Beehive and Jordan Pond, Everything You Need to Know
Acadia National Park is the perfect destination for budget travelers like myself. If you pack your own food, you can enjoy all the wonders that the park has to offer for only $15-30 (park entrance fee). Even better, if you visit the park between the months of November-April, there is no park entrance fee and you can see the views of a lifetime for free!
About the Park: Located on the east coast of Maine, United States, Acadia National Park is a hidden gem of the Northeast. The park is a playground for outdoor enthusiasts, with plenty of recreational activities including hiking, camping, kayaking, cycling, and much more! The park is open year around, sporting spectacular views 365 days a year.
Best Hikes in Acadia National Park
Arcadia National Park features over 125 miles of hiking trails. With so many options, it can be hard to narrow down which trails to go on. The best hiking trails and most worthwhile trails in Acadia are the Beehive Trail and the Jordan Pond Loop.
Beehive Trail Acadia National Park
The beehive trail is the most popular trail in Acadia. The entrance is located directly across from Sand Beach. You can leave your bike on racks nearby, or if you have a car you can park on the side of the road.
Length of Beehive Trail: 2 miles (majority of the hike is vertical)
Duration of Beehive Trail: 1.5-3 hours (depending on how many times you stop to take pictures)
As always, it is important to bring water to stay hydrated. After you reach the Beehive summit, the second half of the hike (Bowl Trail) is down the back side of the mountain which has no cliffs and is much easier to traverse. If you are too scared to go up the face side of beehive, you can take the Bowl Trail to reach the Beehive Summit.
Below are some of my favorite photos from the top of the Beehive Summit:
Jordan Pond Hike
The Jordan Pond Hike is perhaps the most photogenic hike in Arcadia National Park. The loop circles around the clear blue pond and also features a bike trail that traverses the nearby mountains. Jordan Pond is located right off of Park Loop Road, and there is a visitor’s center and parking lot. The hike itself is very manageable and does not involve any cliffs. Throughout the loop there are many places to stop and take pictures of the sparkling lake and the high mountain ranges in the background. This hike is perfect for family hikes and large groups. You are allowed to kayak on the pond as well!
Length of Jordan Pond Loop: 3.5 miles
Duration of Jordan Pond Trail: 2-3 hours
p.s The most popular picture spot for the Jordan Pond hike is right at the start of the loop
In the front of the pond is the Jordan Pond House, which features a lovely restaurant with a bar. The Jordan Pond house is famous for their Jordan Pond Popovers. It is open 1130am to 8pm May-October
When is the best time to visit Acadia National Park?
I recommend visiting Acadia National Park when it is free (November-April). If you travel between May-October, there is no way to enter the park without a ticket. I was very lucky and met someone in Bar Harbor who was leaving and still had a pass that was valid for 4 days. This is pretty common since all passes are valid for at least 7 days.
If you are trying to save some money, it is worth asking around the area before entering to see if anyone leaving is willing to give you their pass. This is technically not allowed, but is really easy to get away with 
. Regardless of how/when you enter park, your are in for the views of a lifetime. As you can see from my photos, the trails are not crowded at all. You can’t go wrong when choosing a time to visit Acadia.
Acadia National Park Entrance Fee
| Mode of Travel | Price |
|---|---|
| Car | $30 (covers everyone in car) |
| Motorcycle | $25 |
| Individual | $15 |
| Bicycle | $15 |
| *There is no entrance fee from November-April* | |
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my very first blog post! Feel free to comment at the bottom of the page if you have any remarks or questions! If you are planning a trip to Acadia, read below for information on Accommodations, Bike Rental, and Kayak Rental!
Planning a trip to Acadia?Accommodations in Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor)
The cheapest place to stay is in Bar Harbor which is located just outside of the park. There are a lot of options for cheap motels. The one that I stayed at was only $70 for the night. Sometimes there are cheaper options (~$60 a night) available on Airbnb.com. Bar Harbor is a very charming town and it is definitely worth checking out the downtown area if you are staying the night. The Lobster market in Bar Harbor is incredible.
Additional Recreational Information for Acadia National Park
Bike Rental Acadia National Park:
As mentioned earlier, biking in Acadia national park is very popular. There are trails for recreational cycling as well as more advanced. Some people cycle throughout the whole Acadia National Park Loop (Park Loop Road), which is 27 miles long. We recommend renting from Acadia Bike, which is located just before you enter the park in Bar Harbor. Bikes cost $29 per day, and $24 for the half day.
Kayaking Acadia National Park:
There are many places for Kayaking in Acadia National Park. The most popular kayak spots are below:
Jordan Pond
Somes Sound
Echo Lake
Seal Cove Pond
I traveled to Acadia 2 years ago and it was absolutely incredible. Didn’t make it to the Beehive trail but we did the Jordan Trail loop and it was truly breathtaking. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, the hikes are so scenic. They are beautiful beyond words. You have taken incredible photos.
My husband and I love to hike and we can’t wait to retire and travel around and find fun and beautiful places to hike. Thanks for sharing.
Great post – this looks like such a fun hike!
Your photos are stunning! We try to visit one place in the Northeast once a year, and Maine is high on our list as the next stop. I wonder how different the park experience would be during the wintertime??
I love the look of Jordan pond, and the views from the top of the beehive are gorgeous!!
It’s pretty great that you can have such good views for such short hikes! The Acadia National Park seems like a fantastic place to explore. Was it busy? Your photos make it seem like you had the trails all to yourselves…
I have not made it to many places along the East Coast, Acadia looks like an amazing National Park. One that I haven’t heard much about, I can only imagine the scenery in autumn. The Jordan Pond Trail looks like my cup of tea, a peaceful hike but the Beehive hike, oh my, looks like so much fun.
The Jordan Pond Hike is beautiful! And bonus points for being easy! I don’t think I’d be able to manage the vertical Beehive hike, even though the views there look spectacular.
I love to hike and this spot definitely looks so incredible. Great vantage points and elevations. You can’t beat those views, stunning.
Wow, such beautiful fall colors! I love the national parks in the States, and I’d love to visit Acadia. It’s a bit far for us in the Pacific Northwest.. but someday, I’m sure!
Wow, Jordan Pond is absolutely stunning! Your photos are lovely. I would love to do that trail. Staying in Bar Harbor for the seafood sounds great too.
Your photos are so beautiful. I would love to hike around this area some day and take in the views for myself! Thanks for sharing this guide.
Two awesome hikes! And, the views are breathtaking! I love and truly enjoy all the National Parks. Thank you for sharing!
This looks like a fun hike and a great hike for beginners. I wanna try to go here for our first hiking adventure! It’s picturesque and your doing great for your first time post! 👏
Such a beautiful hike! I love that it’s not too difficult either and is totally up my alley. Bookmarked!
As budget travelers and a couple that loves to hike, I really enjoyed reading the details you’ve included in this post. It’s good to learn from your experience that the best trails in Acadia include the Beehive trail and Jordan Pond Loop. Since these hikes aren’t too long either, I am thinking that they can both be easily completed on the same day. I think my kids would love the Jordan Pond Hike and the fact that they allow kayaking on the pond would definitely add to the experience.
wow, the hike is really good one. good hike for the beginners
Love the Beehive! It’s been a long time since my family and I were up there but your pics bring back great memories. Looks like you went at the right time of year!