Mira Monte Inn

Acadia Hiking Guide: Grindstone Neck

Grindstone Neck

Looking at MDI from Winter Harbor’s Grindstone Neck

 

OK, we admit that Grindstone Neck isn’t really a hiking trail per se, but we at the Mira Monte Inn strive to help our guests see not only the mandatory highlights but also the not-so-well-known areas to hit. Yes, Schoodic Peninsula and Winter Harbor have been frequented much more often the past few years, and this has brought traffic to the area. But this is a good thing because since the Navy left the base out on the tip of  the peninsula, Winter Harbor has had little economic activity apart from the park (in fact, the town no longer has even a school!). But here’s the thing, almost everyone heads straight for Schoodic Peninsula upon arriving in Winter Harbor, and that’s great, but it’s also not all.

Grindstone Neck is on the opposite side of Winter Harbor from Schoodic Peninsula. It’s an area loaded with money and families who preferred a view of Mount Desert Island as opposed to the actually living on the island. It’s a fair point because the views are spectacular, and almost no one goes Grindstone beyond locals. When taking the ferry boat over from Bar Harbor, the boat passes right by the neck before it lands on the town dock. In fact, the piece of land right across the harbor is, in fact, Grindstone itself.

Now, Grindstone Neck isn’t exclusive. Without getting too lost (not a bad thing if you want to do some “house shopping”), there’s a cul-de-sac at the bottom of a hill that has no houses around it. Park here and walk out onto the rocks to get immediate results. Head right and you’ll get dramatic views of MDI and its eastern mountains. Head left and you’ll get the wonderful coziness of the small islands in the harbor of Winter Harbor itself.

To get there, take one of the boats from Bar Harbor and, upon getting off, walk up the street and head left once in the gallery area of downtown. There are several different roads leading to Grindstone, but the road called “Grindstone” is probably the easiest. If you’re driving, when you come into town and hit the T intersection, Schoodic Peninsula is to your left and “downtown”, where the galleries and eventually Grindstone Neck are, is to your right.

There’s even a nice little church on Grindstone, and because this is Maine and this is Winter Harbor, the doors are always unlocked!

To book your stay at the Mira Monte to get more info like this, check our availability calendar here.

St. Christopher's By the Sea

St. Christopher’s By the Sea

Acadia Hiking Guide: Jesup Trail

Acadia National Park Jesup Trail

The boardwalk on the Jesup Trail.

Sometimes the park is furiously busy. I’ve been in a car on the Park Loop Road, just past the Precipice parking lot before the toll booths, that has taken over 1.5 hours to get to Sand Beach. That’s less than a mile in that time. Yes, Acadia is magical, and it is one of the most beautiful parks in the United States, but at times the hot spots can get crowded and parking can be next to impossible. That’s why we at the Mira Monte Inn have a few trails that we can recommend where one can leave the car at the Mira Monte and hike straight from the front porch. The Jesup Trail is one of those hikes.

As you can see from the photo, I walk my dog out here quite a bit. From the Mira Monte, out to Sieur de Mont Springs and back, the hike is about 1.5 hours and is mostly flat. One also gets to walk on the Great Meadow Loop enroute. And if you want to make things a bit longer, you can add other loops such as the Hemlock Trail, the Strathden Path, and even Kebo Brook and Kebo Mountain. For more serious hikers, the Gorge Trail and therefore Cadillac Mountain and Door Mountain are also accessible off the same system of trails. The Great Meadow Loop alone is about an hour, so there’s a shorter option if that fits your itinerary better.

To get to the Jesup Trail from the Inn, walk across the street to Spring Street and follow that straight, keeping the kiddie pool at Glen Mary to your left, out to Ledgelawn Cemetery. From there, look diagonally right across the street and you’ll see the start of the Great Meadow Loop. Most of the Great Meadow Loop is on private land, but that’s OK as it is designated as a hike in the area. Follow that around eventually to the left where you’ll walk along the road a little bit near Kebo Valley Golf Course. The path picks up a bit down the road near the Holy Redeemer Cemetery. Actually, at the Holy Redeemer Cemetery you’ll see access to the Strathden, Kebo Brook and Mountain, and Gorge Trails, so you can do that if that’s your wish.

To head to the Jesup Trail, keep going up the path that follows the road. At the Park Loop Road, stay left on the Great Meadow Loop until you come to the Jesup Trail sign post. Cross the Park Loop Road and you’re there. To come back, either re-trace your steps, or follow the Great Meadow Loop around, eventually ending up on the other side of Ledgelawn Cemetery. There’s even a nice rocky brook to soak your feet in near the end of the hike. Pandora, the pup in the picture, uses that as a must-stop drinking spot.

Do this hike at dusk and there’s a high likelihood you’ll spot some deer.

To get us to repeat these directions in person, check our availability calendar here.

