2 Days in Acadia National Park with a Dog (or without)

Just recently we spent 2 days in Acadia National Park with our dog Snoopy. It was our first time in Acadia, and we know that we must go back for longer days.

Acadia’s natural beauty is amazing, a mix of shorelines, forests, and mountains. Not to mention that Acadia is one of the dog-friendliest National Parks in the country. Your dog can go to lots of trails and places with you. Another reason to fall in love with Acadia, right? Just like Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

Our visit to Acadia National Park was part of our road trip through New England from our home state Texas. We spent 3 days in Vermont and 3 days in New Hampshire before we moved to Maine for 4 days.

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Acadia National Park Information Guide

Acadia, the Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast is located about 160 miles from Portland, Maine, and about 50 miles from Bangor. From Augusta, the capital of Maine, is about 100 miles, and about 264 miles from Boston.

With visitors around 3.5 million per year, Acadia is one of the top ten most visited National Parks in the United States.

Acadia National Park is located on Mount Desert Island. If you ever heard about Bar Harbor, that’s the village that shares a border with Acadia, a popular home base for visiting the park.

The physical address of the park is 25 Visitor Center Road, Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Bar Harbor, ME 04609.

The majority of the park’s 47,000 acres sprawls on Mount Desert Island, with small portions of the park are on the Schoodic Peninsula (inland) and Isle au Haut.

Transportation in Acadia

Actually, you do not need a car when visiting the park from late June to Columbus Day in October. The Island Explorer features bus routes linking hotels, inns, and campgrounds with destinations in Acadia National Park and neighboring village centers. It will take you to hiking trails, carriage roads, island beaches, and in-town shops and restaurants for free. 

If you stay outside the island, just park your car in the Visitor Center and enjoy the ride. But, you still need to drive your car when visiting Cadillac Mountain and Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.

Where to stay in Acadia National Park?

The park has two campgrounds on Mount Desert Island, one campground on the Schoodic Peninsula, and five lean-to shelters on Isle au Haut. For more info on camping in the park, check out this link to Acadia campground. 

Bar Harbor and other villages in the island and inland offer different types of accommodations. Staying inland will be cheaper than on the island.

How much does it cost to visit Acadia National Park?

To enter the park, you must purchase and display a weekly, annual, or lifetime pass.

– Weekly private vehicle pass: $30

– Weekly motorcycle pass: $25

– Weekly per person: $15 (for cyclist, hiker, or pedestrian.)

– Acadia annual pass: $55

– Interagency annual pass: $80

– Lifetime senior pass (U.S. citizens or Permanent Resident 62 and over): $80

– Every kid outdoors 4th grade pass/5th grade voucher (you must print the voucher) 

What not to miss in Acadia National Park?

– Cadillac Mountain

– Park Loop Road with stops at Sieur de Monts, Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Point, and Jordan Pond House

– Carriage Roads

– Hiking

– Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

– Isle au Haut

– Schoodic Peninsula

– Bar Harbor 

Can we do all these when spending two days in Acadia National Park?

When you visit the park’s website, they suggest that you stay for 3-4 days. Of course that’s not always what you can do. So, here I share with you on how to spend 2 days in Acadia National Park with or without a dog. Based on our experience when visiting Acadia during the high season.

For more detailed map of Acadia National Park, you can find it here.

How to spend 2 days in Acadia National Park with (or without) a dog

On this first visit to Acadia, we didn’t get a spot to stay on the island, known as Mount Desert Island. We stayed in a RV Park in Trenton, about 20 minutes drive from the park’s entrance. 

As most of you know by now, we traveled with our teardrop, a small travel trailer. After we set up our travel trailer in Trenton, we drove to Acadia National Park for a quick visit. It was late afternoon, but the summer sun was still out. We wanted to see how long it would take us to get to the entrance of Cadillac Mountain where we would go first thing the next morning.

First, we hit Hulls Cove Visitor Center which was closed by the time we got there around 6.30 pm. Fortunately they provided the park’s map by the bus stop. With the map in hand, we drove to Jordan Pond. But first, we turned to the Cadillac Mountain entrance.

On the way to the Cadillac Mountain entrance, we got our first view of Frenchman Bay. The water was blue, boats were moving slowly, and we saw Bar Harbor in the distance. So quiet and beautiful!

Then we continued to Jordan Pond, approximately 30 minutes drive from Hulls Cove Visitor Center.

Jordan Pond

Jordan Pond is located off the two-way section of the Park Loop Road. It is one of the park’s most pristine lakes, surrounded by mountain scenery. The geological beauty of Jordan Pond made it one of the popular spots in Acadia.

At the southern end of the lake there’s a Jordan Pond House, the only restaurant inside Acadia National Park. It is famous for its tea and popovers. I had it in my Acadia to do list, but unfortunately the House was already closed when we got there.

