Across Frenchman Bay to Schoodic Woods

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Having spent a month just outside of Acadia National Park, we have come to appreciate the difference in the feel between the two sides of Mount Desert Island. On the east is the popular/crowded side which includes Bar Harbor and Cadillac Mountain. Even after Labor Day, it seemed busy here. I would hate to see what it is like in mid-summer. On the western side of Somes Sound is the “quiet” side of the island. If visitors are only here for a few days, they likely will try to get all the popular stops in and never make it to Bass Harbor or Seal Cove. But for those looking for a VERY quiet spot in Acadia, it’s just 6 or 7 miles across Frenchman Bay from Bar Harbor. The southern tip of the Schoodic Peninsula makes up another large portion of Acadia National Park. There is a campground within the national park which is only a few years old and was designed to accept larger rigs. It’s a short 30 mile drive to get to Schoodic Woods Campgrounds. 

The sites here are remarkably big in the B loop. Our pull through site could have easily fit two rigs our size plus the tow vehicles. They have 50 amp electric and water on site but no sewer. The bathroom facilities are very nice, but do not have showers! The wi-fi at each restroom building was very fast. One downside was the dump station. It only has one spot and the approach leaves something to be desired. But we wouldn’t need to experience that for 11 nights. 

On our first full day, the weather was nice but rather windy. We decided to keep it simple and just drive around the park to see what is there. There is one of the Island Explorer buses that follows a route around the park and into the nearby town of Winter Harbor, but it’s on an hourly schedule, so getting on and off at various locations could prove challenging. The first stop on the drive around the park is at Frazer Point Picnic area. There is a boat dock and a very tiny boat from the island just offshore was attempting to stop to pick up a group of people. It took multiple attempts before it was able to negotiate the wind and waves and dock long enough to have the people board. 

High Surf

Small Boat

After the picnic area, the two lane park road is one way making it easy to decide which direction to go. Of course if you miss a place along the way, it’s about 12 miles to come around again. We stopped at many of the pullouts to make sure we didn’t miss any sights. Near the southern tip of the peninsula is the Schoodic Institute. This facility used to be home to a Navy Security station from the mid-1930’s until 2002. It is now a science and education center for the park. The main welcome center is open to the public and has many displays about what the Navy base was doing there. The building is large and quite beautiful. 

More Waves

Rockefeller Hall/Welcome Center

Back of Rockefeller Hall

A short drive from here is Schoodic Point. This is definitely the place to come to watch waves with the open Atlantic Ocean to the south. It also gives a nice view back to the west to Mount Desert Island and the prominent Cadillac Mountain. With the high surf warnings, a large group of people were here to check out the waves. It wasn’t easy to time the big waves, but there were so many of them that you were bound to get a photo or two. Each time one hit, the crowd seemed to break into a spontaneous shout, similar to what you hear at a fireworks display.

Large Splash

Medium Splash

Back up to the one way park road, the next stop is Blueberry Hill. The small parking lot was nearly full but we were able to spend some time checking out the views here. Just to the south is Little Moose Island. At low tide, it is possible to walk out to the island but our timing was not right to attempt this. As the road continues north along Schoodic Harbor, there are numerous pullouts see the views. As we come out of the park, the road goes back to two way traffic and eventually heads to Birch Harbor. A few miles heading west on Route 186 brings us back to the park entrance road. It was a laid back kind of day, but that’s what the quiet side of Acadia is all about. 

Nice View at Blueberry Hill

Squirrel Stops for Picture

The next day we decide to venture out further east of the park. Great Wass Island is about a fifty mile drive from the campground. The island is big and over 90% of it is part of a Nature Conservancy Preserve. From the parking area, there are two trails leading out to Little Cape Point on the eastern side of the island. The Mud Hole Trail works its way over to the water and eventually ends up on the rocky coast as it weaves its way to the point. The Little Cape Point Trail cuts across the island inland until it reaches the water and then it too follows the rocky shore to the point. This is one loop hike where I don’t think there is a clear cut preference as to which direction to go. We did the trails in a clockwise manner and enjoyed the views all along the way. 

