Maine: Acadia National Park
Unpack only once and explore the many sides of Acadia National Park. On this exceptional walking adventure, you’ll spend five nights at the quaint Bar Harbor Inn—a traditional New England charmer with wrap-around porches overlooking Frenchman Bay. From your luxurious home base, your local guides bring you to the quiet side of Mount Desert Island—walking the Flying Mountain Trail with stunning views overlooking Somes Sound. Enjoy a delightful boating excursion to Little Cranberry Island, where you’ll learn about the art of lobstering from a Maine lobsterwoman. Walk the shores of Jordan Pond and view the crashing waves at Thunder Hole. Each evening, return to Bar Harbor—where you’ll find bustling shops, fresh local seafood, and world-famous blueberry ice cream to celebrate your adventure.
Highlights
- Travel to Little Cranberry Island by boat and meet with a local lobsterwoman for a window into authentic Maine coastal life.
- Follow the rugged Maine coastline past the roiling Thunder Hole as you trek the highest ocean-edge cliffs in Acadia National Park.
- Gain a deeper understanding of the region’s flora, fauna, and dramatic glacial history with veteran guides.
- Enjoy breathtaking views from the summit of Cadillac Mountain.
Positive Impact
Country Walkers is proud to support Friends of Acadia with a donation on behalf of each guest on this tour. Working closely with the National Park Service and local communities, Friends of Acadia helps protect one of the country’s most heavily trafficked national parks so it will remain beautiful for generations to come. They work to preserve trails both inside and near the park organize volunteer projects. Through their Acadia Trails Forever program, the Island’s trail system stays protected for all generations to enjoy.
Accommodations
I had a most wonderful time on this trip to Acadia. It all started with the great welcome we received from our fabulous guides Ann and Randy. They had a way of breaking the ice between everyone right from the start. Ann and Randy expertly took us on fabulous walks with breathtaking views. They know the area so well, bringing us to cozy places for lunch or cute places to have a picnic. They made sure we had great entertainment, on and off the hikes. The hotel stays were the best. Food and drink was plentiful. The trip was great…
Maine: Acadia National Park
Very knowledgeable guides. Fun companionship with new friends. I loved options for a lighter or more strenuous hike
Maine: Acadia National Park
Expert Local Guides
Experience your destination like an insider with people who call it home.
Anne Rush
Raised on a dairy farm in northern Aroostook County, Maine, Anne cultivated her passion for coastal life while living in Hawaii for nearly 30 years. She has guided for two decades, and guests find her love of the natural world infectious. Her interests include organic gardening, kayaking, hiking, and skiing. Travelers who explore America with her can expect, as she does, “to live life to the fullest.”
Mary Simons
Over two decades ago, Mary Simons faced a difficult choice-should she move to Vermont or Maine? She ultimately chose Vermont, thanks to an offer of a teaching job, and she finds great peace living in her woodsy cabin with views of the stunning Green Mountains. However, she still spends as much time as she can visiting the beautiful, rugged coastline of Maine. When not guiding, she is the director of a traveling immersion journalism program for high school and college students. Mary is a skilled conversationalist that is certain to make guests feel cared for while time in one of her favorite areas of New England-Acadia National Park.
Carolyn Beecher
Carolyn Beecher first started hiking in Acadia when she was 6 years old with the Appalachian Mountain Club, her family staying at the Echo Lake Camp on the west side of Mount Desert Island. The aroma of balsam fir, the taste of blueberries, and the expansive views of the ocean and islands from the granite summits of Acadia touch deep places within her. Eventually settling in Montana in 1980, she began as a guide in 1991 in Glacier National Park. Her excitement about sharing our national parks’ remarkable ecology, history, beauty, and peace with you cannot be missed. Carolyn will encourage you to relax your mind, open your senses, and have fun in the present moment.
Randy Judkins
Randy Judkins’ childhood passion for the outdoors allowed him to lead hiking and canoeing trips around his native state of Maine by the age of 20. He is an avid hiker and kayaker and has shared his enthusiasm over the years on walking, cycling, and gourmet food tours and at summer camps. Most importantly, as a professional vaudeville performer, he will keep you entertained on and off the trail.