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Tour Acadia: The Charming Western Half of Mt. Desert Island
Acadia Auto Tour Part 3
At least once, when you tour Acadia be sure to visit the western half of the island via the Acadia auto tour.
The Acadia auto tape tour takes you only to a couple of spots on the western part of Mt. Desert Island, but there's lots more to see, so we'll cover most of those high spots here.
If you refer to an Acadia map, you'll see there are multiple routes from the eastern half of Mt. Desert Island to the western half. But, for the purposes of this tour of Acadia, we'll have you get on Rt. 233 in Bar Harbor off of Rt. 3.
Take Rt. 233 for 3 or 4 miles till it intersects Rt. 198, where you'll make a left turn. (If you turned right, Rt. 198 would take you into the small picturesque town of Somesville, which sits at the head of America's only fjord, Somes Sound. We'll come back to that later. For now, make that left turn...
1. Somes Sound
Somes Sound is a long, deep body of water that cuts in from the ocean into the western half of the island. Sometimes, it is referred to as a fjord, but it's not really like the fjords of Norway, in that it lacks the vertical cliffs above the water, as well as certain other features common to true fjords. Still, it does have some fjord-like features and is the closest match in the US.
The sound is 5 miles long and about 175 feet deep. It is bordered on the east by Norumbega Mountain and on the west by Acadia and St. Sauveur Mountains. The Narrows is the narrow entranceway from the ocean end, while quaint little Somesville sits at the far inland end of Somes Sound.
This is my favorite town on the island! It's a cute, little village with funky shops and restaurants, as well as a lovely harbor filled with yachts and sailboats, as you can see in the picture.
Northeast Harbor is on the southwestern tip of the eastern arm of Mount Desert Island, at the entrance to Somes Sound. Northeast Harbor has quite a different feel than busy, touristy Bar Harbor. It feels classy, as well.
In addition, it's the home of the Asticou and Thuya Gardens, both of which are definitely worth seeing. Not only are the flowers and plants gorgeous, you'll get great panoramic views of the harbor!
This town is the home of the charming white bridge pictured at the top of this page. As mentioned earlier, it has a wonderful view down the Sound. It's also the oldest town on the island, dating back to 1761.
It's not a very big town, but it is worth taking a few minutes to explore and appreciate.
Keep going, following the Acadia auto tour and you'll come to the parking lot for Echo Lake. This is the freshwater swimming area of Acadia National Park. If you tried to go swimming earlier at Sand Beach, but were put off by the frigid waters, you should find these waters to be slightly warmer... and less salty and rough too!
There's a nice sand beach, though it may be crowded on summer days. The water goes to a depth of 66 feet, but the swimming area is not that deep and is staffed by a lifeguard during the summer.
But, even if you don't want to go swimming, enjoy the glimpses of Echo Lake you'll see along Route 102 as you approach the parking area and DO park and get out, just to appreciate its beauty.
And check out the cliffs beyond the swimming area/parking lot. They're called Beech Cliffs, and there's a great, short hiking trail that goes up them. It's steep though and should only be attempted with sturdy shoes. It may also be closed because of nesting peregrine falcons. We made a return trip after our autotour to do the hike and we were well pleased with it.
Southwest Harbor is another charming western Mount Desert Island town located on the southeastern end of the western half of Mount Desert Island, near the entrance to Somes Sound and across the Sound from Northeast Harbor.
There are also some esteemed world-class yacht builders in this town, museums of early American art and more. This town, another slow-paced, but classy quiet town is definitely worth visiting and maybe stopping for lunch or a walk around town.
6. Seawall & Wonderland
Keep driving, following the directions on the tape/CD, all the way to the far tip of the western island and you'll come to Seawall.
Seawall is a naturally occurring granite and rock seawall with a rock beach, located about 4 miles south of Southwest Harbor. You are sure to spy kite fliers, rock explorers, and brightly colored sailboats there, among other things. There's a great picnic area there, or just get out and wander the beach for a while, as we did. I found it to be beautiful and restful.
The Seawall Campground, one of the national park campgrounds, is right across the road from the beach. One of the more popular Acadia area campgrounds, Seawall has hot showers, a camp store and of course features the short walk to the beach.
Wonderland is an easy hiking trail just a mile or so down the road from Seawall. It's just under a mile and a half long and is totally flat, so even children should be able to manage it. It provides beautiful view after view, so take your time.
You can wander off the main path on any one of the many side trails, all of which lead back, so it's impossible to get lost. Enjoy views of Cranberry and Duck Islands, a white cobble beach, short pine trees and more.
7. Bass Harbor Head & the Lighthouse
If you like lighthouses, this is a charming one, set right on the rocks above the surging surf. It's at the end of the island in a small town called Tremont. The lighthouse was built in 1858 and sits 56 feet above the water, surrounded by rocks and wild seas.
I'm not really a lighthouse expert, but I just love this one. Take time to get out and walk around the grounds a bit. You can climb down a short stairway to get great views of the lighthouse from the bottom of the rocky cliffs. The lighthouse itself is closed to the public, unfortunately.
There are many other little towns and more to see in the western half of the island, so feel free to extend this tour of Acadia and Mt. Desert Island as you wish. You can read more about some of these towns on other pages of this site.
If you're feeling adventurous, you might like to visit the more distant regions of Acadia National Park, both of which are off Mt. Desert Island:
The offshore islands
Schoodic Peninsula, which is a peninsula about a 50-mile drive away, but visible from most points on the eastern half of Mt. Desert.
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If you refer to an 
Keep driving, following the directions on the tape/CD, all the way to the far tip of the western island and you'll come to Seawall. 
Wonderland is an easy hiking trail just a mile or so down the road from Seawall. It's just under a mile and a half long and is totally flat, so even children should be able to manage it. It provides beautiful view after view, so take your time. 
If you like lighthouses, this is a charming one, set right on the rocks above the surging surf. It's at the end of the island in a small town called Tremont. The lighthouse was built in 1858 and sits 56 feet above the water, surrounded by rocks and wild seas.
