We return to MDI...by sea!

We love our national parks so we were all pretty excited about making it up to Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park! As we crossed Bass Harbor Bar under beautiful blue skies we had a fantastic view of the iconic Bass Harbor Head Light. Then we pointed north past Southwest Harbor and into majestic Somes Sound, the only natural fjord in North America. We would end up spending much of our time around MDI in this sound.

Bass Harbor Head Light

This year is different. Typically on a visit to Acadia one could take the Island Express bus all over the island to access park facilities, trailheads, and provisions. But with the COVID pandemic the bus isn’t running, which limits the trails that are readily accessible by boat. At the head of the sound we anchored in Sargent Cove and took a mooring at Abel’s Boatyard one night. This spot allowed us to easily access the Giant Slide Trail and the adjoining network trails. Abel’s also has delicious food three nights a week (we hit it twice, it was so good!) and gave us a chance to empty trash and get water. 

Great hiking from the Giant Slide Trail including Sargent Mountain, the second tallest peak on MDI!

We also spent a few nights in Valley Cove. This cove can be tricky for anchoring as the winds and currents both swirl a bit and the anchorage is very deep, but it’s so majestic! You are surrounded by tall cliffs and have easy beach access to a trail network. We also met a few other cruising families in the cove and got to help a couple with a runaway dinghy one breezy afternoon. 

Valley Cove anchorage and hikes.

We took a day to cruise the Acadia shoreline up to Bar Harbor (so many cars and people!) and made a provision run. That was it for us—just too many people for us at this point. But the real treat? A visit to Islesford on Little Cranberry Island. This place is a true gem! The town has a few free guest moorings, but there is also room to anchor. Bonus—you can access the free WiFi from the moorings! This is a working lobster port with a vibrant art scene and an amazing seaside restaurant. The town is very walkable with a 15mph speed limit and plenty of residents rolling around in golf carts. We really enjoyed our visit and look forward to returning when the museum is open.

Islesford, Little Cranberry Island

Even with the buses shut down, this was a great trip to MDI and the surrounding area. I like how we managed to stay away from the really crowded parts of the park, yet still experienced its beauty.