Soon enough the horizon lightens, warming our spirits as well as the sky. At 6:51 a.m. a flash of light glints along the ocean and we smile to ourselves, celebrating the fact that we are the first in all America to see the sunrise today.

October 11–14, 2023

It’s 10:23 p.m. and we just landed in Bangor after a long 9 hour travel day. It’s dark and foggy at the airport as we pick up our rental car (well, Ford F-150 as it turns out), but we’re eager to make it to the park. Driving to parks at night is always a little strange. Shadows of trees whiz by, but that’s usually all you can decipher in a nightly arrival. We might as well be in any state, visiting any park—at least that is until we reach our lodging. After an hour of driving we round a corner in the road and the great Atlantic coastline suddenly spreads out ahead welcoming us to Seawall Motel. It’s nearly midnight. A welcome sight to be sure. We quickly check in and hit the hay excited to see what dawn will bring.

Staying in Seawall on Mount Desert Island affords us a short 5-minute drive to Bass Harbor Head Light, an operating lighthouse from 1858—one of Acadia’s most iconic landmarks—so we wake up early and make for the coast. It’s a steely gray morning with overcast skies. Disappointed at no sunrise, we peruse the grounds and take a couple photos, at least admiring the ocean we could barely see the night before. The tide is receding leaving little tide pools with stranded snails and barnacles in the crevices of massive rocks.

Finishing up at the lighthouse we return to the motel, grab a quick continental breakfast and head in to the Hull’s Cove Visitor Center to get a lay of the land. The Visitor Center is tucked away in the woods with a couple walking paths and a starting point for the 45 miles of carriage roads strewn out along the park. It’s mid-October and the leaves are just beginning to turn green to gold. We may have hit fall color season a little too early, but have to admit it’s better to be too early than too late.

We learn Park Loop Road is the main thoroughfare to access many of the park’s leading attractions so we grab our things and hit the road. The streets here are confusing as one-way routes lead up and over other streets we are trying to find. Looping back and back, we eventually make our way onto Park Loop Road and head south past Bar Harbor along the eastern coastline—our first stop: Sieur de Monts and Hemlock Trail to Dorr Mountain.

We’re not exactly sure why this is our first choice and not Thunder Hole or Precipice Trail or something a bit more iconic. Perhaps we are just too excited to traipse about the woods in search of fall colors. Regardless, we make our way up Dorr Mountain and are greeted with open views of the land below. The trees before us march to the shore and give way to Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands beyond. We stand and take it in. Not a bad view for an ambivalent hike.

Back at the car we continue down to Thunder Hole. The parking lot is small and many people are along the coast, but we find a spot and walk to the shore. The air smells of salt. Before we arrive, we can already hear the booming waves in Thunder Hole. Our pace quickens at the sound. Due to construction the usual viewing platform is closed, but we can still see from afar. A good amount of people line the construction barrier craning their necks to get a view of Thunder Hole. Thoom every 10–15 seconds, then thoom again. The spray catapults into the air like a geyser from Yellowstone. It’s an exhilarating sensation to be so close to the raw power of the ocean.

Moving along, we eat a sack lunch in the parking lot and continue the road’s loop around Mount Desert Island pulling off at viewpoints and overlooks along the way. In the evening, we make sure to stop by Jordan Pond House to sample their lobster and popovers. Unfortunately, their oven was broken so popovers were off the menu, but the lobster was a nice treat at the end of the day. With the sky still overcast we turn in early for the night knowing tomorrow we have reservations for 5:30 a.m. on Cadillac Mountain.

The next morning comes quickly. Still dark out, we drive back around the island from Seawall and turn up toward Cadillac Mountain on Cadillac Summit Road. The headlights illuminate a tunnel vision of asphalt and shrubs as we wind our way up the 1,530-foot mountain. A crowded parking lot confirms we are not the only ones up at this hour. We don headlamps and head out on the summit walking paths. Up on the highest point along the eastern seaboard, the wind whips in our faces. It’s so cold. Unprepared with only light rain coats, we bundle up in hoods and layers waiting for the sun to relieve us of our misery. Soon enough the horizon lightens, warming our spirits as well as the sky. At 6:51 a.m. a flash of light glints along the ocean and we smile to ourselves, celebrating the fact that we are the first in all America to see the sunrise today.

Not lingering around in the windchill, we snag some photos and run back to the car and blast the heater. Recommended to us for their blueberry pancakes, we stop at Jordan’s Restaurant for breakfast—entirely worthwhile–and then make our way to Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. to check in for our Historical Lighthouse and Acadia National Park Cruise. Come 9:30 a.m. we set sail and watch the marina slip into the distance of Frenchman Bay. On this particular 3-hour tour, the captain winds us among the many islands pointing out 8 lighthouses along the way, only one of which (Bear Island Light) is operated by Acadia National Park.

Returning to shore we drive back to Seawall through the quaint historic village of Somesville, Maine, home to the iconic Somesville bridge. Though not technically in the park, it is Mount Desert Island’s most photographed bridge so it is worth the stop. We spend sunset along the rocky coast outside our motel and watch the stars pop out overhead. With no moon, we grab the camera and shoot the Milky Way kissing the Atlantic coast and bringing a close to the day’s activities.

Our last morning on the island is thankfully clear, so naturally that means we try our luck again at Bass Harbor Head Light, and this time does not disappoint. We, along with 10–15 other people, make our way down the small tight parking lot to the lighthouse. Conditions are perfect. A bank of clouds in the west begins to illuminate pink in the pre-dawn moments. The sky turns purple. Then suddenly the sun crests the ocean and lights up the lighthouse—a breathtaking moment for sure.

Content with the morning’s magic, we return to our motel and prepare for a day of hiking. Precipice Trail is Acadia’s most challenging hike—climb really—gaining 1,000 feet of elevation in just under a mile. The route involves iron rungs and steep staircases carved into the granite cliff face. It’s a thrilling yet enjoyable climb, even for those not so fond of heights. At the top, we catch a 2-mile descent down the side of Champlain Mountain back to the parking lot through a wonderland of yellow leaves. Nothing but smooth sailing for us.

We spend our final night strolling the town of Bar Harbor. Along the coast, we find that low tide exposes a sand bar leading from Bar Harbor to Bar Island, property of the national park. Apparently, this is a popular activity for residents of Bar Harbor. Hundreds of people all walk out along the sand bar finding crabs and shells, and explore the short trails of this now accessible island. We join in the fun, but keep a watchful eye on the clock as high tide is coming and will soon cover the sand bar. No need to be trapped on the island when our flight home takes off.

This last night in Acadia is poignant as we say goodbye to the wild coast of Maine and return to Bangor International Airport for our red-eye flight early in the morning. Acadia has always been a bucket-list trip, even before the goal of visiting every park, so to check this one off the list is meaningful in more ways than one.