Acadia National Park is one of USA’s most famous national parks and the only one in New England. Over 3.5 million people visit Acadia National Park each year, and Kita Roberts of Pass the Sushi and Girl Carnivore shares her adventure there. Stating how Acadia must be part of our bucket list places to go, Kita describes Cadillac Mountain, Thunder Hole, Mount Desert Island, Isle of Haute, Schoodic Peninsula, and the Loop Scenic Drive, as well as the hiking, biking, kayaking and canoeing, horseback riding, and boat tours you can enjoy there. On top of that, she gives her advice on the best time to go there and the essential wearables you need.

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Listen to the podcast here:

Visiting Acadia National Park 

 Acadia National Park is one of America’s most popular parks with over 3.5 million visitors each year. People are attracted to the rugged coastline, notably Thunder Hole, being one of the first in the USA to see the sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain, the many hiking, biking and horseback trails, and exploring the region and its many island, like Mount Desert Island by boat. Acadia National Park is definitely worth visiting!

 It’s important to check conditions before you go with the National Park Service as sometimes certain trails and carriage roads are closed due to mud (usually spring) or for wildlife (for example, nesting peregrine falcons or black bear activity).

 Where is Acadia Located?

 Acadia National Park is located in north east Maine, on the map it’s just southwest of Bar Harbor.  There is a FREE Island Explorer shuttle bus that runs from Bar Harbor, the Bar Harbor Regional Airport and all Acadia park parking lots and around the Loop Road, so leave your car at home!  But if you must drive, here are the driving distances to get to Acadia from popular access locations.

How Far is it to Drive to Acadia from:
 Bar Harbor:  A couple of minutes
Boston:  4.5 hours
Portland:  3 hours
NYC : 7 hours
Baxter State Park : 2.5-3 hours

What to do at Acadia National Park

HIKING

Hiking at Acadia is superb! There are trails for all levels from easy to challenging!  Choose from coastal or lake trails, forest trails, summit trails or hike the Schoodic Peninsula trails.

Be one of the first in the USA to see the sunrise by waking up early and hiking up Cadillac Mountain (you can also drive most of the way but the road is closed during winter). Check the time for sunrise and allow at least two hours (one way) to hike up. 

BIKING

 There are plenty of biking opportunities along the multiple carriage trails that are shared with horses and pedestrians.  NO ELECTRIC type bikes allowed, including eBikes, hoverboards, etc.  There is a VERY STIFF FINE if you do!

You can bike the Park Loop Road, but I wouldn’t advise it!  The road is congested with drivers looking at the scenery, and the road is skinny.  It’s safer to enjoy the Loop via the free shuttle and bike away from cars on the carriage roads in the park.

KAYAKING AND CANOEING

 What better way to explore Acadia than by paddling! Bring your own or you can rent once you get there. Consider a guided tour!

HORSEBACK RIDING

 Enjoy riding the many carriage trails along with fellow hikers and pedestrians. And YAY no motorized vehicles allowed!

BOAT TOURS

 Take a scenic guided boat tour with either a Ranger or local tour company. It’s the best way to see the coast and explore the many islands off shore!

Here’s a COMPLETE LIST of all the Outdoor Activities you can do at Acadia National Park.  

Where to Go at Acadia

Loop Road Scenic Drive

Take the FREE shuttle for a quick overview of the park. The shuttle will be your main access to all the park interior activities.

Isle of Haute

Limited Day Passes are available for this popular island off of Stonington, ME accessible by ferry (fee). You can hike 18 miles (29 km) of trails through the various landscapes rated easy to hard. Or bike the 5 miles of paved areas or 7 miles of rougher terrain. BRING LAYERS!!! It will be about ten degrees COOLER on the island.

The ferry runs year ’round and during the summer also stops nears the campground. Note that it is first-come/first-serve, so plan accordingly.

Schoodic Peninsula

Whether you want to hike, bike or explore by car, make time to visit the Schoodic Peninsula, which is less crowded that Mount Desert Island, where Bar Harbor is located. Be sure to stop at Schoodic Point for a great view of Mount Desert Island!

What I like about a ‘Walking Holiday” is that you get to meet people from around the world each day. PLUS,  because it is slow travel, you have the time to actually savor the views, villages and people you meet.

It’s become my favorite way to travel (and it’s usually pretty easy on the wallet, too!)

