Wonder Land - Acadia National Park

Our October 2013 trip to Acadia National Park concluded with a late afternoon stroll out to a rocky point variously called Wonder Land or Wonderland.  The trail seems to have once been a driveway or single-lane road.  The gravel surface makes for easy walking on the 1.4 mile round trip.  The trail starts at a small pullout on Maine Route 102A about one mile south of the Seawall campground and proceeds through the forest to the rocky shore.  Near the shore, the trail makes a large loop to return via the same path.  This trail is rated very easy by the park service.

A short section of trail with roots and rocks leads to...

...the main trail of hard packed gravel

Weather conditions at Acadia can cause some trees to grow sideways

Stunted evergreens growing on almost bare rock

Great Gott Island

Great Cranberry Island on the horizon

The beach consists of rocks of various shapes and origins

Some of the blocks of rock still have sharp edges...

...while the waves have smoothed the rough edges of  others

A beautiful October sea and sky

Water continues to sculpt the shoreline

Late afternoon light on the rocky shoreline

Bennet Cove

Waterfowl on Bennet Cove

Another view of Bennet Cove

The trail loops back through the forest

One section of the trail is solid bedrock

Makeshift fencing keeps visitors from damaging recently restored areas

Life seems to thrive even in very poor soils

Deer grazing along the side of Route 102A

Although there is not a fee station at Wonder Land, an entrance fee of $20 per vehicle is collected at Acadia National Park.  The vehicle pass is valid for seven consecutive days.  Another option is to purchase the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass valid for one year for $80.  A lifetime Senior Pass is available for $10 for those 62 years of age or older.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm.

Jordan Pond Shore Trail - Acadia National Park

Our October 2013 exploration of Acadia National Park continued with a 3.2 mile loop hike around Jordan Pond.  Parking is available near the boat ramp north of the Jordan House.  I chose to hike in a counter-clockwise direction.  The trail surface varies from natural ground to crushed stone to a split timber boardwalk.  This trail is rated moderate by the park service.

Paved parking area

Walk down the boat launch driveway to the trail

Jordan Pond from the boat ramp

The Bubbles

Stone pavers cover a very short section of the trail near the Jordan Pond House

The loop utilizes this carriage trail bridge to cross Jordan Stream

Once across the stream the trail returns to dirt and gravel

Beautiful views await the visitor at every turn of the trail

This section of the trail is wide and flat

The beginning of the "boardwalk"

The boardwalk is not exactly the straightest path through the forest

Some places narrow to a single plank

Another view of Jordan Pond

An elevated section of the boardwalk

Hugging the shore on the boardwalk

Another view of The Bubbles

The northern end of Jordan Pond

A hiker can make great time on the boardwalk compared to watching every step on the ground

The winds have increased and roughened the smooth surface of the pond

The northern end of the boardwalk

Twisted like a pretzel

The trail leads to a boulder field

There is a trail through the boulders

The water is very clear

Trail along the water

The only truss bridge along the trail is the last bridge in the clockwise direction

This elevated bridge is the first one

Looking south at Jordan Pond

The middle bridge at the north end of the pond

Jordan Pond and Mount Penobscot

The last of the fall colors

The trail crosses a drainage via a rock ditch

Mount Penobscot

Looking back north along the packed gravel trail

Fall colors and a smooth trail

Looking south at an open view of the pond

One of the last trees to burst into color

Looking across the pond toward the boat ramp

A causeway crosses part of the pond

The rock work is much straighter than the boardwalk

Wetlands behind the causeway

A final view of the Bubbles

An entrance fee of $20 per vehicle is collected at Acadia National Park.  The vehicle pass is valid for seven consecutive days.  Another option is to purchase the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass valid for one year for $80.  A lifetime Senior Pass is available for $10 for those 62 years of age or older.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm.