Acadia NP & Downeast Coast, Maine

Hi,

My wife and I are visiting Acadia NP and the Downeast Coast, centered around Jonesport, Maine, in late May/early June. We're fairly immersed in guide books and the internet about typical highlights and opportunities for photography, but we've never been there. We would be grateful for any insights and recommendations that folks from the Northeast region might want to share.

Thanks in advance.

Brain: I see no one has stepped up to help, so I'll impart my very limited knowledge of the Maine coast. Acadia is wonderful and you can spend days discovering the mountain and the ponds as well as the coastline near Bar Harbor. If you ride down Rt. 1 from Canada to the New Hampshire border, there are many coastal lighthouses as well as the coastal rocks and waters. There are blueberry fields throughout Maine with a lovely red color. If you have a couple of extra days and a passport, you could take the ferry to Nova Scotia out of Bar Harbor, rent a car and spend a day or two there. Actually I know more about NS than Maine, but hope this helps.

Thank you, Patricia. I appreciate your thoughtful and generous reply. I'll follow-up on your suggestions. We're looking forward to the trip and the photographic possibilities.

Thanks, again.

get the book,"The photographers guide to the Maine coast"by David Middleton.It has really helped me on my trips to Maine

Sorry I'm late with this but I'm also planning a trip to that area this June, one of the things I plan on doing is seeing the puffins on Machais Seal Island and taking a boat out to the Islands one day. Photo Traveler has a guide to Maine that talks about drives up the coast, they've got a lot of good guides for many places: http://phototravel.com/

Thanks for the additional feedback -- the book reference is terrific, as is the internet travel site. And the puffins are definitely on our list.

Thanks, again, for everyone's assistance.

I had a bad experience on the puffin cruise.the sea was rough and people were getting sick.even the Captain's dog got sick.when we got to the island the Captain stated it was too rough to go onshore.So,the only photos I got were off a rolling boat.Heres a hint,if you go, ride inside the cabin until you get to the island,or you will be cold and wet.I did get to see puffins though so I guess the trip was worthwhile.good luck

Hi Brian,
I have visited Acadia numerous times. You can pretty much point your camera in any direction and find a worthy subject. I would recommend spending most of your time on Mount Desert Island. There is a huge variety of subjects and it is all within a half hour drive.

Downeast Maine is not tops on my list. Its awfully spread out and much of it is not scenic. Highlights include the Bold Coast Trail, Calais, and Campobello Island (New Brunswick).

I have done the puffin tour. It was great! Make sure that your boat comapny includes a stop on the island. Some boats only circle the island. I used Norton of Jonesport. They stopped on the island and we were able to use the blinds to get really close. The birds will be as close as a foot away!

I would also recommend visiting the quiet side of the Mount Desert Island. Its small villages including Bass Harbor and Bernard offer all of the coastal scenes that people associate with Downeast. MDI is truly a special place.

A few of my favorite photo opportunities include:
Sunrise on the Shore Path
Sunrise at Otter Cliffs and the Ocean Path
Sunrise and Sunset at Cadillac Mountain
Sunset at Bass Harbor Light
Any of the Carriage Roads

I have many photos of Acadia and the Puffins on my personal website at http://www.greglessardphotography.com/-/greglessardphotography/
Please take a look.

Good Luck,
Sincerely,
Greg Lessard

Thanks, again, everyone for the additional ideas and suggestions. We'll use all of input on planning the trip.

Great pictures, too, Greg, on your website -- congratulations.

My wife and I have visited the area many times. We especially enjoyed the ship building museum at Bath and of course Acadia NP and the many lighthouses along the coast from Portland to Bar Harbor. Boothbay Harbor was a worthwhile stop on the way. Along this entire route there and many photo opportunities, old barns, Grange Halls, etc. We love to photo the lobster trap buoys as they are so colorful. Hope you have a great trip, we hope to go back in late Sept or early October.

Thanks, Darrell. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Apparently, this was also your first post -- so, I am honored.

Welcome to NP.