Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Acadia National Park: Jordan Pond & the Bubbles


Care to join me for a virtual hike in Maine? On October 10th we set off for the Bubbles, a pair of conjoined mountains in Acadia National Park. The trailhead 14-spot parking lot is frequently full so we had to park at Jordan Pond, a couple of miles down the park road.


At the far end of the flat Jordan Pond trail, there is a choice between a steep trail up South Bubble or a more gradual trail (good for hiking poles) that winds through golden birch tree groves, which we chose both ways. Round trip, the moderately easy hike was three hours with many photo breaks. We didn't have time to include the North Bubble.


The bare granite summit of South Bubble is only 800 feet above sea level, but it offers fantastic views of Mt. Desert Island and its lakes to the north...


...and Jordan Pond plus the ocean islands to the south. The open summit would be a good picnic spot.


Another lunch option, if you're willing to wait an hour for a table, is Jordan Pond House overlooking the pond and the Bubbles. This in park restaurant is renowned for its oven warm popovers (American Yorkshire Pudding). My local lobster salad and crab cake and my husband's Shepherd's Pie were excellent. Afterwards we admired the wildflower meadows before our three hour drive home.

A less well known hike with good ocean views is Beech Mountain (previous post). We found both hikes in 50 Hikes in Coastal and Southern Maine by John Gibson, my favorite Maine guidebook, which also explains the geography of the terrain. I'd recommend a waterproof trail map and a compass too.

Acadia is most busy late June through Labor Day and for peak foliage in mid October. To save time, buy your park pass online and avoid the park road loop at midday. You can also take the park shuttle bus. Note that Jordan Pond House and some town businesses close off season. Despite the crowds, Acadia National Park is one of my favorite places in Maine.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh how beautiful! The very air.

Donna said...

I enjoyed the virtual hike! Gorgeous! My family and I would love doing this.

Petra Pavlátková said...

I enjoyed the virtual hike too! "Bubbles" is a funny name for those mountains but easy to remember for sure. I love the views, in the autumnal coat they look especially attractive. No wonder many people come to the area.

Blogoratti said...

What a stunning landscape to get immersed in. Wonderful photos too, warm greetings.

troutbirder said...

Gorgeous views indeed!...:)

Barrie said...

What beautiful views. I like this virtual hike thing....I'm not the least bit out of breath. :)

thecuecard said...

Wow glorious and beautiful! How far is Acadia Park from your place? Does it take a while to drive to? I'll get to that coast someday.

Sarah Laurence said...

All, thanks!

Blogoratti, welcome to my blog!

Barrie, haha!

Cue, Acadia National Park is about 2 3/4 hours drive from my house. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration plans to more than double national park entrance fees. We bought a year pass before this will be implemented.