Read Part 1 here.

The ranger in the visitor center video said that he used think about the national parks out west when he thought of rocks, such as Arches National Park, the Grand Canyon, and so on. But he soon discovered that Acadia, this national park of the East, is very rocky as well. As did we! The trails were all made up of rocks; rocks that pounded the bottom of our feet and made them ache after miles of hiking; rocks that threatened to twist our ankles as we bounded among them; rocks that were tricky to climb up and even trickier on the way down.

These rock cairns were one way the trails were marked.

The rocks tore a little hole in the side of my running shoes, and now the hole has gotten so big that my sock sticks through when I wear them. I gave in and finally ordered a new pair of shoes online!

These blue dashes were another way the trails were marked.

Just remember, when going up…

You will need to come back down!

And sometimes coming back down is harder and scarier than going up! The hiking trails in Acadia were some of the best we’ve ever hiked, and we’ve been on quite a few. 🙂

Go to the visitor’s center first! That’s our mantra whenever we go to a national park. We actually stop by the visitor’s center throughout our visits. The rangers are wonderful resources, and we always ask them questions about what trails to hike.

When we were in Acadia National Park this past June, we watched a video introduction to the park. In the video, ladder trails were mentioned, so of course, Lily and Emmy were determined to find one! However, it was already late afternoon, so we decided to take a short hike on a carriage road. We were able to see some nice views of the island and the ocean, which only made us more eager to explore in the week to come. (Did you know Acadia is on an island in Maine? I didn’t realize it until I actually started planning this trip!)

The first full day that we spent in Acadia, however, was hiking the famous Cadillac Mountain, which is where the sun first touches the Northern Hemisphere at certain times of the year. Many people hike up to see the sun rise on Cadillac Mountain. We were not those people. It is an easy hike, since you drive most of the way up, park, and then hike up a short trail to the top. The views are spectacular!

The view from Cadillac Mountain, Maine.

Just looking at my pictures again makes me want to go back! Acadia National Park is an amazing place to visit.