View at Great Wass Island

Chris Takes a Break

Low Tide

Heading Towards the Point

Lots of Rocks to Explore

Small Tide Pool

Moose Peak Lighthouse In Distance

Like most of the trails in these Maine Preserves, the trail was in great shape. They have log crossings over potentially wet areas and once on the open rock shoreline, they use cairns and blue paint to mark the way. Occasionally we would spot a seal peeking out of the water at us. A mile and a half across the channel is the Moose Peak Lighthouse on Mistake Island. There were a few other groups of people out for a hike but it felt very secluded. As we came around the point, we would explore various rock outcroppings to view. We ran into one couple and asked if we were still on the right path since we weren’t seeing blue lines very frequently. They told us to continue along the shore another half mile or so and look for a big pile of trash marking the trail into the woods. We followed their advice and had no trouble spotting the entry point. The walk back through the woods was pleasant too with many trees and bushes having turned vibrant fall colors. The drive back had a few geocaching diversions along the way. One at a church in Jonesport with a nice view of the bridge to Beals Island.

Nearly at Point

Small Pool at Low Tide

Colors Along Little Cape Point Trail

Bridge to Beals Island

Wild Blueberry Land - Get the Blueberry Scones!

That evening, we drove back down to Schoodic Point for sunset. There were a couple dozen other people with the same idea but there’s enough space to enjoy the view of the sun setting over Mount Desert Island just to the south of Cadillac Mountain at this time of the year. We also happened to be there as the moon was rising. It was one day ahead of full moon but was still pretty to see as the moonlight glistened over the calmer waters of Schoodic Bay.

Sunset at Schoodic Point

Moonrise Over Schoodic Bay

The next day took us on a drive along the Blackwoods Scenic Byway. This is a section of Route 182 between the towns of Franklin and Cherryfield. It is a pretty drive and we use some geocaches as a guide of where to stop along the way. One of the prettiest stops was along a side road in Franklin. The area is covered in wild blueberry bushes and they had all changed to their fall colors. 

Tiny House at Cemetery

Beautiful Pond - No Moose!

Vibrant Wild Blueberry Bushes

About midway in the scenic drive, we stop at the trailhead parking for Tunk Mountain. We realized it might be a tougher hike than we were up for after yesterday’s island hike, but there was a less strenuous trail that cuts east from Salmon Pond and heads to Tilden Pond. It was a pretty hike in the woods although at one point our marked trail had a “trail maintenance ends” sign. We pushed on and found for the most part it was fine. After Tilden Pond, we tried to continue east but did find the trail was heading towards a wetland or bog area so we turned back. It ended up being just less than a 5 mile walk in the woods, but a pretty one.

Strange Mushrooms

Partial Fall Colors

Tilden Pond

On the way back, we drove through some of Winter Harbor. Based on the size of some of the homes here, I suspect this is a high class neighborhood. We stopped at a small viewing area at the tip of Grindstone Avenue and found what might be another good spot for a sunset picture. 

View at Grindstone Avenue Stop

Water Sculpted Rock Formation

We have been having enjoying the preserves in Maine. There are two not far from us near the town of Sullivan. Both Baker Hill and Long Ledges are part of the Frenchman Bay Conservancy. There are a large number of hiking trails and we figure we could get in a nice hike before the expected rain comes in later in the day. We park at the Baker Hill trailhead on Punkinville Road. We grab one of the printed maps at the kiosk and head up the trail. The trails are in great shape and are well marked at the intersections. We pick routes that eventually get us to the southern end of Long Pond. We come across a young guy heading the other way. He was off to do some trail maintenance. We had a chat with him about different trails in the area then he headed off. Now we know why the trails are so nice here. Not only was he carrying loppers and a hand saw, but he had a rake in hand! We make it back to the car well before the rain come.

View Along Bake Hill Hike

Long Pond

Mossy Colors

Rock Outcropping Along Path

Baker Hill / Long Ledges Tracks

Chris had read about a granite art gallery on a craftsman’s property that is open to the public. There are a few trails and a pond or two with all sorts of sculpted granite pieces of art for sale. The place was very interesting and we wandered about for quite some time admiring the variety of pieces. Each one had a small stone next to it with the price. If we owned a sticks and brick home, maybe we could have justified buying something, but a 40 pound chunk of granite might be the wrong thing for the motorhome. There are a dozen chickens running around the area and at one point they came over to check us out. They liked to peck at my shoelaces and pants but quickly got bored and moved on. 