My husband and I took our dog Snoopy for a short walk along the lake. It was pretty and quiet, and we saw the two distinct mountains at the northern end of the lake: The Bubbles.

Jordan Pond is a drinking water supply for a nearby small town Seal Harbor. Therefore, visitors and their dogs are not allowed to swim in the lake. You can boat here, as long as the motor is below 10 horsepower.

Besides afternoon tea on the lawn at Jordan Pond House, there are a few things that I want to do for our next visit. Hike Carriage Roads and The Bubbles (both are pet friendly), and stargazing. 

If you are not visiting the park with a dog, you might check out the Jordan Cliffs Loop (5 mile) and Pemetic Mountain Loop (over 4 miles) as well. The first loop includes steep slopes, iron rungs, and a strenuous climb, while the second one includes a rugged ascent.

Cadillac Mountain

One of the most popular destinations in Acadia National Park, you must make an online reservation to drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain. Vehicle reservations cost $6, and they are not available for purchase at the park. 

These reservations are required for visiting between the end of May to Columbus Day in October. You can make a reservation 90 days ahead. If it is full, go back 2 days before the date you plan to go. On that day they open reservations at 10 am ET.

Favorite times for visiting Cadillac Mountain are sunrise and sunset. We didn’t get a ticket for sunrise, so we booked the next available time which was 7.30 am. And sunrise reservation starts at 3.30 am! 

You can also hike or bike to the summit. For this, you don’t need a reservation.

Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the eastern seaboard of the United States. You will drive on a windy, paved 3.5 miles up to the summit. Once you arrive at the top, you will be presented by the magnificent views of the coastal and island landscape.

Do the short and paved Cadillac Summit Loop Trail. You will experience the panoramic views of Acadia, Mount Desert Island, and the Atlantic Ocean. Your dog will like exploring here with you.

Portions of the Cadillac Summit Loop Trail are paved, wide enough for a single wheelchair. 

Enjoy your time at the summit. We stayed for about an hour and the weather was nice and clear. So we got to see everything below. 

But the weather patterns can change rapidly. Our friend visited a month after us, and it was rainy and foggy all the way to the top. They couldn’t see anything from the summit.

There is a restroom and gift shop facility at the top, but they were closed when we were there.

Remember! There is no public transportation to Cadillac Mountain.

Whether you plan to spend two days or more in Acadia, you must visit Cadillac Mountain. If you are a morning person, you might check the sunrise. However, when it’s foggy up there during your visit, you can’t come back the next day. The park only allowed one vehicle reservation per seven days for the sunrise. You can’t re-enter as well after you leave the summit.

One thing that I want to do for my next trip here is to stargaze on Cadillac Mountain.

Park Loop Road

From Cadillac Mountain our two days trip in Acadia continued to scenic Park Loop Road. We started from the one-way traffic road to Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor, then continued west to Bass Harbor and Southwest Harbor.  

Many of Acadia’s most popular destinations are located on the Park Loop Road. If you drive, it is highly advisable to check the map and understand the traffic flow before starting.

Parking is limited, and there is also in the right-hand lane of the road unless posted otherwise.

This area is extremely congested in July and August. We visited in the third week of June, and it was also congested.

From our experience, Sieur de Monts parking was fine, but the rest of the destinations were bad. If you can’t find a parking spot in Sand Beach, keep going until you find a spot along the road, or around Thunder Hole or Otter Point. There’s a 2.2 mile Ocean Path Trail that connects Sand Beach to Thunder Hole to Otter Point.

Sieur de Monts

Sieur de Monts is often referred to as the heart of Acadia. It is the first major stop along Park Loop Road.

This area serves as a memorial to George Dorr, known as the Father of Acadia National Park. He was the one who started and built the park, cared and expanded the land into what we know now as Acadia National Park.

Originally, Acadia was designated as a National Monument in 1916 with the name Sieur de Monts. Later it became Lafayette National Park in 1919 through an act of Congress. In 1929, the name changed again into Acadia National Park.  

Your visit here will include Sieur de Monts Spring, Nature Center, Wild Gardens of Acadia, Abbe Museum, and historic memorial paths.

When we were there the Nature Center was closed. While I walked around Wild Gardens of Acadia (dogs are not allowed), my husband took Snoopy for a walk through part of Jesup Path and Hemlock Path towards the parking lot.

We didn’t stay long here, but it makes a good stop if you like plants and need to use the restrooms.

Sand Beach

After spending time at the highest point in the park, I was amazed to see that we were suddenly on the beach. Sand Beach is Acadia’s only sandy ocean beach, and one of the park’s most heavily-visited areas. 

