I love visiting Maine especially the coastline and Acadia National Park!! It's a wonderful place to visit in all the Seasons but my favorite times are Summer and Fall. The temperatures are cool in the morning and evening and very comfortable throughout the day.

You will love Maine, if you love incredible weather, incredible national parks, lighthouses, Lobster, and fantastic beaches.

“Maine, during the summer, is really heaven on earth.”

When to Go

In general, though, the best time to visit Maine is during the summer, especially if you're headed for the coast. Yet, I love the Fall Foliage in Acadia National Park.

Yes, you'll be faced with tourists, and yes, prices will be higher on everything from souvenirs to lunch to lodging. But with these downsides comes a big payoff: spectacular weather. The highs hover in the comfortable low 70s, with lows dipping into the upper 50s at night. We never had to use air conditioning during our trip.

My guess is that September is probably the best month to visit Maine; you basically get the best of everything. Summer weather is still clinging on (highs are in the upper 60s and low 70s), but the boatload of tourists have packed up and left. Hotel rates have come down as well. During September, you can experience the changing colors of the fall foliage in Acadia.

Where to Stay

One of the easiest places to stay is in Bar Harbor. The entrance to Acadia is only about 10 minutes away making it a great location when you go out at sunrise. There are also tons of nice restaurants in Bar Harbor.

We chose the Sand Bar Cottage (7/10) because we could not find rooms in the Bar Harbor Inn. The Sand Bar Cottage has a wonderful manager and the rooms are comfortable but dated. The one thing that is nice about this hotel is the location right by the Sand Bar where you can walk to Bar Island during low tide.

Where to Eat Lobster Rolls....

You cannot go to Maine and not try a Lobster Roll right?

Maine lobster is the sweetest, most flavorful, and tender lobster on the market.

The Lobster is hand-caught daily so it is extremely fresh. The key to a great Lobster Roll is the freshness and simplicity of the ingredients. There are only three main ingredients: fresh lobster, bread, and mayo or butter dressing. Traditional Maine lobster roll restaurants serve this sandwich with french fries or potato chips on the side.

“Cold or Hot Lobster Rolls is the eternal question”

The traditional lobster roll is stuffed with premium lobster meat soaked in butter and served on steamed or grilled lobster roll bread. However, lobster rolls come in two types: hot with melted butter or cold with mayonnaise (and, sometimes, celery). While the cold one is known as the “traditional” preparation, the hot butter option is equally delicious. Which one is better?

So, where are the best Lobster Rolls in Maine...Drum Beat. We have taken into account 2 factors the location and the taste of the Lobster Rolls. I think the 2 best Lobster Shacks are McCloons and the Foot Bridge Lobster Shack. McCloons is located on the way to Bar Harbor when driving up from Portland.

Our favorite Lobster Rolls in Maine are:

Best Lobster Rolls in Maine are McCloons (Wonderful Location and Lobster)
The FootBridge Lobster in Perkins Cove
Two Lights Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth

Photography Gear & Tips

Like most places, sunrise and sunset are the best times to photograph Acadia. During sunrise, there is almost no one around so you have the coastline to yourself.

For Maine, I would recommend bringing 1 more lens than I usually bring while I traveling. I would definitely bring your longest possible lens for Wildlife. I would also bring a Tripod and ND filters for photographing the Lighthouses at Sunrise or Sunset.

My Canon R5 camera. Any good DSLR or Mirrorless Camera will do Nikon Z7, Fuji etc.
If you only want to bring 1 lens then a 24-105 mm or a 24-240mm would be perfect. I usually bring 2 lens but this is a matter of preference.
A wide-angle lens 15-35mm so you will be able to photograph the landscapes.
A medium telephoto, such as 70-200mm. This will come in handy when you need to for people shots, and photos where you need more reach.
A Longer Telephone, such as the 100-500mm. This will come in handy for Wildlife
A good sturdy tripod so you can take photos at sunrise and sunset. You will also want to take some long exposure shots.
Neutral-density filters (3, 6 and 10). Since there are many opportunities to take photos of Lighthouse it is important for long exposure photos.

My Favorite Locations In Acadia National Park & Bar Harbor

Acadia National Park needs no introduction. It is one of the best National Parks in the United States for good reason. I would definitely buy a National Park Pass before going. The cost per vehicle is $30 per entry. So if you go into the park 3 times you are already at $90. However, the Park Pass only costs $85 per year for unlimited entry into all the national parks in the United States.

