We are just back from Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor and there are some updates about the park and Bar Harbor. The Island Explorer shuttles are running, kind of. We camped at Hadley’s Point Campground and I saw shuttle buses coming by and stopping every so often, but even though the stops were on the My Stop App, they were not necessarily picking up tourists. It could be arranged by the campground office manager for a pick up if a shuttle was coming through. One day in the late afternoon, I dropped off my wife and son in Bar Harbor to do a hike of the Bubbles and their plan was to take a shuttle from Bar Harbor back to the campground, but none were available. Make sure to check at the Village Green at 19 Firefly Lane in Bar Harbor or the Hulls Cove Visitor Center in Acadia as to what routes and times are actually available. My understanding is that the schedule will be spotty through 2021, as there are not enough bus drivers. Also, be aware that masks are mandatory on the buses for everyone whether you have been vaccinated for Covid-19 or not.
Cadillac Summit Road – New this year, vehicle reservations are now required from May 26th to October 19th. The Island Explorer shuttle buses do not have a stop here. No reservations are required for those entering by foot, bike, or taxi. Vehicle reservations are currently $6.00 per vehicle and are available online. Thirty percent of vehicle reservations are made available 90 days ahead of each date. The remaining 70 percent are released at 10 am ET two days ahead. See more information here Vehicle Reservations – Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) which has a link to Recreation.gov where you make your reservation and find availability.
The crowds are back to pre-pandemic levels or close to it. I drove to Sand Beach on a drizzly cold day (was July 4th around 4:00 PM) and I had to wait for a spot. It was only a couple of minutes but I was not expecting it with the drizzle.
Jordan Pond House Restaurant now has the usual waiting times of an hour plus. I also noticed one day that the park rangers were waving people along at the entrance of the parking lot as car parking was full. This also included the next-door lot that is for hiking and boat launches.
On July 7th, tried again to find parking at the Bubbles parking lot. I tried earlier in the day with no luck at either of the Bubbles parking lots. This time on the second pass I found someone backing out of the second lot (closer to Jordan Pond). The trail from that lot goes downhill from the parking lot to Jordan Pond. You need to look back to your right when you get to the pond to see the sign for the Bubbles Trail and Bubble Rock, which goes straight up with some rock scrambling near the summit. It is a steep .4 miles to the top. Follow the blue blazes, although at the section shown in the photo below you may be able to take an alternate route just to the left of this photo. I saw a group coming down that way and it did look easier. I did not test this route so be careful when picking your route.
There is an iron handhold at one point above the steep rock section that can be used to assist you up a hard section of rock.
The views are quite spectacular once you reach the top of South Bubble Mountain (called a Nubble), which is only 768 feet in elevation but feels higher because of the stunning view of Jordan Pond and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.
You can make a loop and continue on the trail to the Bubbles Divide Trail and make a right to get back to the parking lot, you can also take a .2 mile detour up to North Bubble Mountain (Nubble). North Bubble is at an elevation of 872 feet, slightly higher than South Bubble. See our YouTube video from the summit of North Bubble, Click Here. There are very similar views from North Bubble Nubble as what you see from South Bubble Nubble.
The Carriage Trails are partially open, with Eagle Lake Carriage Road closed due to reconstruction, and will remain closed into September 2021. Also, the Carriage road between intersections 12 and 10 remain closed due to a severe storm on June 9th, 2021. You can start your biking from Intersections 13 and 18 to get to Jordan Pond House Restaurant, for example, but be aware that the trails in between are more hilly than the Eagle Lake Carriage Road. Check current conditions here: Current Conditions – Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Thunder Hole remains a delight to visit as usual. We saw some of the biggest splashes that we had seen in years. It was fun hearing the girls scream in awe and delight. You can see a video if you click on our Instagram link and another short video on our Acadia National Park page Acadia National Park – Inspiration Travelers. We were there around 4:30 PM and the high tide was at 7:52 PM that day, three and a half hours before high tide seems to be a good time to go to see bigger splashes. There are other factors of course, like moon cycles and weather, it was rainy and may have contributed to bigger than average waves and the swells entering Thunder Hole.
Bar Harbor is now close to pre-pandemic crowds and parking is once again hard to find in these popular summer months. The Bar Harbor Shore Path, which is over a century old is always a pleasure to walk and take in the ocean views and historic Inns and summer cottages on the other side of the path. It is a short and easy flat path for anyone to enjoy.
Another fun activity is to walk the “Bar” at low tide to Bar Island, which has nice views back to Bar Harbor. You can walk down Bridge Street from West Street in downtown Bar Harbor to access the walkway across to the island.
Food in Bar Harbor – We definitely recommend Jordan’s Restaurant for Blueberry Pancakes with real maple syrup and/or blueberry syrup (get there early as there will be a crowd). For lunch or dinner try the Side Street Cafe, They have consistently have had good quality food for the many years we have been visiting Bar Harbor.