Sailboat on Pond?

Heart of Stone

CBS Logo?

Leaf Design

Angel

School Bus Meets VW Bus

Fan Design

Just a Few Chicks

Looking to Peck Me

Spiral

Thirsty Chicken

The expected rain came in and led to a very rainy day the next day. The good news was, the sealant I had put on the roof to deal with a slight leak we experienced back in Trenton seems to be doing the trick. The campground registration building is a beautiful timber frame building. I took advantage of the rain and the wi-fi in the building to upload a blog. While sitting there, a couple people came in looking for a campsite but the park was full. I was really tempted to sublet half of our site to the dejected campers but figured the ranger would frown upon that. 

Schoodic Woods Registration Building on Sunny Day

Somewhere along the way in our travels, someone had suggested we check out the small village of Corea just to the east of the park. We drove around the quaint fishing village but with light sprinkles we didn’t get to really explore. We did find the Prospect Harbor lighthouse during our drive that morning. On our way out from town, we passed another Frenchman Bay Conservancy preserve: Corea Heath. Since the sprinkles had stopped, we did too. The southern trail is a short trail out to an overlook of a bog. It was pretty but not real special. The second part of the Preserve is just down the road and we nearly missed the parking area. The trail heads out for about a quarter mile before splitting into a loop. A sign commented about possible flooding due to beaver activity but we head to the right and push on. It was a pretty trail but about halfway along the loop, we ran into the flooded area. The logs that normally span this wet area were now closer to floating. We tried to walk across them but quickly realized that was a losing proposition. We turned back and went the other way around the loop. We were able to get a good look at the beaver pond causing the problem. It turned out to be a pleasant, low key walk in the woods. On the way back, we stopped at an organic farm to check out the animals and pick up a few veggies. 

Prospect Harbor Lighthouse

Fungus on Birch

Flooded Walkway at Corea Heath

Fall Colors

Beaver Pond

Maple Leaves

Horse at Organic Farm

The next day we took advantage of the shuttle bus system. We wanted to do a hike that goes between the campground and the southern end of the peninsula near Blueberry Hill. In theory, this could be done in either direction, but in our mind, it makes most sense to go from south to north for two reasons. First, heading north takes you up the steepest portion of the hike first. The legs are fresh at the beginning of the hike and going uphill steep, is easier (safer) than downhill steep. The other factor is if you start hiking from the campground, your arrival at the end of the hike and the arrival of the hourly bus might be mistimed. We head to the bus stop to catch the 9:05 shuttle and ask the driver if he could stop at the trailhead for the Anvil Trail. Fifteen minutes later, we are starting our hike.

Overlooking Cadillac Mountain

Pretty View

The initial portion of the trail did have some sections with challenging granite obstacles but we got through them without issue. As we climb past the Anvil, the distance views start to show themselves. Schoodic Head is the highpoint of the peninsula. At only 442 feet, it’s not very high but does offer a commanding view of the bay, ocean and back over to Mount Desert Island. There were a dozen or more people up top which was surprising since we hadn’t really run into others on the trail. There are other trail options from either the east or west but are pretty steep. We chat with a woman from Maine but it became clear that we probably had better trail suggestions for her rather than the other way around. I guess that’s what happens when we stay put in an area for 6 weeks. 

Schoodic Head Marker

Great View

The trail back to the campgrounds is generally downhill and was nice. The footpath crosses the carriage roads several times. At each intersection, there is a sign pointing to the campground by taking the carriage road. While it is possible to take the carriage road back, and it may even be an easier and shorter path, we stick with the foot trails the whole way. A tenth of a mile before getting to the group camping area where the trail ends, I spot something on the trail. After picking it up and investigating it, I realize it is the plastic eyepiece for a Nikon camera. I know this because I had lost mine during a hike in the woods a couple years ago and needed to order a replacement. I figured I now have a spare just in case. Chris wanted to stop at the restroom at the trailhead and while I waited I noticed another couple out for a hike. I asked which way they had taken and some of their hike intersected ours. I also noticed they had a Nikon camera, so I asked if they were missing a part. Nope, they didn’t think so. Then I pointed out that they were missing an eyepiece and I must have found it shortly after they dropped it. They were a bit incredulous at first because the odds of this happening were so minuscule but they thanked me and we headed back to our campsite. 