WHERE TO STAY AT ACADIA

Camping

There are five campgrounds run by the National Park Service located inside the park, including one just for visitors with stock animals. These spots open up on April 1st each year. Book on that day for your best chance to snag one.

Alternately there are over a dozen private campgrounds outside the park that are nice.

Non-Camping Alternatives

Bar Harbor and other villages on Mount Desert Island would be your best bet. You can find all of the usual suspects there.

When to Visit Acadia National Park

While the park is open year ’round, seven days a week, spring comes late to Maine, so July and August are the most popular months. The spring brings with it the “Mud Season” and many trails and carriage roads will be closed. Sometimes trails may be closed for maintenance or to protect wildlife, so always check with the Park for current conditions. Trail closures are posted online, and at park visitor centers.

Summer in Acadia:

Summer is the most popular time to visit Acadia because not only are the kids out of school, but the weather window is best. It gets REALLY crowded, so you are encouraged to use the FREE shuttle busand avoid even bringing a car. Even in the summer, it is important to wear LAYERS! Always keep a rain jacket in your daypack… you may ge sprayed by the waves! Most popular months are July and August. The shuttleruns from late June until Columbus Day, with a reduced Fall schedule starting at the end of August.

Spring in Acadia:

Spring is the “Mud Season” as the snows melt and the spring rains arrive. Trails may be closed. Not the best time to visit.

Fall in Acadia:

Fall foliage season might just be the best time to visit even though it will be colder: there will be less tourists PLUS you get the quintessential New England Leaf Show!

Winter in Acadia:

Winter sports abound from snowshoeing to cross country skiing and it’s the best time to see a bright clear sky to see the Milky Way!

Scenic Winter Drives
Winter Hiking
Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
Snowmobiling
Ice Fishing
Winter Camping
Dog Sledding and Skijoring

Are Dogs Allowed at Acadia?

YES” Acadia National Park IS Dog-Friendly!  Pets are allowed in most places IF they are kept on a leash no longer than 6′. Remember that there are black bears in the area, so you wouldn’t want your pet to have an unpleasant encounter.

Guest : Kita Roberts of “Pass the Sushi” and “Girl Carnivore”

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Exploring Acadia National Park with Kita Roberts

Adventure Travel Destination: Hike, Bike, Paddle And Horseback Ride

We are heading to the extraordinarily rugged Acadia National Park. Acadia is located in Northeast Maine, Southwest of Bar Harbor. It’s been preserved since the early 1900s and it’s the only national park in the Northeastern United States. At Acadia, you will see mountains, rugged coastline, both pine and deciduous woodlands, lakes, ponds and wetlands. There is plenty to explore. There are almost 50,000 acres or about 200 square kilometers. We visit Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the Eastern Coast and Thunder Hole, where the waves crash. There’s a multitude of islands to explore, especially Mount Desert Island. You will find over 37 types of mammals, including black bears, moose, deer, and over 300 species of birds, including raptors, songbirds and waterfowl. There are plenty of hiking for all skill levels, biking, kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding and guided boat tours. Let’s get started on our adventure in Acadia National Park.

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Could you start by introducing yourself and perhaps telling us your age?

I’m Kita Roberts and I am 32 years old.

We met out at a conference and I found out that you were a very adventurous traveler yourself. You are into mountain biking, running and camping. I was like, “She’s a kindred spirit.” When I found out that you were very familiar with Acadia, I asked you to come on the program and tell us a little bit about what you saw. Before we begin, can you tell us how you first got into adventure traveling?

I have a fondness for the national park. I’m very happy that you asked me to speak about Acadia. My first memory of national parks is the only childhood vacation I took with my mother. She died while I was very young. She took us to Shenandoah National Park, and we grew up. Once I finally had the ability to go out on my own and venture, I picked up and I went to Shenandoah over and over again. I know that park like the back of my hand now. Finally, in 2014, I drank the Kool-Aid and I decided I was going to travel the world.

I had always dreamed of traveling the world. I did what all logical Millennials do. I booked a flight to Cambodia with a bunch of strangers. I started traveling and I’ve never looked back. I also started collecting that same year Junior Ranger badges in the national parks out of homage to my mother. A friend of mine is a national park Ranger at Lake Mead and she introduced me to the Junior Ranger Program. As a full-grown adult, I started collecting the Junior Ranger badges. Now I spend as much time as I can traveling from national park to state parks collecting Junior Ranger badges at national historical sites, parks and other places. I also have one from Canada.

