Bubble Pond, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA

Entering Acadia National Park with a permit is easy! Park, pay and drive. The only shame lies in the notoriously weak (or non-existent) phone signal while there, rendering all GPS navigation devices useless. Physical map is the best way forward.

Acadia National Park

We went to Acadia National Park over the Fourth of July weekend, and the weather was beautiful! Since it was a holiday weekend, the drive from Boston was horrendous. Parking was also difficult inside the park, and we were recommended to take the park shuttle (Avoid if possible! They’re overly crowded and only come every half an hour). 

All logistics aside, we had a blast inside the park. We got in around 9am, drove up to Cadillac Mountain Summit and then parked by Jordan Pond. From there we hiked to Bubble Pond and Eagle Lake. We then took the shuttle and got back to our car at Jordan Pond and drove to Sand Beach. From Sand Beach, we hiked up to the Beehive, which is a must see! There’s a lot of climbing and some narrow paths, but it’s not nearly as scary as Angel’s Landing at Zion. From there we went on the Gorham Mountain Trail, which took us back to the shore. We continued on the Ocean Trail going by Thunder Hole and back to Sand Beach. There was a lot of pretty scenery along the way, and friendly fellow hikers. We got to Sand Beach close to 6pm in time to catch the sunset. Note this is on the east side of the park, so we didn’t actually see the sun, just beautiful clouds and skies. We also decided to stargaze at Sand Beach. Nothing beats sitting on the beach, listening to crashing waves and gazing at the stars after hiking all day. On our way out, we stopped by Cadillac Mountain again to take in the night view. 

Since parking and transportation was a bit of a hassle, we ended up only eating the food that we brought. PB&J sandwiches for dinner aren’t so shabby when you have much to feast on with your eyes.  

Top: Gorham Mountain Trail

Second row: Jordan Pond, the Beehive

Third row: mushrooms from the Jordan Pond to Bubble Pond

Richard Estes (b.1932) - Bubble Pond

Oil on board. 14 x 22.5 inches, 35.6 x 57.2 cm.