Hannah | September 2026
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Sometimes there are moments in life when you set something in motion with one decision and don’t realize how impactful it is until you look back ten years later. That was our visit to Acadia National Park. I had no idea what we were starting when Dylan and I packed up our camping gear and drove to Acadia National Park in July 2016.
I had just graduated from the University of New Hampshire, and Dylan and I were settling into our new apartment together, excited to start this next chapter of our lives. Dylan remembered visiting Acadia National Park with his family as a child, but the park was completely new to me. I couldn’t imagine the mountain, cliffside and ocean views waiting for us, and I was completely blown away.
We spent two nights camping near Acadia National Park at Smuggler’s Den Campground, enjoyed time at Sand Beach, watched the sunset near Bass Harbor Head Light Station, hiked along the rocky Maine coastline and ate hot dogs and s’mores back at our campsite while playing card games and watching the stars.
The moment I remember most happened while we were hiking Great Head Trail—but more on that later.
If you’re planning your own Acadia National Park camping trip, here’s how we spent our two nights and three days in the park. Below is what we’d do differently now and why, ten years later, this is still one of the trips I think about the most.
Our Acadia National Park Camping Trip Itinerary
July 27 – Sand Beach + Smuggler’s Den Campsite Check In + Bass Harbor Head Light Station + S’mores
July 28 – Great Head Trail + Thunder Hole + Shooting the Stars
July 29 – Cadillac Mountain + Drive Home
Day 1 – Smuggler’s Den Campsite + Sand Beach + Bass Harbor Head Light Station + S’mores
We left from the New Hampshire Lakes Region early in the morning to make good time getting to the park. It was about a four-hour drive and, as I remember it, I slept almost the entire time while Dylan drove us straight through (a true gem). We arrived before check-in time at the campground, so we drove to Sand Beach and decided to go for a swim.
As someone who spent a week every summer of my childhood enjoying the flat, sandy beaches of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, the massive cliffs surrounding Sand Beach were a VERY new sight. I was so excited to get exploring!
After our swim, we drove to the campground, checked in and set up our campsite. We stayed at Smuggler’s Den Campground and enjoyed our stay! Our site had water and electric hookups, which was the perfect compromise for me, who would much rather “glamp.”
Once we settled into our campsite, our next stop was Bass Harbor Head Light for sunset. I remember asking friends for recommendations before our trip, and this was one of the places everyone told us we needed to see.
The sunset was beautiful, and we understood why it came so highly recommended. We took a few photos before deciding to move on. There were quite a few professional photographers setting up their cameras to catch the sunset, so I remember feeling a little boxed out—but we were still able to enjoy it.
We kept driving and stopping whenever we saw somewhere beautiful (about every 30 seconds). It was magnificent. After the sun set, we made our way back to our campsite, made s’mores and called it a night.
Day 2 – Great Head Trail + Thunder Hole + Shooting the Stars
We woke up early on our first morning at the campsite and headed into Bar Harbor for breakfast. Afterward, we drove to Great Head Trail and hiked the 1.7-mile loop. Eventually, we found ourselves sitting on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Sand Beach. Dylan and I agree that this remains one of our favorite pre-child experiences together.
We found a quiet spot on the massive rocks overlooking Sand Beach, sat down and ate our lunch. Almost exactly ten years later, I still think about that moment. I didn’t know it then, but I think that was when I fell in love with national parks. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about it—just the chance to slow down, connect with nature and enjoy the salty breeze and stunning landscape. We were apparently so present that I don’t have a single photo!
Thunder Hole
After lunch, we packed up and hiked back to our car before driving to Thunder Hole to explore the area. Once we arrived, we realized our timing was off if we wanted to hear the “thunder.” The National Park Service recommends arriving one to two hours before high tide for the best chance of hearing it. I wish we had checked the daily Bar Harbor tide chart before visiting. We didn’t get to experience the thunder in person, but, as I frequently say, it’s the perfect excuse to visit again.
After visiting Thunder Hole, we returned to our campsite, played cards and cooked hot dogs. We had recently purchased a Sony a6000 and a lens for photographing the stars. We had way too much fun experimenting with it. Here is our very first starry-night photo:
Day 3 – Cadillac Mountain + Heading Home
We hoped to watch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain on our final morning in Maine, but it didn’t work out. After packing up our campsite, we drove up Cadillac Summit Road. It was foggy with almost no visibility, so we didn’t feel like we had missed much by skipping sunrise.
Visiting Cadillac Mountain requires more planning today than it did during our 2016 trip. Vehicle reservations are now required to drive Cadillac Summit Road during the designated season, although reservations are not required for the rest of Park Loop Road. Check current dates and availability on recreation.gov before your trip.
What We Liked + What We Would Do Differently
We enjoyed hiking the Great Head Trail, loved our camp spot and really loved stargazing. As a suburban girlie, I had never seen so many stars in my life. The ocean/mountain views and swimming at Sand Beach were also extremely memorable for us.
We would definitely try to make it to Cadillac Mountain for sunrise, and we would love to hike the Ladder Trail to Dorr Mountain. It was closed for trail maintenance when we visited. I also wish we had timed our visit to Thunder Hole better. Over the course of our ten-year—and counting—national park journey, we have become much more intentional about planning around crowds, tides and busy seasons.
Was Acadia National Park Worth It?
Y E S. There’s a reason it’s known as the “Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast.” It has surged in popularity over the last decade because it is truly so beautiful. I cannot wait to visit again!
Han & Dyl Rating:
Overall: 9/10
Crowds: 6/10 – moderately busy in 2016
Scenery: 10/10
Would we go back? 10000/10
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