Acadia Maine suggestions for family

[lotsarocks]

We are a semi adventurous family looking to do 8 +/- days in Acadia ME. We travel with a smallish travel trailer and a ton of toys (kayaks,Sup/surf,MTN bikes, hiking gear). My kids are 9 and 5 so extreme hikes(precipice) may not work. Although they do go to the rock gym, so if that trail is appropriate I'm open to those suggestions. They have great endurance compared to most kids. I would love to get some input for the best campgrounds and must do activities, kayak/hike/bike day trips. Thanks for the suggestions.

[RustyGroomer]

Far from an expert but have been several times & can offer insight. Send you a PM. I think you're a Magic guy from time to time too. We can chat over turns as well.

[uglymoney]

Mt. Acadia day hike. We did it when my daughter was pretty little and it is like an outside Disney world. Perfect amount of scrambling and super fun safe hike. HIGHLY recommend. Trip report is buried here near the end of the thread.

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ee-suggestions

[lotsarocks]

Thanks for the replies, I will read through that trip report. Lots of great I go there I'm sure.

[RustyGroomer]

Pics to go with my message. Hope it helps.







Jordan Pond



Schoodic




Beach


Like I said, we have only gone in off-season. After Labor day.

[lotsarocks]

Nice pics, love the dogs. Yeah I expect it will be busy but we can deal with it. We were at the cape for the 4th and it was manageable. We get out real early and come back late.

[topwater]

Wild blueberries

[wyeaster]

i knew ben and jerry's was full of shit when they stopped making wild maine blueberry in the early 90s

[MMMSKI]

Most of the hikes in Acadia are going to be fine for your kids, besides the Beehive. Beach Mountain is a great hike, wonderful views. Check out the Bass Harbor side of the island, a lot less crowded during the height of the season. Take a day and drive down to Deer Isle. The Bar Harbor Campground http://www.thebarharborcampground.com is probably the best in the area, especially for kids and travel trailers. Enjoy your trip!

[cat in january]

^^^^^good overview, but there is a better campground

go in the early Fall as Steve said. this is an old question, no

[snowshine]

Otter cliffs is can be kinda crowded but there's some great top-roping with easier and slightly more difficult routes, and you're climbing pretty much right out of the ocean which is sweet

[lotsarocks]

We stayed at Mt desert narrows because we have a RV trailer. Site was nice and big with a great water view and a bald eagle that hung out daily. We tried kayaking here but the tide swings made it tough.
We were pretty much fogged in every day so we never quite got the amazing views that Acadia is known for but the fog really added to the experience as it was rolling in and out constantly.

Since we travel with a 9 and 5 year old we make it work whatever it takes.

One day we biked the carriage roads and did a little better than 20 miles. The little one was on her trail-a-bike and at about 17-18 miles I was looking for ways to strap her to the bike as she was done and falling asleep.
The next day we parked at sand beach and hiked the bee hive. I was a bit apprehensive having the little one there but she absolutely loved it. The ladders were her favorite and now asks if there will be ladders Everytime we go hiking. We took a swim in one of the ponds behind the beehive, it was a bit spirited as it was loaded with leeches, bass and eels. It was totally worth it though. After the hike down we spent the day at the beach. Waves were good so my boy sponged it for hours. Not quite sure how he tolerated water that cold without a wetsuit.
The next day we hiked the beech cliffs trail aka Canada cliffs trail. This hike was awesome. The views we're great, the fog was real cool and there were a lot of ladders and cliffs to perch on. At the top we took a break and picked blueberries for while. After the hike we went swimming at the lake/beach below. The water was much warmer and there was a nesting pair of loons just off the beach. Pretty awesome watching them swim past us underwater.
The last day we were there we went on a 3/4 day fishing trip. We caught alot of small fish and a few cod. Then we pulled lobster pots and that was real cool. We won the lottery and kept a couple of the bigger lobsters. The kids really enjoyed watching how they pull up the traps,size them and throw them back. The woman running the boat was awesome. She works on a crab boat in Alaska for the winters. Runs a tight ship. Great stories.


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[m5d4f0]

i'm a little spam-bot banned 4eva

[ilikemountainsss]

If you have older kiddos, beehive is great! If your kids are younger, great head is a fun hike right from the beach. Be sure to go into town for ice cream after!

[benjc]

Was there about a decade ago. Honestly hard to go too wrong. Soak it in. Gorgeous.