Location:
Along the Maine coastline and inside Acadia National Park
Length: 40 miles (64.4 km)
Time To Allow: 3 hours
Description/Highlights/Points
of Interest
The Acadia Byway accesses Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor on Mount
Desert Island. Captivating vistas will surround you, from craggy shorelines
and granite-capped mountains to crystal lakes and old-growth forests.
The island is perfect for exploring with extensive carriage roads and
hiking trails, giving access to all areas of Acadia National Park. The
island also shelters several small harbor towns, the largest being Bar
Harbor, the island's artistic, culinary and social center. See the sailboats
of Northeast Harbor or take in the rustic flavor of Bass and Southwest
Harbors.
Suggested
Itinerary
The most important thing to remember while traveling this byway is to
take your time. Since this route is on the coast and in a national park,
there is no end to brilliant views. There is also no end of things to
do and places to relax.
Before you start out, pick up some hiking guides and other brochures and
pamphlets at the Visitor's Center, which is at the beginning of
the byway. If you're planning on hiking, you'll want to know how difficult
each of the hikes is to plan according to your level of expertise. You'll
also want to find out the cost of ferries if you plan to go out to the
Cranberry Islands or go whale watching.
Spend a day in the city of Bar Harbor, soaking in the relaxed atmosphere,
eating at a fine or local-flavor charming restaurant, and explore a few
of the hundreds of specialty shops. Some of the items the shops offer
are so unique and distinctive that you'll never see their like again.
There's plenty of nightlife: bars, clubs, concerts, specialty movie theatres
(one is art deco — one has couches and pizza). You may even be able
to catch one of the two annual music festivals, part of the annual film
festival, or an opening night at an art gallery. There are many hotels
and other places to stay that you really have no end of choice.
Spend the next day hiking around Dorr and Champlain Mountains and
the Tarn. Explore off-road Acadia National Park on a mountain
bike; take the 50+ miles (80+ km) of carriage roads. They are safe, serene,
gorgeous and well-maintained.
You could even spend an overnighter in the park. There are plenty of places
in Bar Harbor to pick up food and supplies, if you need them.
Day three: Make sure to hit Thunder Hole (and it's associated
historical ranger station). Otter Cliffs and the adjoining Otter
Point are simply remarkable. You may want to don a jacket as you sit
on the rocks and have a picnic lunch.
Hop a ferry out to Cranberry Islands to explore. Or take a ferry
to whale-watch. You can see many other kinds of wildlife while whale watching:
bald eagles, puffins and the endangered peregrine falcons. While out near
the water, you can ocean kayak or canoe. Deep-sea fish. Take a windjammer
cruise. All of this equipment may be rented, and there are plenty of guides
available.
The
following organizations offer trips in Maine:
Acadia
Byway
Traveling
America
Most true “May-nuhs,” the seafarers, tradesmen, fishermen
and shipbuilders who live in the quaint villages and on the charming farms
of Maine, really enjoy telling their stories to visitors. On the other
hand, connected by scenic roads that meander through deep green forests
along rocky coastlines, residents of the region really treasure their
quiet way of life and work constantly to preserve their landscape and
heritage. To let you enjoy the “May-nuhs” and the spectacular
scenery they are surrounded by, Traveling America designed a special 4-day,
3-night package to explore the whole Acadia National Scenic Byway, both
on the main Park Loop Road near Bar Harbor and the Schoodic Scenic Byway,
which takes you to a small part of Acadia National Park lying at the end
of the Schoodic Peninsula. Along the way, you’ll discover the best
of the “Down East” lifestyle, historic villages, lighthouses,
carriage roads and the famous coastal scenery for which Maine is world-renown.
New
England's Roads Less Traveled
Incredible
Journeys, Inc.
Take this trip in the Fall: Autumn leaves, pumpkins, white steeples and
covered bridges — we offer back roads of New England, and it will
make all the difference! Flying into Boston, we follow rugged coastline
to Kennebunkport, Maine, and shop in fabulous Freeport. Travel along the
Acadia Byway in beautiful Acadia National Park, enjoying vistas from atop
Cadillac Mountain and a lobster bake at Solms Sound. Visit Grafton Notch
Park and stay at world-class Mount Washington Hotel. Along foliage-rich
Kancamagus Highway, see Rocky Gorge, the Lower Falls and the Covered Bridge.
Explore Vermont's Green Mountains, Old Sturbridge Village, Newport, Rhode
Island and Boston before flying home.
Grand
Autumn New England
Tauck World Discovery
Enjoy four two-night stays in the classic destinations of autumn New England!
Our longest fall foliage excursion gives you more time to explore spectacular
landscapes vibrant in color, steeped in historical attractions, and brimming
with charming "Americana." Travel from New York City through
the states of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island and Connecticut for the quintessential journey through autumn
New England.
Classic
New England
Tauck World Discovery
This classic vacation reveals a wealth of splendors! Picture New England's
waking meadows sweet with fragrant air, summer sails and brisk breezes
as you wander through old mansions, museums and places from history books.
Rich in tradition and brimming with antique charm, there is no corner
of North America as picturesque, diverse or culturally rewarding.
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