Activity Guide to Acadia and Mount Desert Island with Kids

My family has never been the beach-going type. While other people have family traditions of visiting the same beach every year for vacation, possibly even staying in the same house, mine wanted to visit a new location each year. I can totally see the advantage of the former - generational memories, nostalgia, comfort, knowing what to expect - but it is not my experience. 

The one exception to this rule for us has been Mount Desert Island, the home of Acadia National Park. It is the one place on this planet that I have vacationed more times than any other. It may even be the only place we have vacationed for any length of time more than twice. If you have ever been, you can understand why, and if you haven't, then maybe right now is the time to change that. 

MDI boasts so many varied things to do in one relatively compact location, it's hard to compare. Where else in the US can you reach ocean and mountains within a 20-minute drive? It is also home to the only Northeast National Park. In the same day, you can see massive humpback whales up close and personal on a whale watching trip and end the day hiking one of the many beautiful trails in Acadia. 

So, how do you go about planning a trip to MDI? Where should you stay? What are the top sites, trails, experiences to have while you're there? What should you eat? How do you get there? If you're going with kids, which activities and trails are the most kid-friendly or safe?

For the first part of this two-part blog series, I will focus on the activities and outings, starting with the least physically demanding and working my way up from there. 

If you have never gone whale watching before, this is the place to do it. On our last trip we were lucky enough to spot a North Atlantic Right Whale and a Sperm Whale, along with the more common varieties of Humpback and Minke. Try to book your outing for early on in your trip so that if there is a cancellation due to weather or ocean conditions you will have a chance to reschedule. If you do not see any whales, they offer a return voucher to be used within three years. I know it happens, but I will say that I have gone on that trip no less than 7 or 8 times in my life and never NOT seen a whale. The on-board Naturalist offers a plethora of information about all the aquatic and non-aquatic animals living along the coastal waters. We have learned about various species of whales, basking sharks, giant ocean sun fish, seals, porpoises, and so much more. The trip is long, so be sure to bring some playing cards or other compact activities to keep yourselves entertained. Don’t forget your binoculars, either!

I also have always loved taking kids and newcomers on a lobster boat tour. Our favorite is the Lulu Lobster Boat. They teach you all about becoming a lobster fisherman, how you can tell a male from a female lobster, how lobsters grow, as well as information about Bar Harbor and the surrounding islands, etc. Several other boat trips we've thoroughly enjoyed include deep sea fishing with Acadia Fishing Tours, where you're almost guaranteed to catch and go home with a bunch of fish (and maybe even a lobster or two!), and other nature, puffin, and lighthouse cruises. You'll see a wide variety of birds, seals, porpoises, and beautiful landscapes along your route.

LuLu Lobster Boat Tour

You will absolutely need warm layers if you decide to go whale watching or on another boat outing. For the whale watching trips, the temperatures can drop 25 degrees from what they are on land. Which means even if it is 75 degrees that day, you're looking at 50-degree temperatures and massive wind chill from the speed of the boat if you're standing or sitting outside of the cabin. Make sure you pack some Dramamine, too, or some other option for motion sickness. There's almost nothing worse than being stuck out on the ocean with no way to calm your queasy stomach. Take it from someone who's made the mistake. You can try those acupuncture wrist bands, but they did not work for me. I also do not recommend standing at the front of the boat for long while it's traversing the waves; the buffeting wind in your ears and the dramatic rise and fall of the boat is enough to give you a headache and stomachache at the same time. 

Visiting the iconic Jordan Pond should also be on your to do list. Be warned, however, that parking is extremely limited, and this tends to be one of the most crowded places in Acadia. Your best bet may be to ride the free Island Explorer bus and avoid the headache and traffic involved with trying to find a parking spot. Once there, you can walk the easy trail around the pond, or traverse one of the more difficult trails that start in that area. The Jordan Pond path is full of beautiful views, wildlife, and a fun boardwalk style walkway that is meant to protect the vulnerable shoreline from the many visitors. Besides the beautiful views, The Jordan Pond House itself has been serving up tea and popovers to guests for over one hundred years. The food is delicious, but quite pricey and you may be able to find a yummy popover elsewhere on the island. (You’re really paying for the ambiance and experience, not just the food.) If you’re dead set on trying to eat here, try to get there when it first opens and put your name on the list, otherwise you could be waiting upwards of 2 hours. Thankfully, there are plenty of easy walks around the area to entertain you while you wait.

Jordan Pond with view of the Bubbles in the background

Thunder Hole, Cadillac Mountain, and Sand Beach are three other famous sites that most first-time visitors try to see. Sand Beach can get extremely crowded in the summertime. If you're hoping to go swimming, I recommend Echo Lake beach or Seal Harbor beach. (See the paragraph below canoeing for more information about Echo Lake Beach.) The Thunder Hole area is also extremely crowded and can be difficult to find parking. This geological ocean feature can be difficult to time for the best experience, but you can give it a shot. Try to time it for just about an hour before high tide, and if you’re fortunate enough to go on a windy day, you will be able to witness some pretty cool thunderous sounds coming from the ocean water rushing into the subterranean cave. Nevertheless, climbing around on the rocky shoreline and the cliffside views are worth the trip. 

As for Cadillac Mountain, the National Park Service has just instituted a reservation system for driving to the top. You can make the reservations online or by downloading the recreation.gov app. I didn’t have any trouble choosing a time, but you either have to do it well in advance or wait until the day or two before you want to go. You will not be allowed to drive up the mountain without this step, so don’t forget because you absolutely don’t want to miss the views. Cadillac Mountain is also the first place in the US to see the sunrise. If you’d like to try to experience that adventure (sunrise is around 4:30 AM in the summertime), make sure you reserve a time a couple of months in advance as those slots get snatched up quickly. I don’t know if the reservation system will continue past this time of COVID, but it seems like more and more parks across the country are trending in that direction in order to limit crowds to the most popular locations. 