My friend Mickey who is in her 70s has been trying to hit all the national parks in her lifetime. She ran into this young boy who I believe was ten years old at the time with a backpack full of the patches. They struck up a conversation and then a friendship. To this day, they still write to each other. That’s how these bonds can form over these common interests. It’s so cool that this kid, now a teenager, writes to a 70-year-old lady and they go back and forth with long and lovely letters.

That’s beautiful. Handwritten letters are amazing.

We’re going to be talking about Acadia National Park in Maine. What makes Acadia so special?

Acadia National Park, in my opinion of national parks, is one of those bucket list parks. You’ve got Yellow Stone, you’ve got Yosemite, you’ve got those iconic parks. Acadia to me is the bucket list East Coast Park. On top of it, as a traveler and somebody who loves being outside, I can’t say it’s the most beautiful because every one of the parks is drop-dead gorgeous in its own way. Acadia has that ruggedness with the coastline, the rocks, and everything right against the brutal Atlantic water. It’s one of the most magical places you can discover on the East Coast.

For those that may not be familiar with it, try to give us an overview of what that landscape looks like.

A few years ago, I started coming to Maine, on again, off again. I had a couple of work gigs in Maine. In my first drive up there, I was lucky. I drove through like quintessential New England right in the middle of peak fall foliage. If you’re going to do it, that’s when you do it. You get up to Maine and it’s not like anywhere else on the East Coast. I grew up on the East Coast. I’m used to our beaches and our shores. You get up to Maine and suddenly it becomes piney and rugged. I’m not going to say mean because I usually use that to describe Tetons, but it gets harsher and more aggressive. The land looks like it was cut off into the ocean with these giant boulders and beautiful cliffs, with these hardy pine trees leaning out over the ocean. The skies are usually gray, and they beat against this land in a way that suggests such perseverance.

The landscape too, I understand part of the ruggedness is caused when the glaciers pulled back and ripped the land apart.

Acadia does have some glacial formations.

The world can feel so small and so big all at the same time. Click To Tweet

Let’s talk about the things that we’d see when we get there. On my research, I saw two main categories. One was the Isle Au Haut and the other was the Schoodic Peninsula.

There are three major locations for the park. There’s the Isle Au Haut, which you can only get to by ferry. There’s the Schoodic Peninsula and then there’s the Mount Desert Island region. There are also little islands off the coast. One of the most beautiful things about Maine is the thousands of little islands off the coast that you can see from any peak when you hike in Maine along the coast and you’re looking out. You can drive in from either Bangor or Portland Airport, you cross through, and you get to the park. What I love about it is you will see the small towns, the old school fishing villages, and before you know it, you’re into Acadia National Park.

I hate sitting in traffic as much as the rest of the world does, but it’s a scenic traffic loop for a reason. It’s beautiful. If you can do the scenic traffic loop, you will see the coastline, the ruggedness, the rocks and the pine trees. You can go into some of the calmer forested areas and it gets thick. One thing that is very common to parks on the Eastern side of the nation is that they’re almost claustrophobic with how thick their trees can get, which is very different to me than when you’re traveling to some of the bigger parks out West. You get between these thick trees and the world can feel so small and so big all at the same time.

Also, if you didn’t want to drive or if you’re going by yourself and it’s hard to rubberneck the landscape, they do have in the summertime a free shuttle bus that does the loop. That way, you can be enjoying the scenery without having to worry about hitting other cars, bikes or something on the road.

That would be lovely. I have not done that, but I like playing tourist especially in my own backyard. I would love to take the free bus loop. I also get distracted when I’m driving. It would be a much nicer way to do it.

From what I saw too if you’re staying in the park, you have to camp. I don’t believe there’s a lodge there, but you can stay in Bar Harbor and the free shuttle can take you right there to the park. You can either get transport into Bar Harbor and not even rent a car or leave your car there and not have to worry about because I do understand it does get congested in the summertime. You were there in the fall when it’s probably not as busy, but they get about three and a half million visitors a year in the summer. It’s going to be crowded.

It is a very crowded park at peak season. That is one thing I made sure to write down in my notes to tell your audience. It gets crowded. When you want to do some of the iconic hikes and things like that, finding parking can be hard. If you have the ferry or the shuttle bus that you can hop on, that’s a great way to get to the locations. We stopped to check out Sand Beach and do some of the hikes from that point. There’s a beautiful coastal walk that goes on and it’s a lovely spot and it’s accessible. We parked at least a mile and a half away to get onto the beach. We were there on Memorial Day weekend, which is quite early for Maine. It’s still chilly and cold. A lot of people think Memorial Day weekend is the start of camping, grilling and everything, but Maine is still quite cold. It doesn’t peak until a little later in the season, but the campgrounds were already sold out and the parking was already crazy congested so having alternatives is very important.