One of Acadia's most popular things is driving up to Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the East Coast. From the top, you will see a spectacular sunrise. The only thing is that to get to the top, you need to get a reservation on Summit Road, which should be done well before your trip.

Acadia's coast is the most photographed (and easiest to access) part of the park. A stretch of the Park Loop Road, known as Ocean Drive, winds along the coast for nearly 5 miles from Sand Beach to Hunter's Head. Many of Acadia's most well-known and photogenic locations are along this section of Acadia’s coast. Make sure you stop at Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Monument Cove, Boulder Beach, Otter Cliffs, Little Hunter’s Beach, and Hunter’s Beach as you make your way down Ocean Drive.

My Top Acadia Photo Locations

1. Bass Harbor Lighthouse

The lighthouse is at the southwest corner of Mount Desert Island. From Bar Harbor, it will take you about 45 minutes to reach. Keep in mind that this is not only a very popular location but there is also very limited parking.

Once you park your car, you need to decend the wooden stairs down to the shoreline. I think it is best to shoot it at sunset, with the sun setting behind the lighthouse providing a nice sunset background. Find a comfortable place on the rocks and use them for the foreground. The only issue to be aware of is that the rocks can be very slippery. So get there early and be careful!

2. Cadillac Mountain

The drive up to the top of Cadillac Mountain takes about 10-15 minutes on Summit Road. The entire drive-up provides stunning views. The nice thing about Cadillac Mountain, apart from the views, is that there is a huge parking lot.

The large rocky area at the top of Cadillac Mountain provides a great foreground for a sunrise photograph of Bar Harbor. It can be crowded, so arrive early. For sunsets, there are some nice areas along the road just before you get to the top of Cadillac Mountain that provides stunning views to the west. As I wrote above you need to get tickets for the Summit Road.

3. The Coastline alone the Park Loop (Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Monument Cove, Boulder Beach, Otter Cliffs, Little Hunter’s Beach, and Hunter’s Beach)

The drive along the Park Loop is stunning. I would advise shooting this area at Sunrise when there are limited numbers of people walking around. There are plenty of spots to pull your car over so that you can get out and take photos.

What makes the Maine Coast in Acadia National Park so different is the large rectangular boulders along the coast. Make sure you stop at Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Monument Cove, Boulder Beach, Otter Cliffs, Little Hunter’s Beach, and Hunter’s Beach as you make your way down Ocean Drive.

4. Jordan Pond

There are 2 places to photograph Jordan Pond. The north end and the south end of the Pond. We arrived at the North End first, and I did not realize there was a South End. #notprepared

So as I got out of the car my wife warned me it was better to go to the South end. So naturally, I did what every male does, I decided to not listen to her advice and walk to the top of the North End. That was a bad decision!! After about 2 minutes the trail got pretty rocky. Then it got very steep. At this point, a smart person would say it is not worth it. But not this guy!!! So I kept going and it got steeper and steeper. At the point where there are ropes on the trail to help you climb, I should have turned around. Nope, No of course I did not do that. So after a 40-minute, very steep hike, I get to the top and it was beautiful but not as nice as the South End.

Do not miss photographing the "Bubble Rock".

So I get back to the car and notice that special way my wife can look at me with empathy while thinking that I am an idiot. So my wife asked me "Did you see the bubble rock?" I looked at her wondering what she was talking about. She then tells me that's why people climb up there!! That was not my proudest moment!!

The next day, I took a photo of the Bubble Rock from the Road below with my telephoto lens. Lesson learned--always listen to my wife!!

The easy and better location is the South End. On the south end, there is plenty of parking and you only need to walk about 100 yards on a flat smooth trail.

5. Bar Island

Bar Island is an easy walk from Bar Harbor and is definitely worth doing. During low tide, you can walk across the sand bar onto Bar Island. The walk takes about 10-15 minutes. Once you reach Bar Island, you can take a nice 30-minute hike up to the ridge, where you will be rewarded with views of Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay.

While you walk across the sand bar, you will notice that people have built 100s of Cairns. You will see them stacked all over the beach.

6. Explore and find magical locations Around Acadia

There are tons of other locations to photograph while in Acadia. There are small fishing villages, beautiful gardens, and all sorts of wonderful views. We visited the stunning Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Gardens. These gardens are 100 percent worth visiting.

If you have the time, drive to Stonington, it is well worth it. This beautiful fishing town is located towards the southern end of Acadia and it is just stunning to photograph in the morning.

I hope you have found this Photography Guide on Acadia National Park useful. I have included a downloadable Google Map below.

Travel Photography

My Photography & Travel Guide to Acadia National Park