Acadia National Park — The Most Creative Hiking Award

When talking about my trip to Acadia National Park, I have to highlight just how creative and immersive its hiking trails are. We tackled two of the most famous ones, and they did not disappoint! 1. Beehive Trail: A Rock-Climbing Adventure This trail lets you hike up one side and down the other—no backtracking needed, which is a nice plus. Its biggest highlight? Near the summit, there’s a super steep rock face. To climb it, you have to rely on metal handholds fixed to the rock and grip onto any stable stones you can find. For sections without handholds, I strongly recommend planning your route first: figure out where to place your hands and feet beforehand. The rock-climbing tips I learned from someone before really came in handy here! The view from the top is absolutely worth the effort—you get 360-degree panoramic views of both sides of the mountain, with nothing blocking your sight 📸. One important note: Keep an eye on the blue trail markers! We got lost two or three times, and each time we only found our way back by following other hikers. Oops! 2. Jordan Pond Trail: Surprises Around Every Corner I went into this trail thinking Jordan Pond was just a plain little lake—but it turned out to be full of fun surprises! First, a quick fact about the pond: It’s Maine’s clearest lake, with visibility up to 15 meters below the surface. It’s also a local water supply, so swimming, paddling, and other water activities are strictly forbidden. This 2-hour hike has four totally different trail types—talk about variety! Boardwalk Section: To protect the natural ecosystem, the first part is a narrow boardwalk built over muddy soil and small streams. It’s only wide enough for one person, but every so often there’s a wider plank where people can wait for others to pass before moving on. “Mudslide Rock Maze” 🪨: Next, you have to navigate through piles of large rocks. You’ll even need to use your hands to steady yourself on the stones sometimes—it’s like a little obstacle course! “Balance Beam Bridge Challenge” 🪵: This was the most fun part! You have to tiptoe across tiny footholds (like practicing light-footed martial arts moves) and then “dance” across wobbly log bridges washed by running water—think ballet on a balance beam 🩰. If your shoes are still completely dry after this section, congratulations: Your balance is better than 99.99% of people! Lakeside Gravel Trail: The final stretch is a classic lakeside path with small stones. It’s calm and quiet—perfect for chatting with your hiking buddies while enjoying the lake views. Bonus: Sunrise at Cadillac Mountain 🌅 Besides hiking, another unmissable experience is watching the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain. (I intentionally didn’t share the “perfect” sunrise photo—leaving some imagination for you!) I set my alarm for 4:30 AM, thinking I’d be right on time for the 5:10 AM sunrise. But when I arrived at 5:05 AM, I realized I was the last one there—and the sun had already risen a quarter of the way up! Was it because sunrise on the mountain is earlier? Or is 5:10 AM the time when the sunrise is complete? Or maybe I just hit snooze one too many times… Either way, when the first rays of sunlight in the Eastern US lit up the entire bay, I knew waking up early was totally worth it. Thunder Hole: Cute “Mini Thunder” The guide says, “With luck, you’ll hear waves roar like thunder.” Clearly, this season wasn’t our “lucky” time—instead of a thunderous boom, we only heard weak, half-hearted splashes that sounded like tiny bubbles 🫧. It was like a baby lion trying to roar—more cute than imposing, and we couldn’t help but smile at it! #Acadia