Speaking of the camping too, I wanted to look and see what the accessibility is. There’s nothing available for the rest of the year. They open up reservation April 1st. If you want to do this, get up April 1st midnight and book your spot.

Camping within the park can be hard because it is one of the more rugged parks to camp out. The weather can be so much harsher. I live in Maine and I still have flannel bed sheets on my bed inside of my heated buildings. Think about that if you’re planning a trip to camp in Acadia. Bring the right gear. There are also some cute campgrounds right outside of the entrance to Acadia National Park not far from there. I’ve stayed at those. I stayed at Hadley’s Point Campground and it’s like group campsites. You get 75 other families and I get that’s not backpacking for everybody, but if you’re trying to get in and you can’t make a reservation in Acadia National Park because you decided at the last minute you were going to go, it’s a great alternative. They have the trailer hookups. They have several small cabins as well and they have the traditional plot campground sites.

Let’s get back to the landscape again because that’s what attracts people there. Can you tell us a little bit about Cadillac Mountain?

Cadillac Mountain, this is a bucket list moment. If you’re going to be in Acadia National Park, you need to have an early night in bed and you need to get up incredibly early in the morning and get to the top of Cadillac Mountain, which is accessible by car. You can also hike it and that’s a dedicated hike very early in the morning. To watch the sunrise at Cadillac Mountain is the iconic reason that Acadia is so popular. You have this romantic dream of the 1960s. People driving up Cadillac Mountain, parking and watching the sunrise. It’s absolutely beautiful. It’s not an incredibly steep mountain, but it is the highest point on the Atlantic coast in North America at 1,500 feet. It is coined The First Sunrise in the United States.

If we want to get up, we have to do time because sunrise is going to be different at different times of the year. How much time should we allow to make sure we’re up there with plenty of time if we hike it?

This is a bad question for me because as a photographer, I always want to give myself a lot more time than needed. I leave ridiculously early and I was chasing sunlight a few days ago. I noticed that I was peaking sunrise at 4:00 AM, which could be painful for a lot of people. I was starting to get that color in the sky at around 4:00 AM. You are going to want to get an app or be paying attention to actual sunrise time and knowing your own pace. With the car, you can get very close to the park and get up there depending on the level of how much you want to get outside at 4:00 AM.

Acadia National Park: If you’re going to be in Acadia National Park, you need to have an early night in bed and get up early in the morning to get to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

You can always go back to bed. When my sister and I did Chirripó in Costa Rica, we got up at 3:00 AM to hike to be up at the peak at sunrise. That was worth it. You could see it on our faces on the photo.

I’ve done sunrise in a lot of places around the world. You wake up and you’re like, “Why am I doing this?” It happens and you can’t take that back. It’s worth everything. I’m horrible. I always say, “I’m going to go back to my cabin, my campground or my hotel, wherever it is in the world. I’m going to take a nap,” and I never do because I’m in this amazing place that I wanted to see it.

Another popular place is Thunder Hole. What’s that?

Thunder Hole is this cool little swell where the waves crash and it’s an easy little spot. I believe you can walk to it from that ocean cliff walk. I could be wrong. I need to check my hikes there. You go down and it’s amazing, especially on a rugged day. That usually involves a little bit of rain and a rain jacket so be prepared. On a rugged day, the waves are crashing there in this spot. They can have an explosion of the waves 40 to 60 feet high. It’s absolutely magical. If you have little people, it can be a little intimidating. It looks scary but it also looks beautiful. Keep in mind that whoever you’re walking down with, it’s going to be crowded and they can look a little bit fierce.

It sounds like Acadia is primal wild.

I feel like Acadia is this magic place on the East Coast. Often, when I’m explaining the mountains to the people that haven’t hiked as many places as I have, the Grand Tetons have a piece of my heart because it looks like Zeus got angry and struck the earth with lightning. You get these three sister peaks that were made from the magic, anger and godly power. You get out to Alaska and everywhere you look is these amazing peaks that are ridiculous. All through the West, you have the Rockies and their peaks, whereas you get to the East Coast and you get the rolling and the green of the Appalachian where it is more tamed somehow.

