Hannahlaneblogs

Another blog revival! As usual, life tends to get in the way when it comes to classes, work, school work, fitness, and the general balance of life. I’m in my second to last academic semester of school at UMass Amherst and I am trying my best to soak it all in! Even the least exciting parts like studying for Operations and Information Management exams and writing journalism ethics essays.

Jack and I were blessed to go to Acadia National Park in Maine for our two year anniversary. This was my first experience going to a national park and it did not disappoint. Acadia is located around 5 hours and 45 minutes from Amherst and is deep into Maine. Even after entering Maine, we still had hours left of scenic driving left. 

Three Hikes you Must do While You’re in Acadia National Park 

Acadia is an expansive park with so many hikes, walks, trails, and mountains to explore. Of course in our three day trip we weren’t able to discover everything, but we did three unreal hikes with gorgeous views and different levels of difficulty. There is something for everyone!

The Beehive

If you have a fear of heights or ladders- this one may not be for you. I will preface by saying that I am afraid of both- panic attack, nose breathing type of fear. If I can do this, you can too! The hike starts off relatively normally as a regular and not too strenuous hike through the woods. From the base point, you can see the cliff and the hikers who are currently scaling it, that you will soon scale yourself. This might have been the second most stress inducing aspect of the hike. My anxiety spiked a bit when I saw people on the edge of a cliff. Once you get going, it is not too bad, you gradually make your way up to a cliff and then you must scale rocks. You walk along the edge of a cliff across some planks and some iron rungs (don’t look down). Then you climb some rocks with iron ladders and handles. The views of Sand Beach, Gorham Mountains, Otter Cliffs, and Schoodic Peninsula from so high above are unreal- nothing I can even explain in words and I’m afraid the pictures don’t even do it justice! The views and the overall experience make the frightening parts of the hike so worth it. On the way down, you go down the other side of the mountain (no more iron rungs or ladders thank god!). If you have the fitness ability and can conquer your fear of heights and being on the edge of a cliff, I would highly recommend this hike!

Ocean Path Trail

The Ocean Path Trail was my favorite part of Acadia! You can make this 2.2 mile trail your own, going as far as you want, and entering as many side trails getting closer to the water or climbing on top of cliffs to be above the water, as you would like. This expansive ocean view is one of the prettiest views I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Jack and I were able to go all the way down to the water on some of the rocks during some of the side trails and we were able to sit on the edge of cliffs way above the water. If you walk far enough, there is a part of the trail with millions (no joke) of smooth and beautiful rocks that have endured the ocean waves for decades. Thunder Hole is also located along the Ocean Path Trail and is best viewed during high tide. It is a cave-like structure where the waves hit inside creating the sound of thunder and splashes water up 10+ feet. We weren’t lucky enough to see it in its prime with crazy waves or splashes, but it was still cool to see and hear. Even if you don’t walk the entire path, climb cliffs, or attempt to get right by the water, this is a must-do that anyone can do in Acadia!

The Bubbles and Bubbles Divide  

We actually did this hike twice! The weather on Saturday was rainy and foggy. There was minimal visibility of the views and the top of the trail. This hike isn’t too strenuous, there are rock stairs almost the entire way up to North Bubble and South Bubble. It was more difficult to hike on Saturday because the trail was wet and coated with slippery wet leaves. Even with the challenges the leaves provided, the trail was still very do-able. North Bubble provides gorgeous scenic views of mountains, Cranberry Isles, and Jordan Pond. South Bubble is where you find the mysterious floating Bubble Rock (literally how is it not falling off the side of the cliff) and another view of Jordan Pond.

Overall, no matter how skilled of a hiker or your fitness level, I would recommend a trip to Acadia National Park! There are so many beautiful views, amazing restaurants, pretty harbors (Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, and Seal Harbor), and cute stores. Despite having a rainy day- it did not throw a major wrench in our plans and we were still able to complete all the activities we wanted and see all the views we wanted to see!