evening. 🚗 Friday: Racing the Clock Under Sunny Skies We set off from the northern suburbs of Boston (affectionately called “Bo-Town” by locals) at 7 AM. With no traffic the whole way, we arrived at Travelin Lobster in Trenton by 11 AM—only to find they don’t open until 11:30 AM. By the time we finished lunch, it was already 12:30 PM. Sand Beach: We got there at 1 PM, and thanks to the nice weather, the beach was packed with families playing in the water. Finding a parking spot was incredibly hard—even on a weekday, it took us nearly 30 minutes (and we only got lucky with a hidden spot!). I can’t imagine how tough it must be on summer weekends! Pro Tip: The park has free shuttle buses that run multiple routes. If you hate fighting for parking, park at the visitor center or a less crowded spot and take the shuttle to popular attractions—just note that it’ll tie you to the bus schedule. After parking, we walked a few minutes to start Beehive Trail—the legendary trail where you need to use hands and feet (and which has a reputation for being a bit risky). We were in “special forces mode,” rushing to make the most of the sun. The first half of the trail (gravel paths) was manageable, but it gradually got harder—soon we were scrambling up rocks with hands and feet. Near the end, we hit a section where we’d have to climb bare-handed up a boulder and shuffle along its edge—and with more people crowding the path, we decided to turn back (we’d already seen the views in Photos 1 and 2, so it felt worth it!). Next, we took the free shuttle bus 🚌 to Jordan Pond. The bus ran along the coast, so we got to enjoy ocean views without even stepping out—such a nice bonus! The pond’s water was crystal clear; after walking a short stretch, we vowed to come back the next morning (even if the weather was bad) to hike the full loop. Our last stop of the day was Cadillac Mountain Summit. Since Saturday and Sunday had poor weather, we didn’t bother trying to snag sunrise tickets—instead, we booked a 5:30 PM slot for Friday. That $6 was so worth it! The road twisted up the mountain in a figure-eight pattern, and we couldn’t help stopping several times to take photos along the way. When we reached the top, we were blown away by the 360-degree unobstructed views—it was truly breathtaking, and photos can’t even capture half of its beauty. We made it to Bar Harbor for dinner before 7 PM, then headed back to the hotel. The Bar Harbor town itself is lovely—commercial but with a touch of artistic charm. The only downside? Parking 🅿️ was a hassle again—there were metered spots, but far too few. ☁️ Saturday: Exploring Under Overcast Skies Saturday was fully overcast, but we kept our promise and went back to Jordan Pond to hike the full loop. Halfway through, we spotted the trail to Bubble Rock—but since we hadn’t done our research, we started climbing blindly. We only realized halfway up that it was another trail requiring scrambling with hands and feet (tiring, but we pushed on for the iconic “balanced rock” view!). After reaching the top, we discovered the other side of the mountain had the real easy route—so flat even kids could walk it! And as a bonus, we met a little Bernese Mountain Dog (a “small Berner”) along the way and got to pet it—such a sweet surprise! 🐶 #LifeInAmerica #AcadiaNationalPark #NorthAmericanRoadTrip #Hiking