There are always the pictures you must get, the iconic shots that prove you were there… wearing your mouse ears in front of Cinderella’s Castle, trying to hold up the Leaning Tower, etc. Here is the ultimate checklist for Acadia National Park, Maine. Click HERE for a Google map to locate Bar Harbor’s Top Ten Photo Ops.
- Updated: 27 Sept 2024
1. Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse
Every visit is different, no matter how many times you go. The location is the farthest away from Bar Harbor but on the park bus route so that you can get there easily during the day. Sunset, however, is another matter. There is a line of cars that goes on forever, and A LOT of people, always… so this year, we went for moonset, and it was wide open with plenty of parking, and I got beautiful morning light.
2. Sunrise or Sunset on Cadillac Mountain
Be the first in the country to see the sunrise. I mean, you and the hundreds of new friends you will meet, doing the same thing. It is so popular that a reservation system is now in place. The system controls the crowds, but now you can only get a reservation every seven days, so if you have bad weather, you are out of luck. The parking lot for the Blue Hill Overlook, where you have the best sunset views, fills up early, so it’s a bit of a walk from the main parking lot.
Acadia National Park Reservation System
In addition to a parking pass, each vehicle will need a reservation to enter the park. Starting Oct 1, the park will be adopting a new reservation system. Reservations are $2/car and are available through the park service website, not at the ticket office.
[Cadillac Mountain is already sold out for sunrise in October, but more reservations will be released 48 hours beforehand]
3. Bubble Rock
Who is going to be the one to push the rock off the mountain? We try to loosen it every year, but it never seems to budge… It’s a corny photo, but definitely one of Bar Harbor’s Top Ten Photo Ops.
4.Jordan Pond
After your popovers at Jordan Pond House, wander out for this view of the Bubble Mountains over the pond.
5. Thunder Hole
This is another destination where you will see crowds of people, but even so, there are plenty of ways to get good photos. I went for sunrise, expecting the forecasted big surf, and it was flat calm. But there was a wedding, so I was happy. It’s entertaining to watch big waves crashing, but a bit of a let-down when there is nothing.
BEWARE: The rocks are very slippery, and tourists have been swept into the sea and drowned, so heed the warnings and don’t cross the barriers!
6. The Somesville Bridge
This is not technically part of the park, but it is on the way to the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, so it’s worth a stop.
7. Otter Cliffs
As you pass Thunder Hole on Park Loop Road, you will come to Boulder Beach. It is a beautiful spot for sunrise and moonrise, with a perfect view of Otter Cliffs in the morning light.
8. Jesup Path
This boardwalk through the trees is a vibrant green in the summer, but it steals the show in fall.
9. The Cobble Bridge
There are 16 of the original Rockefeller stone bridges in the park, and this one is the oldest and most unique. You can tell an original Rockefeller bridge by looking underneath to see if there is stonework or concrete blocks.
10. Hadlock Falls
There are 16 of the original Rockefeller stone bridges in the park, and this one is the oldest and most unique. You can tell an original Rockefeller bridge by looking underneath to see if there is stonework or concrete blocks.
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