Acadia National Park: An Itinerary for one of the best NP in early June

This is one of the best National Parks in the US! If you can make here, you will NOT be disappointed! We when went in early June and the crowds were not big yet. The temperature was perfect for hiking. We found a gem in our location in the Airbnb we stayed in. It was the best trip EVER!

Day 1

cadillac mountain at sunrise in early june

At 3:20 am, we all squeezed into our CRV and headed up Cadillac Mountain to be the first in our country to see the sunrise. We were very happy that we had brought extra layers and blankets. We huddled close waiting for the sunrise. As we waited we got even closer, wrapped in blankets trying to stay warm while the wind made it feel even colder than the 45 degrees.

Bars Harbor Island

Bar Island happens each day. You have to watch the tide. When the tide is low, you can walk over to Bar Island. There is a little hike where you can see where have come from. My kids took off their shoes and walked into the cold water. They didn’t stay in there long!

Day 2

Beehive Trail

Dennis and Katie decided to go on the Beehive Trail while we went walk to the Champlain Trail Head. The warning written on the bright yellow sign said, “This trail follows a nearly vertical route with exposed cliffs that requires climbing on iron rungs. Falls on this mountain have resulted in serious falls and death. Small children and those with a fear of height should not use this trail.”

In the photo above, my daughter is pretending to be scared. If you look past her, you can see what some of the trail looks like. They didn’t feel unsafe at all on this trail. In fact, we decided to go on other trails that were described strenuous that also had rails after this one.

Champlain South Ridge Trail

We walked the Champlain Trail past the Bowl. We decided to sit by the pond and wait for the other two. Cecilia called out “Caw, Caw!” We heard “Caw! Caw!” from our right side spot. It was Dennis and Katie coming from the Bee Hive trail. We were all back together.

We began our hike on the Champlain Trail and experienced the false top of the mountain many times! We stopped many times to take pictures. The views were beautiful! We didn’t get to the top because it started to rain.

This was the end of hiking for the day. We headed back to our Airbnb. Speaking of the Airbnb. It was a great little house in the south part of the park. Being in the south part, helped us not to be around lots of people. Most people were staying north of the park. Since were in the south part, we avoided all the cars.

We spent the evening, while it rained, listening to records on their record player and putting a puzzle together.

Day 3

Our day today was to hike the Jordan’s Pond Trail, the South Bubble Trail and see Bubble Rock all before lunch. The afternoon was for a bike ride for some and some relaxing time for others. It’s important with smaller kids, to make sure there is plenty of time to relax. That way they are able to do the long hikes throughout the trip. You definitely want to hike in this park and the hikes are long!

Jordan’s Pond Trail

The Jordan’s Pond Trail loops the lake. There are different types of paths on this trail. Part of it was dirt and other parts were wood planks. This trail hugs the pond closely so you get many great views along the way.

We walked from the Lodge to the South Bubble Trail which is on the other side of the pond.

South Bubble Trail

This trail was a bit challenging and exhausting. There were boulder fields, wet granite and some climbing on rocks. The views from the top were STUNNING. On the way down, the trail is a creak bed. There were many rocks and tree stumps to maneuver around. I was very happy to have my hiking poles with me!

Bubble Rock

Bubble Rock is an icon in Acadia NP. It is on the South Bubble Trail. This large granite boulder sits on the edge of the mountain. There are many types of pictures to take. One is trying to push the rock off the mountain. We also took this one.

Bike Ride

My husband and Katie decided to go on a bike ride. They rode 13 miles on the famous Carriage Roads. Bicycling is a fantastic idea here. We brought our bikes from home. If you like biking, this is a great activity to do while in the park.

Day 4

Beech Cliff Trail, Beech Mountain and the Fire Tower

In the morning, we headed to the Beech Cliff Trail Head. This was a great hike. It had ladders but it wasn’t difficult. So don’t be afraid to try this one out! My little ones, ages 9 and 10 had no problems.

Gorham Mountain

In the afternoon, some stayed back at the house and some of us walked the trail path from our Airbnb and hiked the Gotham Mountain Trail. Our Airbnb was 500 yards from the path that leads to the Ocean Trail. The path brought us out on the road. We crossed over a water way and headed to the Trail Head. This was our second hike and it wasn’t difficult to do. My 9 year old was happy she came. This hike has spectacular views of the ocean.

Day 5 Father’s Day

Door Mountain Ladder Trail

After lunch, we all began the Dorr Mountain Ladder Trail. We hike up hundreds of granite stoned step and a few ladders before reaching the top. Don’t feel bad if you have to stop along the way up! There are so many steps. Getting to the top is definitely rewarding.

Day 6

Thunder Hole

Thunder Hole was disappointing as we came at the wrong time of the year.. The water just crashed into the rock. It was not a loud thunder sound. It was nice being up close to the ocean.

Penobscot Mountain and Sargent Mountain

On our last day, we climbed these two mountains. Sargent Mountain is the second highest peak in Acadia. Following the cairns as we hiked the long hike up to the top of Penobscot. When we got there, we ate lunch before heading to Sargent. This was a long hike. If you plan on combing them with little kids, be sure to do this day last.

Cadillac Mountain

We wrapped up our Acadia Trip with one more view from Cadillac Mountain. This time, though, it was to watch the sunset and looked at the stars.

Acadia Nation Park is our favorite park we have been at. Try to go early June as the crowds are pretty low. If you are able to get there, you will not be disappointed!