Acadia National Park has a magnetic pull to it. “OH, you HAVE to go to Acadia!” was the first thing many people told us upon discovering we were finishing our bike tour in Maine.

And so we did. And they were right, it’s stunning. So are all the parts of Maine that we visited, but Acadia is the crown jewel.

Maine has more coastline than any other state except Alaska. Why? There are 12.7 million (give or take) inlets, bays, harbors and other nifty names for places to paddle or sail a boat into. For those who prefer the comfort of earth beneath their feet, pink granite is the rock of choice locally, and big outcroppings and mountains of it are tremendous fun to hike on. Mainers keep things interesting with dangerous (to some) iron rungs on steep ascents. My kind of hiking.

Fall colors were fading a bit toward late October, but were still quite nice!

We spent a full week in Bar Harbor, gateway to Acadia, and were out in nature every single day. Beyond learning some local phrases such as wicked pissah (rain storm), tag sale (yard sale) and door yard (driveway), we spent hours exploring the beautiful expanse of national park on foot and bikes.

And so should you. Yep, that’s right, I’m a convert. You HAVE to visit Acadia the next time you’re anywhere near Maine.

I’ll leave it there and let the pictures do the talking. I threw in a few more from south of Acadia in Camden, which is also well worth a visit.

Onward,

Dakota

Twice a day at low tide, it’s possible to hike along a thin sand bar out to Bar Island for a view of the town.

A great vista of Jordan Pond and the Atlantic Ocean from Acadia National Park on the (very rad) Jordan Cliffs hike.

Pink granite on a foggy day in Acadia.

A narrow, old-school walkway on a hike in Acadia.

Acadia granite is used to make signature cairns all over the park.

Hanging out on Precipice Trail. My kinda hike. 🙂

Chelsea “hiking” up Precipice Trail. Yep, her badass parents scaled the cliff with us.

Acadia is so old that a few of the trails use “unsafe” (pffft) iron rungs and ladders from over a century ago rather than rerouting hikers along a boring route. So. Fun.

A great vista in Acadia.

J.D. Rockefeller Jr. put in the carriage trail system in Acadia almost a century ago. Which is why this photo is tinted…

Hiking along the cliffs at the SE corner of Acadia along the ocean.

A sunset walk along the waterfront in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Cairns at sunset.

A cold, sunny day overlooking the Maine coast.

A view from the turrets of a World War 1 memorial overlooking the quaint town of Camden, Maine.

Hikes are all about views like this. Somewhere near Camden, Maine on an amazing fall day.