Looking for some photography-friendly places to visit this summer and beyond? Adorama's AIRC Learning Center is on a summer road trip! Join us as we share some our favorite photographic locales and provide useful tips so you can return from your visit with the best photos possible. This week, Bob Atkins takes you to one of the most photographically fascinating corners of the country, Maine's Acadia National Park. --Ed
Acadia was the first National Park to be created east of the Mississippi river and
despite being relatively small (around 40,000 acres) it's one of the most visited of all
the National Parks. Not too surprising since it's the only National Park in New England
and it's within a day's drive for over 50 million people. It receives over 2 million
visitors each year. Yellowstone National Park gets 3 million visitors, but at over 2 million acres it's
50 times as big.
Most of the Park is located on Mount Dessert Island (MDI), Maine but there are
smaller units on Isle au Haut and the Schoodic Peninsula. In this article I'll concentrate
on the MDI unit since it's the most visited. Isle au Haut is accessible only by passenger
ferry from Stonington (no cars). Schoodic is about a hour's drive from MDI and is
relatively undeveloped.
The Mount Dessert Island (MDI) section of Acadia NP (shown in green)
A larger version can be found here
The park loop road (shown in yellow above) is the way most visitors access the main
part of the park and it connects many of the best spots for photography. From mid-June to
early October there are also free shuttle buses which take visitors to most areas of the
park, so even if you don't have a car you can get around pretty well.
In the winter much
of the park loop road is closed at the first snowfall and only accessible to hikers, skiers
and snowmobiles. Accommodations in the winter are limited, since many of the local hotels and
motels close between November and May. If you are visiting in July and August you may need
to reserve rooms before you arrive since many of the hotels and motels are fully booked during
the peak holiday season
Park Loop Road - Sand Beach to Otter Cliffs
This section of the park loop road is the prime area for shots of the sea, cliffs and
mountains. Since it faces east, the best light is at dawn. The area falls into
shade in the evening as the sun sets behind the mountains. For a literal overview of this
part of the park, shoot from the top of the "Beehive," a 520-foot climb which
starts on the opposite side of the road from the Sand Beach parking lot. There are two
ways up, the first is quite strenuous and involves climbing iron rungs embedded in the
rock. The Bowl trail is longer but easier and less steep. Either way, the view from the top
is spectacular.
View of Great Head and Sand Beach from the summit of the Beehive.
Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens set 22mm. Exposure: 1/50 sec at f/8. ISO 100
Further along the road is "Thunder Hole", a sea cave which emits
a loud "boom" when the tide is right and the surf brings in large waves. It's
not a very natural spot since it has a concrete walkway and handrails, but there are some
nice shots along the shore that can be made from the the surrounding rocks. It's also a
good area to catch lobster boats hauling traps while they are close to the shore.
Lobster boat hauling traps (Great Head in the background).
Canon EOS 10D, Canon 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS lens set 125mm. Exposure: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6. ISO 200.
Looking north towards Thunder Hole.
Canon EOS 5D, Canon EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 lens set at 90mm. Exposure: 1/500 sec. at f/8. ISO 400.
Wildwood Stables
If you continue along the park loop road past Otter cliffs, you will
eventually pass Wildwood stables on the right. From here there are carriage rides along
some of the carriage roads and opportunities to photograph the horses.
Horse-drawn carriage at the Wildwood stables.
Canon EOS 10D, Canon EF28-135 IS lens set at 112mm. Exposure: 1/180 sec. at f/5.6. ISO 100
Jordan Pond
Just past Wildwood stables, Jordan Pond House is a favorite stop on the Park Loop road
and can serve as a base for several photo-related side trips.
North and South Bubbles from Jordan Pond House.
Canon EOS 20D, Canon 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS lens set at 75mm. Exposure: 1/160 sec, at f/8. ISO 800BR>
Jordan Pond is a great spot for photography. There's a good chance of finding
Mergansers on the pond, often with chicks in the spring. They tend to hang around the
southern end of the pond, but there's a chance they can be seen anywhere along the Jordan
Pond Trail which runs all the way around the pond.
Red Headed Merganser.
Canon EOS 20D Canon 300mm f/4L lens and 1.4x teleconverter. Exposure: 1/400 sec. at f/9. ISO 400.
At the north end of the pond is a beaver lodge. I've seen beavers there, but not that
often, at least during the day. Loons are also present on the pond at times and I once saw
a pair of River Otters - but didn't have my camera with me, of course!
Detail of Jordan Pond Stream.
Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF28-135 IS lens set at 50mm. Exposure: 0.6 sec. at f/8. ISO 100
From the south end of the pond Jordan Stream descends along a rock strewn river bed,
creating many small waterfalls when the flow is high. The flow is usually high only after
a period of extended rain, so if you get a few rainy days it's a good area to check out.
Bubble Pond
Continuing along the loop road from Jordan Pond you will arrive at
Bubble Pond. Though it's a small pond, I've found it to be a very good location for
seeing wildlife. At the end of the pond, nearest the parking lot, I've seen and photographed
Loons and Mergansers, and I once saw (and got a distant photograph of) a mink! In the fall
the trees at that end of the pond are often a brilliant red.
Bubble Pond in the Fall. HP 945 compact digital camera.
Cadillac Mountain
Further on along the road is Cadillac mountain (1,530 ft), the highest point on the
Atlantic seaboard north of Rio de Janeiro (Mt. Corcovado - 2,330 ft). It is said to be the
first location in the US to see the rising sun (at least in the fall and winter). If
sunrise in the summer is a little early for you (around 4:45am in mid June), it's also a
great spot for photographing sunset. At the top of the mountain the Blue Hill Overlook
gives a clear view to the western horizon and the setting sun. It's a very popular spot
and can get quite crowded but lower on the mountain there is an area overlooking Eagle
lake where you can pull off the road which is less popular and also offers a clear shot to
the west.
