Mira Monte Inn

Acadia Hiking Guide: Acadia Mountain

Acadia Mountain

Somes Sounds from atop Acadia Mountain

I always say beware the smaller mountains in Acadia because they tend to be the steepest. Acadia Mountain is no different. In fact, where Acadia Mtn. is located there are two of the smaller-yet-steeper mountains on the island, with St. Sauveur being the other. And yet these smaller mountains often offer intimate views that the larger mountains don’t. The four mountains in this area just north of Southwest Harbor are no different.

Acadia Mountain is probably the most popular of the four mountains: Acadia, St. Sauveur, Valley Peak, and Flying Mtn. are all nestled together in the Valley Cove area. Parking is in two places. The spot off Clark Point Rd. doesn’t have much space, but is best if you’re tackling Flying Mountain and Valley Peak. The more popular parking area is the Acadia Mountain lot just off Rt. 102 near Echo Lake.

From the lot, cross the street, and you’ll find your first decision. It doesn’t matter if you go left or straight, as both will take you to the Acadia Mountain trailhead. Going left is a bit faster, but straight is better for St. Sauver Mtn. Now, I normally recommend going up the steeper hike and coming down the less-steep trail, but with Acadia that’s different because the steeper trail on the back side of the mountain has better views that are right in front of you as you hike down.

So having said that, go up the trail that’s closest to the road. At the top, enjoy the magnificent views of Somes Sound and Valley Cove. Head down the other side, keeping those views in front of you, until you get to the Man-O-War Truck Road. Follow that to the right will bring you back to the parking lot.

Acadia Mountain itself, up and down, is about 1.5 – 2 hours long. However, if you’re looking for a good, full day of hiking then tackling more than one peak will definitely get your exercise in. Adding St. Sauveur will add another two hours to Acadia, and then adding Valley Peak and Flying Mtn. will add another 2-3 hours on top of that. In total, doing all four peaks, car-to-car, it’s about 6-8 hours and a lot of hiking up and down. The good thing here is that there are loops and one can keep going or call it quits and head back to the car without too much trouble.

And after a long, hot day of hiking, head back to the car and walk down the Echo Lake Bluffs trail to grab some excellent swimming.

For more info on how to do this, check our availability calendar and we’ll be happy to give your our local advice: www.miramonte.com.

Acadia Hiking Guide: Ship Harbor, Wonderland, Seawall, and Bass Harbor

Ship Harbor

Ship Harbor in Acadia National Park

Ever wanted an easy hiking day when you could knock off two hikes, go ocean gazing, see a lighthouse, and eat at one of the best lobster-eating spots all at the same time? We here at the Mira Monte have been advising this little tour for several years now for those looking to get outside without exerting too much physical effort. It takes about 2-4 hours if done at the right time, and that includes the eating part, too!

Drive through Southwest Harbor and take a left onto Rt 102, also known as Seawall Rd. After driving about 10 min, you’ll come to Seawall, a beautiful, natural sea wall with tide pools to explore and fantastic granite rocks to lie down, read a book, and watch the boats float by the southern shores of Mount Desert Island. If you don’t do the lobster pound noted below, this is a fantastic picnic spot.

From there, head down the road about two minutes until you come to the Wonderland and Ship Harbor parking lots. They are about 100 yards apart from each other, so if you can’t get parking in one, try the other. Each hike is about a 20-40 minute hike out to the sea and back. Wonderland has a bit more spread-out views, similar to Seawall, while Ship Harbor has a deceptively shallow harbor to explore (especially at low tide) where more than a few ships have been wrecked.

From these two hikes, head a bit more down the road and come to Bass Harbor Head Light. Parking here can be difficult, but just because you see cars parked on the side of the road doesn’t mean it’s full in the lot. There are two ways to see the lighthouse, off to the right (a paved path that takes you down by the bell) and off to the left (wooden steps that lead out on to the rocky foundation of the lighthouse itself). The left-hand walk (no more than 5min) is a very popular sunset destination.

Finally, if you’re in the area between about 1:30pm and 5:30pm, head over to the other side of Bass Harbor to the town of Bernard and sit outside on the deck of the working-dock restaurant known as Thurston’s. Not only is this one of the most beautiful, rustic spots to eat, but the value is fantastic, too. They are open more than just during these times, but Thurston’s can get quite busy at lunch and dinner.

To book your stay at Mira Monte and get more hiking tips, check out our availability calendar here. See you soon!

Southwest Harbor Flamingo Festival

One of the craziest festivals we have on the island is the Southwest Harbor Flamingo Festival, sponsored by the Harbor House. Flamingos on MDI? Come on! Well, no, we don’t have any native flamingos waltzing around, but there is a lot of pink!

This is one of the best family-friendly events all summer long, and events include a lobster dinner, pancake breakfast, fun run, and of course the parade! So bring your best pink clothes, maybe your favorite flamingo lawn ornament (we know you have one), and head over the Southwest Harbor for one fantastic time.

The event runs July 13-18, so it lasts several days. It also helps to benefit the Harbor House, which is Southwest Harbor’s community center and offers a lot of services and events to the community year-round.

Southwest Harbor Flamingo Festival

Flamingo Festival (image courtesy of the Harbor House)

To book your room, head over to our website at: www.miramonte.com

And for more info on the festival, check out the Harbor House’s page at: harborhousemdi.org/flamingo-festival/

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