At first, we only planned to drive by the beach, but we found out we couldn’t see it from the road. You must park and walk down the stairs to the beach.

So, my son and I went to the beach while my husband drove around to find a parking spot. Dogs (or any pets) are not allowed on the beach during summer months (June 15 thru September 8.) Anyway, someone had to stay in the car with Snoopy, right?

You can swim here, but the beach’s normal water temperature is between 50-60° Fahrenheit (10-15° Celsius.) We just took off our sandals and walked in the water. It was frigid. Not too many people were in the water when we were there. Just a few college age students.

Sand Beach is not big, it is approximately 290 yards. It is guarded by cliffs on both sides of the beach. We walked to both sides, and the views were stunning. It is also one of the best places to do stargazing in the park.

Not too many people on the beach, compared to parking lots that were full. But it’s because three popular hiking trails in the park – The Beehive, Great Head Trail, and Ocean Path – begin nearby.  

When we left the beach area, we couldn’t find our car. I tried to call and text my husband but it didn’t get through. No connection and our provider was AT&T. Finally we found our car on the right-hand side of the road.

Then we continued to another famous stop along Park Loop Road, the Thunder Hole.

Thunder Hole

Thunder Hole is an underwater sea cave that with the right conditions (2 hours before high-tide and high winds) can produce thundering crashes. You can watch it from above or walk down the stairs to watch it closer.

When we were there, the water that came out and splashed from the cave wasn’t high as we saw from many pictures. Probably it wasn’t the right conditions, although the sound was loud enough.  

A broad slab of pink granite and cliffs are surrounding the Thunder Hole. You can walk and sit there while enjoying breathtaking views of the ocean.

There’s a parking area across the street and on the right-hand side of the road. Parking lot was not as big as the Sand Beach.

You can always hike from Sand Beach if you don’t want to take a risk of not getting a parking spot. The trail starts from the upper parking lot of Sand Beach. You will hike 0.7 mile on concrete and packed gravel sections that gradually rise over a hill. It gradually descended closer to Thunder Hole.

Otter Point

Last stop we made on Park Loop Road was Otter Point where granite slabs are surrounded by the oceans on both sides. 

Views were also breathtaking and we got to see a lobster boat passing by.

If you decide to hike here from Thunder Hole, make sure you have a good pair of footwear. The trail is gravelly and rocky with uneven surfaces. You will hike on two staircases and steep drops into the ocean. It’s around 1.5 miles from Thunder Hole.

Most people turn around after they explore the granite slabs. But walk a couple hundred more feet to the end of trails at Otter Cove. Take a small staircase to get a beautiful view across the causeway with Cadillac and Dorr Mountain in the background.

Northeast Harbor & Lobster Roll for Lunch

After Otter Point we saw a sign of Little Hunters Beach but we didn’t make a stop. It’s a cobblestone beach. Here the ocean temperature rarely exceeds 55°F (12.8°C) in the summer. Swimming is not recommended due to strong undertows. 

Then we made a turn to Seal Harbor. It’s a small village with not too many people around. There’s a small public beach with a view of sailboats, yachts, and lobster boats. We were looking for a lunch place that served lobster but we didn’t see any. After all, while in Maine you must try their lobster rolls, right?  

Later I found out that Seal Harbor is a summering village for rich people like Martha Stewart, and a long time home for Fords and Rockefellers.

From here we continued on Route 3 to Northeast Harbor. 

Northeast Harbor is bigger than Seal Harbor. The Main Street has boutique shops and artisan galleries. There are beautiful gardens, and of course restaurants that serve lobster! 

It is said that Northeast Harbor is a quiet and small version of Bar Harbor. But we couldn’t find a parking spot on Main Street.  

After driving around, we finally found a restaurant called The Nor’Easter Pound & Market. Dogs are allowed on the patio, and Snoopy wasn’t the only one there. It has a view of the harbor.

We started with Hot Crab Dip with Grilled Baguette for an appetizer. It was really good. For the main course, I ordered a Mount Desert Rock lobster roll which was cold rolls served with coleslaw, mayo, fresh squeezed lemon, and cracked pepper. My husband had a Sutton style lobster roll which is served warm with salted butter, while our son ordered Fish & Chips. 

My son and I liked our lunch, but my husband said it’s ok. I found a lobster shell in my roll, so I couldn’t give this restaurant a five star.

While eating, we saw a lobster rolls food truck parking not too far from the harbor. There’s a line of people waiting for their order. You know what we did next, right?

Yes! We stopped at the food truck and ordered another lobster roll. Haha.. My husband still thinks it’s not like he imagined. 

You must know that lobster rolls are not cheap. At the restaurant it was around $27 and the one from the food truck was a dollar higher.

