Hilary Nangle - Moon Acadia National Park

the shores of Schoodic Point.

Mount Desert Island has been luring visitors since French explorers first answered the islands siren song in 1604. Seductively remote, it dangles like a pendant into the Atlantic, flashing its profile to passing navigators and mainland drivers. Although only 15 miles from north to south and 12 miles from west to east, the island is home to about 30,000 of Acadia National Parks roughly 46,000 acres. Its a miniature masterpiece thats laced with hiking trails and carriage roads, etched by a craggy coastline, sprinkled with ponds, and lorded over by bald peaks.

Acadias appeal is contradictory: Its accessible, and yet its not. More than two million visitors annually arrive on Mount Desert by car, bus, plane, or cruise ship, all eager to view the parks icons. The Park Loop Road makes that easy. But even on the most crowded days, its possible to slip away and find peace and quiet on a hike, paddle, or bike ride. Step off the major thoroughfares, and birdsong replaces idle chatter, pine perfumes the air, and signs of civilization disappear from view. Off-the-beaten-path gems might lack the drama of the icons, but they feed the soul, ease the mind, and restore much-needed balance to a hectic life.

a stone bridge along the carriage roads

Bar Harbors waterfront

lobster buoys decorate a wall in Bar Harbor

Beyond Mount Desert Island, other sections of the park beckon. Islesford and Baker Island are connected by passenger ferries and excursion boats; oh-so-remote Isle au Haut lets the curious view from the safe confines of a boat while inviting the hardy to hike and camp in near solitude; and the mainland Schoodic sections pink granite shores receive far fewer visitors than Mount Desert Island.

While the park is the regions flawless gem, its set amid other precious ones. If stretched taut, Hancock Countywith Acadia as its centerpiecewould have more than 1,000 miles of coastline. No saltwater locale on the Eastern Seaboard can compete with the regions variety of scenery or its natural resources, which include the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the Donnell Pond Public Reserved Land, three scenic byways, and countless preserves. This inspiring scenery feeds dozens of artists and artisans, whose galleries and studios pepper the region.

Maine is so lovely, a recent British visitor to Acadia sighed nostalgically, I do wish England had fought harder to keep it.

Somesville

a ranger program on a sailboat.

headquarters of the Castine Historical Society

Where to Go

Acadia on Mount Desert Island

Mountains tumbling to the sea, ocean waves crashing on granite ledges, serene ponds, and wildflower-filled meadowlandsthe Mount Desert Island section of the park has it all, in spades. Watch the sun rise out of the Atlantic from Cadillac Mountains summit, drive along the icon-rich Park Loop Road, hike trails through forestlands and up coastal peaks, scale granite cliffs, or paddle the coastlines nooks and crannies. Intimate yet expansive, wild yet civilized, Acadia is as accessible or as remote as you desire.

driving Park Loop Road

Mount Desert Island Communities

Excursions into the park depart from the surrounding communities, which have attractions of their own: museums, gardens, shops, and theaters. Bar Harbor is the islands hub; tony Northeast Harbor is located at the mouth of Somes Sound, a rare fjard; Southwest Harbor is the heart of the islands quiet side. These communities, along with the smaller fishing villages, are where youll find lobster dinners with all the fixings.

Schoodic Peninsula

Everything changes when you continue north on Route 1: the pace slows, fast-food joints and even stoplights disappear, and independence reigns. Schoodic Points pink granite shores are undoubtedly the highlight of the parks only mainland section, but there are other reasons to mosey off the beaten track. Back roads and scenic byways loop through fishing villages, bisect a mountain- and lake-speckled wilderness preserve, access a national wildlife refuge, and edge those pink shores. Its a bonanza for hikers, bikers, anglers, boaters, and bird-watchers.