You get into Acadia and the Cadillac Mountain and even the White Mountain out there. Things get a little more rugged. Often, people underestimate how rugged these mountains can be. They’re not tall but they are quite old. The hikes can be very steep and very hard on your knees. They can go straight up for a mile if you want them to. I would say that it is wild and if you have the adventurous side of you and you can go in a less traveled season, do it. On the main hikes and things like that, it gets a little tamed by the fact that there are so many people visiting the park, but it is a beautiful place.

Let’s talk about hiking. It looked to me like there are a variety of levels of difficulty from easy on to moderately hard because of the steepness. Do you have any particular favorite trails?

I don’t have any favorite trails yet because I haven’t hiked enough of it. I only have favorite trails in Shenandoah because that one has a special place for me.

I want to get you back on for Shenandoah as well then.

That’s where I lost my heart in Shenandoah. As far as hiking Acadia, what I like about it is it’s accessible to whatever level you feel like hiking at that moment. You can do the loop and from there, you can hop on the hike that’s right for you. It’s important to always know our own limitations when it comes to hiking. Another thing to keep in mind is at certain times of the year, they close off certain hikes for the wildlife and things like that in the region. I like that there’s a lot of short, quick and easy hikes for the quintessential viewpoints. I like that you can drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain or you can start at the bottom and you can hike all the way up. Hiking up Cadillac Mountain is not for everybody.

It sounds like fun. I would like to do that. I noticed too when I was at the National Park Service website, the peregrine falcons have come back. The last they were seeing was in 1955 and a few years ago, they’re back. Several of the trails are closed because it’s nesting season. They have multiple breeding pairs out there. That’s cool. I imagine since they also have black bears, when the berries are ripe, that they might be closing off certain portions of the trails to bear activity.

I did not have any bear issues while I was in the park. I have a joke that there’s also no moose in Maine, which I know is totally fictitious. I’ve seen moose in a bunch of other places in the world. The moment you get into and drive through Maine, you will see signs for moose. I’ve lived here for a while now and I’ve yet to see a moose. I have a joke there that it’s a marketing campaign, but moose and bear are on the island though they’re not terribly often seen. What’s cool about the peregrine falcon thing is I happen to be in there in the park season last 2018. The Rangers shut down part of the trail. This is where it’s important to see what’s happening in Acadia at what time of year you go.

Treat all the animals with respect. Click To Tweet

They set up with these telescopes and they come out during certain hours of the day. They’re there every day and they’re tracking the birds so they know where to look. They have programs in which they will come out and teach you about the peregrine falcons with the telescopes on them. I was lucky enough to get to watch the birds flying in and out of their nests. It’s one of those amazing moments. You’re also looking up on this cliff, which you can’t possibly expect on the East Coast because it’s a proper cliff and there are bird nests on it. It was neat to have the birds back in the park and to have the Ranger program out there actively educating people on it.

The Rangers offer all sorts of guided tours. They’re both on the boat and on the land side. You definitely want to go to the Park Service for Acadia website because they’ve got a nice program there. I didn’t know about the telescopes. That’s cool.

It’s part of the Junior Ranger Program there as well. Another event that I want to do in Acadia that I haven’t had a chance to do yet is the Night Sky Festival and I believe it is in September. If I am going to book a trip in September, if I wasn’t already booked, I would be there for the Night Sky Festival. One of the most magical things about Maine is not how gorgeous the coastline is or the mountains are, it is simply that we don’t have as many people in Maine. At night I can look up from my place and see the Milky Way. When the skies are right, looking up outside at Maine is absolute magic. Set that alarm clock for about 2:00 AM and get up and go outside. It’s best on a night that it’s bitterly cold because bitter cold means there is no cloud coverage keeping the warmth down. Dress in all the warm layers, no matter what time of the year, you go and step outside at night and stare at the sky.

We want to talk about the fact that there is biking there too. You want to check with the Park Service website because as the snow melts, that makes muddy tracks. Until the mud subsides a little bit, they don’t let you put the horses and the bikes out. It will only be for foot traffic.

Maine has a proper mud season. We’re hoping that we’re towards the end of it though. It’s been a very wet year for New England. Getting on trails have been hard if you’re respectful of the trails. I love being an advocate for good trails. I don’t want to do damage to them. It’s been incredibly muddy this season. You do want to pay attention to when you’re going. Once again, this is better. There’s a reason there’s a peak season with Acadia. It is prime a little bit later in the summer when it’s dryer and you can get the bikes out there, you can also go kayaking, which is lovely. I believe that’s also a Ranger-led activity. I could be wrong, but I think they do guided kayak tours.

