Acadia National Park+Bar Harbor

swapch

Hello All,

I am a n00b in this forum.I am planning to visit Acadia this fall,last week of september or first week of october.Is that a good time to catch the foliage in its peak:scratch?? Also,I need all the help regarding locations to shoot sunrise and sunsets,any secret locations,dgrinner's favorite location etc. Any help would be great.I am primarily interested in landscape photography. I will be there for 3 days. Please help me plan my trip.:help

Thanks & Regards,
Swapna

boblu262

Where do I begin ...
I went camping in Acadia last month with my 11 y/o son. Its hard NOT to find good places to shoot. I focussed on the coast, since our campground was a short walk to the Park Loop Road. It was easy to get there early in the morning and at dusk (here is a link to my Acadia Gallery: http://www.lussierphoto.com/gallery/5537427_WFtAP#339130490_eLB2e).

- Cadillac Mountain is the classic touristy spot for sunrise / sunset vistas. In the fall they should be spectacular. The drive up Cadillac is about three miles.

- The carriage roads with the stone work and arches are great for foliage shots as well.

- Check out Eagle Lake. It is easily accessible from the main road and is gorgeous. It is ringed by carriage roads, so you can walk or bike around (about 6 miles).

- There are also many short hiking trails (some easy, some challenging) that get you above the lakes. One of the easiest is Bubble Rock Trail.

It overlooks Jordan Pond. The day we were there it was hazy, hot and humid ... not great photo conditions, but on a crisp fall day you should have a field day.

Here is the view from the top of Bubble Rock overlooking Jordan's Pond (that's my son sitting on the edge):


Across the street from the parking lot is the trail head for another short hike .. the name escapes me. Its a bit more challenging but worth the hike. A friend of mine did the hike with his 6 y/o daughters. They had a blast ... so its not THAT bad. The trail can be hard to follow, so pay attention.

Its higher than Bubble rock and overlooks the ocean, Jordan Pond and Eagle Lake.

Here is a shot from the top of that trail, Eagle Lake in the distance:


A suggestion ... play with Google Earth before you go. Free download from Google (http://earth.google.com/). You can virtually fly over the area to get an idea of where to shoot from. Its very cool.

I hope this info helps ... have a great trip.

denisegoldberg

You already have some good advice from the previous post, but here's another tip - take the time to drive to the Schoodic Peninsula. It's part of Acadia, but it's on the mainland - the next peninsula up from Mt. Desert Island. Schoodic is a rocky point, and it's gorgeous.

There are some views from Schoodic on a very gray day in this gallery - http://www.denisegoldberg.com/gallery/5223406_4GwEA

--- Denise

swapch

Hey Guys,

Thanks for such detailed info and I will surely check Google Earth. One question:: As my 9mnth old baby will be with me,shall I plan for the last week of september,coz a lot of my friends are saying that first week of october will be a little chilly for the baby,but I'm a little sceptical about that coz I want to catch the fall in its peak. What is the best time to visit ANP??

Thanks....

boblu262

For foliage, it looks like early to mid October is best: http://www.maine.gov/doc/foliage/whenandwhere/index.html

The daytime temps should average in the 40s that time of year
It can get pretty cold at night.

denisegoldberg

There's never a guarantee on when the fall colors will peak. And Acadia is beautiful, with or without peak colors.

--- Denise