How to Spend 2 Days in Acadia National Park in the Fall
In the fall of 2022 I made it my mission to see the best parts of the Northeast. What better time to see them than when the seasons changed and the most scenic parts are drenched in red, orange, yellow, and gold. I drove from Philly to New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. But seeing Acadia had to be my favorite part. In this blog post I will detail how I spent 2 days in Acadia National Park in the fall seeing epic views and fall foliage.
I’ll share where I stayed, a sample itinerary, the trails I hiked, and my favorite experience during my time there!
kateroamstheworld.com contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of these Amazon links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I believe in. Read my disclaimer for more information.
Planning your trip? Use my favorite resources!
Accommodation – I recommend Booking.com
Flights – I recommend Skyscanner to look for the best prices and deals on flights
Rental cars – I recommend DiscoverCars
Travel insurance – I recommend Safety Wing
Tours/experiences – I recommend Viator
When to Catch Peak Fall Foliage
While there is no way to predict an exact date each year when peak fall foliage will happen, the best time period to go if you want the best chances is mid October.
I was in the park October 11 & 12 and the colors probably would’ve been even better in a few days after that. However, I remember leaving and a week of rain was about to start so I might have been there at the best possible time.
So, it leaves me to say that there are so many factors that go into the changing of the leaves and you can’t control the weather. The colors and the leaves can change significantly in the course of a few days due to rain, wind, and temperature change.
I would recommend any time you are able to go to the park in early-mid October is the best time to go as the leaves are changing, and if you’re lucky you’ll catch peak foliage!
Follow The 7 Leave No Trace Principles
- Plan ahead and prepare
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Be courteous of others
Find out more about Leave No Trace here.
Sample Two Day Itinerary
Day One: Hike the Beehive Trail for sunrise. Eat Breakfast. Drive to the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. Hike the Precipice Trail. Have lunch. Hike the Gorham Mountain Trail for sunset. Have dinner and head to your lodging/ campsite for the night.
Day Two: Cadillac Mountain summit for sunrise (hike or drive if you have a reservation). Eat breakfast. Rent a kayak for a few hours. Have lunch. Hike the Bubbles Trail. Visit Jordan Pond. Have dinner and head to your lodging/ campsite for the night.
I know this is a jam packed itinerary. But believe it or not, I still had down time during this in between activities to relax and enjoy the scenery.
None of these hikes are terribly difficult or long. But if you aren’t into hiking as much as I am, I would pick either the Beehive or Precipice Trail, cut out Gorham Mountain, and ensure you have a Cadillac Mountain reservation instead of hiking it.
Best Places to Stay Near Acadia National Park
I car camped at Smuggler’s Den Campground which was located about a 20 minute drive to the park. I thought it was in a perfect location, great rates, showers and laundry on site, and even Wifi! They have many campsites and cabins as well.
Acadia National Park in the Fall: Best Hikes
The Beehive Loop
This was my first hike in Acadia and I was lucky enough to get the top mostly to myself for a clear sunrise.
The rising sun casted the most beautiful yellow glow on the changing leaves and it was STUNNING. The beautiful changing colors of the horizon with the foliage.. wow!
This is the most popular trail in Acadia and is usually very crowded, which was why I wanted to do it for sunrise. It is a steep but very short hike that has lots of rungs and ladders to climb up. On the way down, I caught the most amazing reflection of the changing trees on a lake.
This trail is 1.5 miles roundtrip with 500ft elevation gain. Find a trail map and recent reviews here.
Gorham Mountain
I did this hike for sunset. I found the views pretty similar to the Beehive trail. So if you don’t want to do the Beehive trail if you’re really afraid of heights and don’t like the thought of going up ladders and rungs, hike this instead. This would be more family and small children friendly as well.
There is plenty of space to spread out at the top and get solitude and beautiful photos.
This trail is 3 miles roundtrip with 580ft elevation gain. Find recent reviews and a trail map here.
The Precipice Loop
I found this hike so much fun! If you’re really afraid of heights or have small children, I wouldn’t recommend it.
This hike is only 2 miles round trip but has 1000ft of elevation gain. That goes to show just how steep it is. Most of it is climbing up the metal rungs and ladders bolted into the rock. Find a trail map and recent reviews here.
Cadillac Summit North Ridge
To drive to the Cadillac Mountain summit in the peak season (May- Oct) you must have a reservation. In all honesty, I didn’t try for a reservation because I completely forgot and I knew I could hike to it if need be.
This is the website you use to secure a reservation! See this page for booking windows and when you need to be logged on to secure your reservations.
Sunrise on Cadillac Mountain is so popular because October 7 through March 6 it is the first place in the US to see the sunrise.
I hiked the North Ridge trail to the summit as it was the shortest and most direct route. I started about 2 hours before sunrise to give me enough time to make it up to the summit and had plenty of time to spare.
This trail is 4.2 miles with 1120ft elevation gain. Find a trail map and recent reviews here.
The Bubbles Trail
In the late afternoon of my second day in Acadia, I hiked the Bubbles trail. There is a North and a South Bubble. Personally, I found the South Bubble more scenic in the afternoon since the light hit that part of the mountain more and highlighted the fall foliage.
The trail is only 1.6 miles with 500ft elevation gain so it is pretty doable to check out both to check out each view. Find recent reviews and a trail map here.
This is a very popular hike and I did have to wait a little while to secure a parking spot.
Kayaking: My Favorite Experience During my Time at Acadia
Coming to Acadia, I really wanted to rent a kayak somewhere to experience the fall foliage from the water. On my second day after I saw the sun rise on Cadillac Mountain, I decided to book it to do a last minute paddle.
I went with National Park Canoe Rental. For a single kayak for 3 hours it was $36.
I started paddling out right around 10AM and was lucky enough to be the first person out on the water! This is why I highly recommend you kayak in the morning.
It was surreal paddling on this lake with no one else on it, my paddle feeling like I was cutting through the water like glass.
The reflection of the changing leaves on the water was breathtaking and even better than I could have imagined. I was SO happy that I decided to kayak last minute that morning!
Acadia National Park in the Fall: Best Viewpoints
Jordan Pond
While you can do the 3 mile walk around Jordan Pond, you can also simply walk up to it from the parking lot to the viewpoint pictured below.
This is probably one of the most popular stops in the park, but I personally found slightly overwhelming. However, it was the last thing I did in the park so that was probably why since the rest of the views were incredible!
Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
I felt like seeing a lighthouse in Acadia along Maine’s coast was a must do while I was there.
I headed to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse and I think it is worth the stop if you have the time!
Thank you for reading my blog post on how to spend 2 Days in Acadia National Park in the fall.
Let me know in the comments below if you’re planning a trip and have any questions about the itinerary!