I believe you’re right on that and also, we can rent kayaks if you don’t want to bring one. I bought an inflatable kayak. My sister has one and she loves it. I was like, “That sounds convenient.” That way, I could pop it in the trunk of my car.

I have an old school kayak. I’m itching to buy new ones, but I’m one of those people that’s like, “That still works.” They’re older and they’re heavy and it’s hard to lug them around by myself.

I will have to let people know how that works out for me. Also, you can horseback ride. I assume you can bring your own horse or there are probably horse rentals there for a couple of hours to half a day.

There are a ton of carriage trails, which is perfect for your horseback riding, your more casual hike biking, things like that. There are a ton of carriage trails in there. I want to do some more research. I was out hiking in Western South Carolina a few years ago and I ran into a man who’s as passionate about the national parks as I am. Please everybody fact check this statement and you can email me and tell me if I’m wrong or not. He was telling me he was an anti-national park and more of the state parks. He said Baxter got angry at Acadia and the fact that people were using more cars in a national park than they were getting out and actually hiking. Baxter Park was founded also in Maine. You have to park and that’s it. The only way in is on your feet with your rugged gear. I could imagine that the carriage trails and things like that were almost the antitheses of Baxter National Park. The idea of so many people getting up the mountain with things other than their own feet.

Baxter, that’s where Katahdin is. Katahdin, if you’re not familiar, is the terminal point of the Appalachian Trail. Do you have any idea how far it is from Baxter to Acadia?

It’s about two hours and 35 minutes from Acadia to Baxter.

In Acadia we can hike, we can bike, we can kayak, we can horseback ride. Also, we’ve got all that beautiful water and they have lots of boat tours and the little island out where you can camp as well if you’re lucky enough to get a campsite or do a day trip. Can you talk about that?

You can do all sorts of boat tours from Bar Harbor or if you get on the ferry magically in Acadia National Park. The least traffic part of the park is that ferry ride to the isle because people aren’t doing it. It’s not as accessible for the three-day backpack weekend or three-day camping weekend. I also joke about the puffins. Expectation versus reality, people expect to see whales, puffins and everything. It’s like, “Nature has a place. It might not be exactly where you’re looking for it.” If you can get on a boat tour, that’s where you are going to be more likely, once you get a little bit away from the mainland and out. It’s not far at all once you’re on the boat. You can start to see more seals, puffins and otters. You can even do whale watching tours from the water.

Acadia National Park: When the skies are right, looking up outside at Maine is absolute magic.

They also have bald eagles, ospreys and cormorants. I imagine that once you get away from all the people, that’s where you go to see the wildlife and not so much around all the crowds.

Another thing I’ve been noticing a lot more of as well are coyotes. I’m about two hours South of Acadia. You do need to have regular basic common sense when you’re outside. It’s not West Coast, there are no grizzly bears, but we are getting more coyote and things like that and moose. These are still wild creatures and moose are quite large. If you get the lucky joy of seeing one, you can also tell me because it breaks my theory but treat all the animals with respect. We had a video and you can google it, but somebody in the town was like, “Brooklyn was attacked by an otter because they’re not sweet creatures.”

They probably are invading the space or it could be a mother. When I was out, and I could see the Grand Tetons where we were camping, an elk came into the campground right there. We’re stepping away and this idiot is right in front of this 2,000-pound beast. He was not paying attention to it that much and he was within five feet. If that thing decided, “I don’t want you there anymore,” that guy would be killed. That was stupid.

There are a curse and a blessing to the national parks. As a photographer, I’m selfish. I want that landscape to be my own so I can take that picture. As somebody who also actively loves being outside and promotes being outside to other people, I try to remember my place in that. You do get people that don’t have that wilderness common sense. I have seen many bad examples of people outside from disrespecting the trails. That’s using the trails when you shouldn’t be, whether you’re horseback riding or mountain biking on wet trails. Each area has its own set of rules, but they’re usually posted or getting way too close to an animal. At the end of the day, it’s still a bear, an elk, a moose, and it’s neat but please put your iPad away.

Don’t forget, you’ve got a zoom feature on your camera.