Acadia Hiking Guide: Eagle Lake Carriage Trails

 

Eagle Lake, Acadia National Park, Hiking Guide

      Serenity on the Eagle Lake Carriage Trails

 

Looking for some thing easy but has length? I walk my dog around the Eagle Lake carriage trails every now and again, and she’s often quite ready to eat dinner and go to sleep afterward. A solid two-hour hike, this is one of those “walks” that will give you exercise without hurting the ankles or knees. Parking can be found at either the boat launch area or across the street at the bottom of the McFarland’s Hill (the top of which houses the park’s headquarters).

 

A couple of tips are needed here. The first is that the Eagle Lake parking lots are notoriously difficult to navigate during the busy season. It’s not uncommon to find cars parked along the side of the road all the way up Route 133 (the Eagle Lake Rd, as locals call it). Most of those parked there during the day are bikers out enjoying the 50+ miles of carriage trails that are available to them without having the worry of passing cars. If you get there at a busy time, don’t be bothered by the quantity of cars. The carriage trails are both wide enough and spaced out enough across the park to allow the area to not feel crowded. However, if you want to beat the crowds then the best times to hike are 8am or after 5pm. If you’re hiking later in the season then a headlamp might be helpful, even if the road is pretty easy to follow in the dark.

Another healthy tip is knowing what you’re getting into if you decide to take the hiking trail at the southern end of the carriage trail. It might look as if it’ll save you time, but in fact, despite it being a shorter distance across the edge of the lake than the rounding carriage trail, it is actually quite a bit more difficult to walk. There are many good trails around the southern end of Eagle Lake (Connor’s Nubble, North and South Bubble, etc.), but the Eagle Lake Trail is very rocky with lots of unbalanced and precarious steps. I made the mistake of doing it once with my dog, and I’ll never do that again. It’s way too easy to lose one’s balance. If you’re looking for a surprisingly challenging hike, then this is a wonderful trail. But if you’re just looking for some exercise, stay on the carriage trails and get your heart rate up by setting a good pace. There’s still some good views and lovely hiking to be had.

If you’d like some more tips, we’d love to have you stay with us. Click this link to check availability: Mira Monte Booking Calendar.

Maine Lighthouses near Bar Harbor

Bass Harbor Head Light is the only lighthouse located on Mount Desert Island, but there’s several others nearby and within and easy drive from the Inn. All these great old lighthouses can be viewed and photographed on boat tours that tell of their incredible histories.

Bass Harbor Head Light, located within Acadia National Park in the southwest portion of Mount Desert Island, Maine, marking the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay. Today, the house is a private residence for a local Coast Guard member and his family. Tourists can get close to the bell and light via a concrete path, but most of the grounds are private. There’s a short walk which takes you to wooden steps that lead down granite boulders that allow views of the harbor side.

Mount Desert Rock Light is owned by the College of the Atlantic, whose students study whales and nesting seabirds. Mount Desert Rock is a small island about 18 nautical miles south of Mount Desert Island. The light station was established in 1830; the current lighthouse was built in 1847 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Great Duck Island Light is also owned by the College of the Atlantic and is located on Great Duck Island, a small 237 acres island in the Gulf of Maine about 9 miles south of Mount Desert Island. The light station is on 11-acres at the southern tip of the island.

Bear Island Light is a lighthouse on Bear Island near Mt. Desert Island at the entrance to Northeast Harbor. It was first established in 1839 with the present structure built in 1889. It was deactivated in 1981 and lit as a private aid to navigation by the Friends of Acadia National Park in 1989. Bear Island Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Egg Rock light was constructed in 1876 and was automated by the United States Coast Guard in 1976, at which time its ancillary structures except the fog station were torn down. The lantern house was removed and the light was replaced by the present aerobeacon. After public protest, a lantern house was installed in 1986. The light continues to be managed by the Coast Guard, and is not open to the public; the island and buildings are owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Baker Island Light (1828), is the oldest light in the area and has been replaced with lighted offshore buoys. Established in 1828, it was the first along Maine’s coast located near Mount Desert Island. The light is an aid to navigation for reaching that island’s major ports, including Bar Harbor and Northeast Harbor. The buildings of the station are now owned and administered by Acadia National Park with the light itself being maintained by the United States Coast Guard.

Winter Harbor Light is a lighthouse in Winter Harbor, Maine on Mark Island, a small island between the Schoodic Peninsula and Turtle Island. The light was built in 1856 and was deactivated in 1933; it is no longer an aid to navigation, and is privately owned.

Acadia National Park Fee Free Days

The National Park Service is offering 4 fee free days to National Parks, including Acadia National Park Fee Free Days in 2018.

Acadia National Park Fee Free Days are:

  • Jan. 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • April 21: first day of National Park Week
  • Sept. 22: National Public Lands Day
  • Nov. 11: Veterans Day

“This is your chance to experience your national park and services in the neighboring communities and decide when you will come back in the future. Every season in Acadia has its own unique beauty and adventure” said Acadia Superintendent Kevin Schneider.

The park normally has an entrance fee of $25 per vehicle and $20 per motorcycle which is good return visits for seven days. Walkers and bicyclists can get a weekly pass for $12. An annual pass to Acadia costs $50.

For more information, visit www.nps.gov/acad or call 207-288-3338.

Archives

Categories