Being an island in the Northeast, Mount Desert Island’s shoreline is rocky. The large, rounded mountaintops and boulder-strewn shorelines were left behind and shaped in large part by glacial activity many thousands of years ago. But it is thanks to these rock formations that you can take part in one of my favorite activities: exploring the tidepools. I grew up staying on the Quietside of the island (home to Southwest Harbor and Bass Harbor, on the opposite side from Bar Harbor), at the historic Claremont Hotel, which is situated right on Somes Sound. My brother and I spent literal hours searching for sea urchins, starfish, sea snails, mussels, clams, and crabs of all sizes and colors. Clutching our precious discoveries, we would wander our way back up to our cabin, arms laden with treasures, and eat a hearty breakfast overlooking the ocean. (I take no responsibility for any questionable smells that might accompany you home in your children’s luggage.) The Quietside is home to several other excellent locations for exploring tidepools. Bass Harbor (which also boats a beautiful lighthouse), the Ship Harbor Trail, and the Wonderland Trail are all excellent options. On our most recent trip, we walked the short hike through the beautiful woods along the Wonderland Trail and were richly rewarded. Our youngest son had so much fun he said he never wanted to leave and wouldn’t have really minded if we just left him there to fend for himself. (Hmmm… the thought IS tempting at times…)

Another water activity our kids love is canoeing or kayaking. There are many lakes and ponds all over Mount Desert Island that are perfect for those activities. The Nation Park Canoe & Kayak Rental is conveniently located just off Long Pond, but they will also deliver their equipment to other places on the island. Long Pond itself is, if you can believe it, quite long, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t manage the whole thing in one outing. About a quarter of the way up from the boat launch, there is a small inlet where you can portage your canoe across to the other side of the pond. From there you can make your way to Rum Island or other interesting coves and inlets along the pond where you can hop out onto the land and have a picnic and explore. The kids amused themselves tirelessly as they imagined they had discovered a deserted island and were members of the Lost Boys left to fend for themselves. Even Hazel, our 2-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer, couldn’t get enough of the adventure. Left to her own devices, every duck and loon on the pond would have been properly rooted out and put into submission, drowning risk be darned. 

We often will wear or bring our bathing suits if the weather is warm enough so the kids can take a dip. Echo Lake is close to Long Pond so you could potentially canoe across to the beach and swim to your hearts' content. Or just hop in anywhere you find a good place to beach your canoe.

It goes without saying that a trip to Acadia wouldn’t be complete without some form of a hiking expedition. With so many options, there is no doubt that you will be able to find trails to suit your needs and abilities. I rely pretty heavily on the AllTrails app to guide me in choosing a route. It allows you to filter your choices by ability level, elevation gain, distance, suitability for kids or dogs, and many other things. It will also track your progress along the trail using GPS and has maintained a pretty high level of accuracy even when I have no more cell service. Although Acadia is lacking in any significant peaks like the Rocky Mountains, hiking trails can frequently have sections that can turn steep and treacherous unexpectedly. 

One such example is the South Bubble trail, which, while fun and rewarding, is best traversed going UP the mountain instead of down if you’re traveling with kids. Going down feels much more precarious, in my opinion. I am all for pushing kids beyond what they think they are capable, but within reason. You will have to determine for yourself what you feel comfortable with, but each time we have taken our kids, they have surprised us with their ability to persevere and push on. In general, traveling with kids is an opportunity to teach your kids resiliency in the face of adversity that naturally comes in life. I can’t promise that they won’t whine and bemoan their fate while they do it, but they will come out the other side stronger, physically and mentally. And any time you go out on a trail, be sure to pack a few essentials: plenty of water for each person, a first aid kit, a multi-tool/pocketknife, wipes or tissues for bathroom emergencies, hand sanitizer, and more snacks than you think you’ll need. We actually have a small hiking backpack for each of our boys so they can carry their own supplies. It is 100% worth the investment. Your back will thank you for it. 

(Side note: If you get a chance to go hiking without your kids and you're feeling adventurous, you should try the Precipice or Beehive trails. It is not for the faint of heart, so if you're afraid of heights, maybe you should skip these. When we got the top, we had such a sense of accomplishment. All trembling muscles and fear-sweat soaked skin were soon forgotten in the rush of adrenaline.) 

A few of our kids’ favorite trails so far are The Gorge Path (an out and back trail from the bottom of Cadillac to the top, or vice versa), Pemetic Mountain, The South Bubble and Jordan Pond Loop (where you can take pictures with the namesake Bubble Rock, left behind by massive glaciers that carved the landscape thousands of years ago), and Gorham Mountain trail. 

There are so, so many others; you won’t be disappointed no matter what you choose to do. When I was a child, I also enjoyed the guided ranger hikes where I learned so much about the forest life all around me. It’s information that I carry to this day. Your kids can earn their Junior Ranger badge while they’re at it. 

So, you made it this far. Thanks for sticking with me! There is just so much to see and do and enjoy on Mount Desert Island that it’s impossible to list it all. (*All opinions are my own. I have not received any compensation for links or recommendations provided.*)

In my next blog entry, I will share shopping and dining tips along with a few lodging and travel suggestions for your vacation to MDI. If you’d like help planning your trip, contact me via email. I’m happy to customize an itinerary for you or even just offer specific advice for your group.  

Until next time, get out there and explore this amazing world of ours. You have kids (or maybe you don’t) … now, travel!