Another cool trick that a lot of people don’t realize is if you have a good set of binoculars or a telescope on a tripod if you’re hunting that photo of those animals. I don’t mean hunting as in the animal but if you’re looking for that photo, you can take your cell phone and put it up against the scope of a telescope or binoculars. It’s not the best photo in the world, but if you need to get the picture of that peregrine falcon on a cliff a quarter mile away, it’s pretty handy.

The first time I saw that was in Costa Rica at Manuel Antonio National Park where our guide had the scope. I was like, “How cool is that? We are really close up.

I’ve done it all over. They’re not Nat Geo level photographs but when you’re like, “I happened to see this thing at this time, and I had the forethought to use my camera through the telescope lens.” It’s a handy little trick that people don’t think of.

Is there anything that surprised you about it or something that you wish you’d known before you went there for the first time?

I’m the world’s worst planner. I don’t plan anything before I get there other than knowing I needed a campsite for Acadia. Otherwise, I probably would have rolled up and been a little bit out of luck because it was Memorial Day weekend when I went. I didn’t realize that people would be brave enough to come to Maine for Memorial Day weekend. The number of people was quite staggering for the size of the park. It seemed like no matter what time of the day I was trying to get somewhere, I was still dealing with the congestion and the traffic. That was a little bit staggering. It is New England’s national park. You do want to be there. I get why it’s absolutely crowded, but if you can, whether in a season where it may not be so trafficked or maybe in the middle of the summer when things are warmer and people are busy Monday through Friday, get there then for the best odds of lower traffic from humans.

If you’re into winter sports, you can do that there. There’s snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and all that stuff and be able to see the Northern Lights, I would imagine. Is that possible?

I’m further South but not by much. We only had one ever alert this year, which it was gray, so we didn’t get to see it. There are occasionally times when you can see the Northern Lights. If you’re out there, it’s important to get out in the middle of the night and see the sky. There’s something so humbling about being under that many stars. In the winter, to me, that’s when the sky is best. It’s clear and there are thousands of stars. I was driving to the airport a few days ago and it was my closest airport, several hours away. I was leaving in the middle of the night and I always pull over and make sure to look up to see what the skies are like in Maine. It is one of the gifts of being in Maine. It’s the beauty of less light pollution. The winter sports are absolutely rad. You’ve got snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and all of that. Always be prepared. Preparedness in sports, especially in winter sports, is incredibly important. Your gear is important. I have people that ask me how I stay warm. I’m like, “I wear base layers every day.” Having the appropriate gear for being outside in a place like Acadia in winter is important because the weather can be brutal.

I would also suggest, not just in the winter but anytime, to carry an emergency pack. On my sister podcast or companion podcast, I started the Adventure Travel Show Podcast. I did an episode of what you should be carrying in your pack. I don’t care if you’re going out for a day hike. Things can go wrong, and you want to be prepared if all of a sudden, you find that you have to spend the night.

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That’s incredibly important. Have weather gear, a couple of sweaters and a couple of base layers ready no matter what time of year you come.

It’s all about the layers. If there’s a chance that it’s going to go below 40, not only do I have my puffy jacket, which I have on my pack almost all the time anyway. I will also make sure I have my rain pants and my waterproof gloves because if you get wet and it gets cold, you really get chilled.

It’s very easy to get wet. If you’re going down to Thunder Hole or even if you’re just walking along the Sand Beach, it’s easy to get wet. We’ve had an incredibly rainy season this Spring. I’m hoping that it starts to stop a little bit, but it’s been raining way too much. Have the right rain gear because you’re on the coast, it’s going to be windy, and that wind can chill. Even on a good day, even if it’s in the 60s and it’s lightly raining, that wind chill is going to get you.

I might even pack a windbreaker too. Do you get pop-up storms as we do down South?

I have not experienced a pop-up storm. Every storm that we’ve had, we can watch the radar and see it coming. I have friends that are in the boating industry so I might have a little more intel on that because they have to actively be watching the water to see what they’re doing, whether it’s lobstering, oystering or sailing.

Do you have any other advice that you want to give people about Acadia?

