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.

Acadia National Park: Beech Mountain & Bar Harbor

Acadia National Park's seaside mountains attracts visitors from all over the world, but most tourists don't wander far from their cars. Beech Mountain (above photo) on the remote western corner of Mt. Desert Island is an excellent hike to avoid the crowds. At only 700 feet, it's more of hill than a mountain but still quite steep on the slick granite. Hiking boots are a good idea, but this trail is too rocky for hiking poles.

My husband and I woke early on Indigenous People Day (our town renamed Columbus Day) to hike before the afternoon rain. At sunrise, there was a cool fog bow over Bar Harbor. It's about a half hour drive from town to the trailhead (northwest corner of the parking lot).

On a clear day, the fire tower at Beech Mountain offers a panoramic view of Mt. Desert and the Cranberry Islands, but it was also quite lovely in the mist with peak foliage. Dense fog hid the sea.

Bright red maple trees and blueberry bushes still managed to flame through the misty evergreens.

The colors were all the more vibrant against the mist. 

From the open peak, the South Ridge Trail follows the granite ridge over lichen and descends gradually in switchbacks through a pine forest. The tall pines with dripping ferns, lichen and moss reminded me of the Pacific Northwest or Japan. There is such an interesting variety of terrain in Acadia, compared to other parts of Maine. Stopping frequently to take photos, the 3 mile loop took us about 2 1/2 hours. It was too wet to complete the Canada Cliff and Eagle Cliff loops near the base.

Since Acadia is nearly a three hour drive from home, we spent two nights at the Bar Harbor Inn, which has excellent views of the harbor and is close to the restaurants and shops in town. We met our son and his girlfriend, who hiked a more challenging trail in the rain, at Havana for a delicious dinner. I'd also recommend the Side Street Cafe for lunch or dinner in Bar Harbor, and you'll also want to browse in Sherman's Bookstore nearby. Luckily for us, the skies cleared on our last day. I'll share sunnier photos in my next Acadia post, later this month.

The foliage is also gorgeous back at home. This photo is from my regular bike ride, a seven mile loop from my house past farmlands and a tidal estuary. I love Maine in October!

Acadia National Park Off Season

Bar Harbor, Maine

Over 2 million people visit Acadia National Park in a year; most come in the summer or for fall foliage. My photos from last week’s April break don’t just give an illusion of emptiness. Visit Acadia off season if you want to commune with nature in solitude and skip the entrance fee.

Otter Cliffs, Acadia National Park

Our first day was foggy with rain expected, so we kept to the coastal paths of Mt. Desert Island. You can actually see this view (above) from your car. Most visitors to Acadia don’t bother to step far beyond the Park Loop Road. They are missing a lot. The Rockefellers put in miles of carriage roads, perfect for mountain bikes or easy walking. I’ve heard that they are also great for cross country skiing.

Somes Sound from Mt. Acadia 

To escape the crowds and to get the best views,
climb a mountain.
The view from the bald peak of Acadia Mountain
is well worth the effort.
It is an effort.
My kids (above) are
not standing recklessly at the edge of a cliff.

Here's the trail (photo to left.)
This type of hiking is called scrambling.
Honestly, this is a teenager's idea of fun.
We encountered no one on this mountain, curiously!

Adjacent to Acadia Mountain is Mt. St. Sauveur.
It also has spectacular views without the scramble.
We hiked the two together in one day.
It was only 4 miles, but it took us 4 hours to do the loop trail.
Guess who slowed down the pace?
Other visits we’ve hiked Beech Mountain,
my favorite trail off the beaten path.
There are hikes for all abilities.

View from Mt. St. Sauveur of Greening, Sutton and the Cranberry Islands

After hiking, enjoy Bar Harbor. Ben and Bill’s Chocolate Emporium sells homemade fudge and ice cream, including lobster flavor. Eat pizza while watching a movie at  Reel Pizza. The newly opened Side Street Café has live music, cocktails and tasty veggie burgers and tapenade. For the more gourmet experience, try Mache Bistro, started by a former chef of Havana. Sadly, Havana with its delicious Cuban accented food is closed off season, like most of town. We stayed at the Graycote Inn, which is open year round and discounted off season. The innkeepers serve up a delicious two-course breakfast and homemade cookies with hot cider in the afternoon. Hiking builds an appetite!

Sherman's Book Store, established in 1886, is a must browse.

My vacation reading: Life of Pi by Yann Martel. If you are one of the few who haven't read this Man Booker Prize winning novel, it's about a 16-year-old boy stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger from his father's zoo. Pi must tame the tiger and his fear to survive. He turns to his knowledge of animals and his 3 faiths (Hinduism, Islam and Christianity!) My teenaged son loved it, but my tween daughter didn't. It was published as an adult book in 2001 and is often assigned at school. Adults would appreciate the philosophical nuances.

Life of Pi can be very gory, but I appreciated the realistic portrayal of animal behavior and respect for nature. Both Pi and the tiger are great characters and the writing is sublime. Critically, it didn't really hook me until the second part. Then it was hard to put down. Much of the backstory in the first part could have been woven in as flashbacks, but who am I to criticize a contemporary classic?

Closest to it: The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (a favorite from my childhood) and The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh (literary fiction, one of my favorites now.) 

Blog Watch: I've recently started following Steph Su Reads, written by a Swathmore College student who reviews young adult and middle grade literary fiction. Steph had a brilliant post on What's Missing in YA Lit? I'm encouraged because my YA novel covers a lot of that missing ground, although it isn't published yet. Author Beth Kephart encouraged Steph to submit this article to the NYT Books Section. It really is that good.