Wideangle shots aren't always the most impressive way to show the sunset. Try
using a telephoto lens for a close-up of the setting sun for a dramatic image.
Sunset from the Cadillac Mountain Summit
Canon EOS 20D, Canon 300mm f/4L lens. Exposure: 1/640 sec. at f/5.6. ISO 200
From the summit of Cadillac mountain it is said to be possible - on a very clear day -
to see over100 miles to Mt. Khatahdin to the north and Nova Scotia to the East. Such clear
days are rare, however. I have seen Machias Seal Island from the summit of Cadillac, which
is a distance of almost 50 miles. The theoretical distance to the (sea level) horizon from
the summit is 52 miles.
Glacial Erratic boulder on the summit of Cadillac mountain, sunset
Canon EOS 5D, Canon EF 24-105/4L lens set at 24mm. Exposure: 1/125 sec at f/8. ISO 200
If you're into panoramic photography, the summit of Cadillac would be a good place to
attempt a 360 degree panorama.
Duck Brook
After descending the Cadillac summit road, head north towards Bar Harbor,
stay on the park road and take the Duck Brook exit towards town. As you go down the hill,
turn left onto Duck Brook road. Duck Brook is one of the larger streams in the park and
the view from Duck Brook Bridge can be very colorful in the fall, with foliage
usually peaking in early October. Like most streams in the park, it's more
impressive after a period of heavy rain. Using a slow shutter speed (around 1/4 sec) will
blur the water, as can be seen below.
Duck Brook in full flow, early October.
Canon EOS 20DCanon EOS 20D, Canon EF-S 18-55mm lens set at 18mm. Exposure: 1/4 sec. at f/10. ISO 100.
The "Quiet Side"
The western half of MDI is known locally as "the quiet side". There are no
park roads or carriage roads, but there are hiking trails, ponds, mountains and a number
of photographic opportunities there.
Bass Harbor Lighthouse
The Bass Harbor light is on the western side of MDI just off Rt. 102A. The lighthouse
itself is a private residence and is not open to the public, but the surrounding land is
part of the Park. A stairway at the eastern end of the parking lot takes you down to the
rocks below the lighthouse.
Bass Harbor Light.
Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF 24-105/4L lens set at 47mm. Exposure: 1/100 sec. at f/8, ISO 100.
From the rocks you can take the classic shot (above), but to get the best light you
really need to be there in the morning. The shot is to the west, so in the afternoon the
lighthouse is backlit and the side facing you will be in shade. There is access to the
other side of the lighthouse from the other end of the parking lot, but it's not a good
spot for photography. Another good view of the lighthouse is from a boat and there are
nature cruises leaving from Bass Harbor which sail past the lighthouse and give you the
view shown below. Don't forget to try a shot with a polarizer if the sky is clear.
Bass Harbor lighthouse from a Nature Cruise.
Canon EOS 5D, Canon EF 24-105/4L lens set at 105mm. Exposure: 1/200s at f/8.
The nature cruises travel out to some small offshore islands where
harbor seals often haul out (especially at low tide) and where seabirds (Cormorants, Eider
Ducks and Gulls) can be seen nesting. Eagles are also often seen in the treetops on the
offshore islands, but can be difficult to photograph as it's not easy (nor is it legal) to
get close to them.
Harbor Seal.
Canon EOS 40D, Canon 70-300 f/4-5.6 IS lens set at 300mm. Exposure 1/800 sec. at f/5.6. ISO 400.
By the way, if you're looking for shots of lobster boats, Bass Harbor has
the 3rd largest fleet in the state of Maine. It's a real working harbor for commercial
lobstering.
Wonderland
While on the western side of MDI check out the Wonderland Trail. It is
about a mile or so to the east of the Bass Harbor light on Rt 102A and is part of Acadia
NP. It's a short trail, fairly flat, and takes it takes about 20 minutes to walk. From the
end of the trail which comes out onto some rock ledges I've often seen Eagles out on one
of the small offshore islands. They're pretty much out of range even for a 1000mm lens,
but you never know your luck. Take a spotting scope if you have one. There are also tide
pools here at low tide and red squirrels among the pine trees. Keep an eye open for
flocks of Eider Ducks, which seem to like this area.
Wonderland (note offshore island where Eagles can be seen at times).
Canon EOS 5D, Canon EF28-105mm lens set at 28mm. Exposure 1/160 sec. f/16. ISO 400.
Other Photo Spots
To list all the other photo spots in and around Acadia would need another
10 pages, but here are a few you might want to check out:
- The Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor,
especially mid-May to mid June. Ornemental gardens with a Japanese theme
- Indian Point Blagden Preserve (Nature Conservancy). Off
Indian point Road on the western shore of MDI. I've seen Barred Owls here, as well as
Woodpeckers, Osprey and Seals on the offshore ledges.
- In the fall (from late August to early October) there's a hawk
watch on the top of Cadillac mountain. On peak days in mid-September over 250
brids can often be seen.
- The Wild Gardens of Acadia are open all year round and
are located about 2 miles south of Bar Harbor at the Sieur de Mont Spring. There are more
than 300 species of native plants on display. This is also often a good area to see owls
in the evening.
- Beaver Dam Pond on the park loop road has been a good
place to see beavers around the time of sunset. They often inspect the dam at this time of
day.
For a few more pictures from Acadia you can view my Acadia Trip Report on BobAtkins.com
.
© 2008 Adorama Camera, Inc.
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