Acadia is an incredibly important park to check off. It’s one of those beautiful places that you must see if you love trekking the national parks. It’s worth the experience of coming out. It’s not easy to get to. It’s not like you fly into an airport and in fifteen minutes you’re in a national park. You’ve got to plan a trip to Acadia and once you’re out there, it’s like Bar Harbor bus. You’re not doing much more than being in the national park or maybe going to town. You have to respect that that’s the adventure you have planned for the next few days. I would hope that your audience is the right type of audience for that. For some people, it can be a little bit isolating and there’s nothing to do and everything closes super early at night. You’re in a state that’s huge and its population is one million and they are all in Portland. I would definitely check out the roles for some of those coastal islands if you do it. Get the full experience. I’m not into lobsters, but there’s something to be said about lobster on the coast of Maine and sitting there and enjoying it. I can totally be cheesy for that time period and it’s important to do, for being a part of the experience of the place. Also, it’s not just the coast. On Acadia, there’s the Eagle Lake. You want to check out the lake and the pond and things like that too.

Is there any place that we can go swimming?

You don’t want to swim. It’s cold, don’t do it.

Sand Beach might be pretty but not to go in.

You can go swimming. You can experience the water. There are fresh water and saltwater with ponds and things like that. I’m from the South. I would encourage you not to attempt to go swimming. The water is way too cold off the coast of Maine, just don’t do it. You are not prepared. You’re going to dip your toes in and that’s about it. I charmingly made the mistake a few years ago. I was racing for the Cabot Cheese. Cabot Cheese had a running team and we did the TD Bank Beach to Beacon, which is in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, outside of Portland. It was in July and it was a record. This is my first trip to Maine. I don’t plan anything, and ignorance is bliss. That’s my caveat. We finished this race. It’s been incredibly hot to the team and we want to celebrate. We do what every group of celebratory people do in no way whatsoever. We ran straight into the ocean. We run straight out because it was so bitterly cold. Don’t make that mistake. It’s hurtful.

I want to switch gears. I’m not talking about the food at the camping but in Bar Harbor. You’re a foodie. Talk about the food there.

I do bring a lot of food on my camping trips because I do love to cook over a fire. I’m not eating in Bar Harbor other than I stop at ice cream shops along the way because that’s fun. I cannot speak to the food in Bar Harbor. I can totally tell you that I cook like a chef over live fire. I’m sorry to not have a good answer to that. I brought a cast iron Dutch oven. It was hanging over a smoke pit and I did a smoked pulled pork.

Acadia National Park: Acadia is one of those beautiful places you must see if you love trekking the national parks. It’s worth the experience of coming out.

You do photography and you do some blogging. Why don’t you tell us a little bit more about who Kita is and how we can reach out to you and follow what you’re up to?

You can find me at PassTheSushi.com or GirlCarnivore.com if you have a savory side. I am on Instagram as both of those as well as on Facebook, Pass The Sushi or Girl Carnivore. I do teach photography from time to time on pop-up workshops. You can find me on Twitter @PassTheSushi and I’m traveling the country. I am on the road for the next couple of months back-to-back hanging out all over. I’m going to be doing Instagram Stories and taking my camera out a lot more often.

Be sure to go to the website to see some of the nice photos that Kita shared with us. I will try to put up some videos as well. Kita, is there anything I forgot to ask you that you want to make sure we knew about Acadia?

It’s important on the loop and I forget. There’s one road that goes in between. There’s a nature center and it’s small. It’s not a huge nature center, but it’s got a lot of cool facts about the history in it and a traditional building back from the indigenous tribe that was there. I’m all for being a tourist when I’m in a place and learning about the place. I would say take 45 minutes to an hour to check out the nature center and learn about the history of the park.

Thanks for coming on the show, Kita. It’s been great having you and learning more about Acadia National Park. I sure appreciate it.

It’s my pleasure to be here. Thank you.

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Acadia sounds super cool and I can’t wait to get there myself. If you are interested in going to Acadia, I do a free downloadable PDF on all places that we visit on the Active Travel Adventures Podcast. You can go to the website at ActiveTravelAdventures.com/Acadia. You can download the free travel planner and the monthly newsletters. Subscribers will get this automatically at the beginning of the following month. If you’re enjoying this program. Can I ask you a favor? Could you please go to whatever podcast app you had to this on and hopefully, give us a five-star review. It helps other people find the program. I’d appreciate it. Thanks so much.

I want to remind you also that we now have a companion podcast that comes out on alternate Thursdays called the Adventure Travel Show Podcast. I encourage you to check it out and let me know what you think about it. Now you can have a little bit of an adventure every week. Until next time, thank you so much. It means so much to me to see that you are getting something out of this program. I look forward to seeing you hopefully every week. I hope to see you soon. Until then, adventure on.

 

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