Taste of Maine (Part 2) Acadia National Park Hikes
This park is rich in its history. The park was established in 1916, but uniquely it was the first whose land was donated entirely by private citizens. It has more than 47,000 acres. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. not only donated 10,000 acres of land but was responsible for 45 miles of carriage roads that wind through the park. As bikers, we appreciate roads where you don’t have to worry about cars coming too close or streets not having a bike path. These carriage trails are limited to hikers, bicyclists, and horses. Carriage rides are available. An enjoyable respite was a stop at the Jordon Pond House, known for its popovers.
Like most national parks, it beckons its visitors to enjoy its many hiking trails. The first was the Great Head Trail. This trail starts at the only sandy beach in the park. The water temperature rarely goes above 55 degrees, yet, believe it or not, there were people in the water. This hike was 1.4 miles with views overlooking Frenchman Bay and Gorham Mountain.
Our second hike was the Gorham Mountain trail. It’s a two-mile hike that boasts some spectacular views. The wind was pretty fierce but well worth the scenic view at the summit.
Our last hike was the one I feared the most. Mitchell was itching to go on the Beehive Trail. In our discussion with the park ranger, he felt this was the scariest trail in the park because it’s very steep and goes along the cliff edge. Dread filled my body, but no way was I going to let him do it alone. We arrived at the park by 7:30, and hikers were beginning to start this epic journey. It was a gorgeous morning. The sun was up, the skies were clear, and the wind was a non-issue. We began to hike up the rocks when we came upon a sign forewarning the danger of this hike. Mitch looked at me and asked, “What do you think?” My response was, “Let’s go for it. If I can’t do it, we can just stop and go back down.”. Well, there was NO turning back! I am not afraid of heights, but my more significant concern was climbing rocks, with me being 5 feet tall and not being in my 20s anymore.
This trail indeed was like rock climbing. Some spots had rails to grab to get up. Even with the rails, there were a few times Mitch had to give me a push-up. We made it to the top, and the view was undeniably magnificent. The panoramic view was well worth the harrowing experience, but I felt I had earned my badge of accomplishment. Would I have done this on my own? Absolutely not, but the love of my life pushes me beyond my comfort zone, and we get to reap the reward together.
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