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

After lunch we moved to the west part of the island. We drove through Pretty Marsh and Seal Cove before we stopped at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.

One of the three lighthouses managed by the park, Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse gets around 180,000 visitors annually. It is the most visited place on the west side of the island, and the fifth busiest in the whole park. That is behind Cadillac Mountain, Jordan Pond, Sand Beach, and Thunder Hole. All of the places we got to visit before lunch.

After walking to the right and getting a closer look of the lighthouse, take the path on the left of the parking lot. It will take you down to the cliffs where you will get the best view of the lighthouse. Just like pictures you saw from social media.

Sunset is the favorite time for visiting the light, but we arrived around 3 pm. Already I found it hard to take good pictures. People scattered everywhere, even sitting closer to the lighthouse.   

Parking here is limited, and roadside parking is prohibited along the entrance road and 102A. The road is narrow, therefore buses, RVs, or trailers are not permitted.

From here we drove along the coast passing Wonderland, Seawall, and Southwest Harbor. We made a quick stop at Wonderland, and fog started to cover the road by the time we drove through Seawall.

In Southwest Harbor, I think I saw more boats than people. This west side of Mount Desert Island is quieter and more secluded than the east part.    

Bar Harbor

We ended the day by driving back to the east part of the island to Bar Harbor. 

Bar Harbor is slightly bigger than Northeast Harbor but it was very busy. I don’t recall how many times we turned around to find a parking spot until my husband dropped me off at one point. I walked around by myself and they drove around in the car. 

The busy village reminded me of Seminyak to Canggu areas in Bali. Shops, restaurants, and accommodations are everywhere. People were eating, drinking, shopping, or just walking around. It is really a touristy part of Mount Desert Island.

If you don’t stay in this village, I suggest you take the Island Explorer. Then you can walk around and enjoy the village. It will save you time from finding parking spots.

Don’t Skip Schoodic Peninsula

Our 2 days in Acadia National Park vacation continued with visiting Schoodic Peninsula. It is the only part of the park on the mainland.

From Hulls Cove Visitor Center it takes about an hour to get here. We stopped at the visitor center first to get the B.A.R.K. Ranger badge for our dog Snoopy. It’s a special badge for dogs that visit the National Park with their owners. Not all National Parks have this program. 

Too bad they were out of the Bark ranger badge. I put Snoopy’s name on the list so they can send the badge by mail. It’s a long list, and we still haven’t got the badge until I published this post.

It was a foggy morning when we arrived at Winter Harbor, a village right before the park. We saw people stop at The Bakery, a small hometown bakery that looks like it’s located in someone’s house. So we decided to make a stop, but we weren’t too impressed with their baked goods. Can’t tell about the coffee since we don’t drink coffee. 

When we entered the park and drove along the coast, the fog was even thicker. We stopped at several turnouts, but we couldn’t see far into Mount Desert Island. It was really pretty though. 

Arriving at Schoodic Point, wheeling gulls welcomed us by the parking lot. We could hear the sound of the waves crashing into cliffs. It’s so inviting!

We walked on huge granite ledges to the edge. Down below the Atlantic Ocean waves turned into lofty-geysers, trying to find ways through the slabs of pink granite. We watched this spectacular nature show for almost 45 minutes. Even our dog Snoopy was mesmerized by it.

There’s a sign by the parking lot that says something like this: “Don’t read books. Look into nature.” I couldn’t agree more with it.

Then we visited the Schoodic Institute and Welcome Center. We learned a lot about the area here.  

When you go to Acadia National Park, you must visit Schoodic Peninsula. I heard a lot of people skip this part of the park that I think was a big mistake.

Wish we could stay longer, but we had other plans for the day. Driving to Lubec, the easternmost town in the United States.

Is 2 Days in Acadia National Park Enough?

It all depends on what you like to do and when you visit the park. 

We were visiting during the high season where traffic in the park was not at its best. Therefore we decided not to do any hike and focused more on places of interest. It would take at least 2-3 hours to do one hike. Originally I had 3 hikes that I wanted to do. It meant one day for hiking.

When we visited Acadia, some of the carriage roads were closed because of the storm that happened in early June. Part of the Schoodic Peninsula was also closed because of the storm, and Isle au Haut, too.

If you visit during low season, don’t hike, and the weather is nice, 2 days is probably enough. But with 3-4 days you will have more time to stay in each place and do more. Like having tea and popover at the lawn of Jordan Pond House or stargazing at Cadillac Mountain. Hiking on one or two popular trails and the carriage roads, and visiting Isle au Haut.

Like I said above, we will visit Acadia National Park for longer days. But, if you only have 2 days to spend in Acadia and want to visit the major attractions, you now have a picture.

Enjoy Acadia National Park and have fun!