Carnivorous Pitcher Plant

Red Moss

This was a fun hike and a great way to tackle the complete five mile hike. Of course, by getting such an early start, we actually made it back to the motorhome by lunch and hadn’t really needed to carry lunch with us for the whole hike. I guess better safe than sorry. This did give us the afternoon on a nice day to explore the area some more. A short drive to the west brought us to the town of Hancock. The Old Pond Railway Trail starts near the town center and heads west. This rail trail was odd in that although the rails had been removed, many of the old railroad ties were still in place. It was an acceptable walk but would be a challenging bike ride. We only went out about a mile to get a geocache which was far enough to run into the old bridge over one of the small waterways. 

View Along Hancock Old Pond Railway Trail

Oak Leaves Changing Colors

Admittedly, this side of Acadia is quiet, but there aren’t as many hiking opportunities as MDI has. That’s okay, we just find other places nearby to explore. A forty minute drive east is Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a small peninsula sticking out into the ocean. There are three main trails in the area although we likely won’t get to all of them. We time our arrival to get the shorter (~2 mile) loop trail in before lunch. The Hollingsworth Trail is a loop trail that heads to the east and hits the water at Chair Pond with a small barrier beach separating it from Pigeon Hill Bay. It’s a nice trail over the rocky granite with lots of fall colors. There is a two person Adirondack chair that was inviting and equally difficult to get out of to continue the loop. In the distance, we see the Petit Manan Lighthouse on a small island in the bay. There are numerous interpretive signs along the way and we even see a local fisherman checking his lobster traps just offshore. 

Following the Rocky Trail

Chair Pond

Shore Near Chair Pond Point

Smooth Rocks

More Fall Colors

Snake on Trail

After lunch, we head north to the parking for the Birch Point Trail. This is a 4.5 mile hike generally to the north. The trail is nice and wide following old logging roads and well maintained. The leaves are just about at peak and the sun made for a nearly magical walk. About a mile into the walk is a short side trail that brings you to an overlook of Carrying Place Cove. It is a short diversion with more of those Adirondack chairs to tempt you to sit and relax.

Starting Out on Birch Point Trail

Carrying Place Cove

Mushroom

Boats on Mooring Balls

In another 2/3 mile will be split in the trail. If you are tired and only have energy for one, I will suggest you toughen up and do both! They are both well worth the additional quarter mile or so. We went to the left and it brought us to a small loop. More chairs begging to be used. With views of a small island and boats docked in the harbor. All along the trail were elaborate interpretive signs with three pivot out tabs providing all sorts of information about the nature around us.

Sit Down and Relax

Colorful Fungus on Stump

Mushrooms

Fancy Interpretive Signs

Next we take the other split to Lobster Point. With two tandem chairs, I suspect this is a popular spot. It is a very scenic location. In checking our handheld Garmins, we had 30 minutes of “stopped” time on our hike. I’m pretty sure all of that was spent in the chairs along the way. As we got back to the parking lot, a couple was getting out with their dog to go for a walk. We were all excited to tell them about how great this hike is so they would know what to look for. Turns out they live just down the road from here so are well aware of that fact. They suggest the third trail, Pigeon Hill, but we are beat and don’t have the energy left for another beautiful hike.

Lobster Point

We Take a Break

Rocky Shore at Lobster Point

More Fall Colors

Our last full day at Schoodic Woods turned out to be a rainy one. In the morning, I put away a plastic container in the kitchen drawer and discovered what appeared to be a mouse dropping! That’s never a good sign whether it’s in a motorhome or elsewhere. We check other spots and discover similar findings. We had a mouse about two years ago when we were in Beaumont Texas. I still had a trap with peanut butter set underneath the drawers in the cabinet. I check it periodically but not frequently. Well this trap is sprung and no peanut butter in sight. I head into Winter Harbor to the quaint little five and dime store. I pick up additional traps and head back to fortify the rig. I reset the one in the kitchen and put two in locations in the underside bay storage. I didn’t have to wait long. About 90 minutes later, I went out to find one mouse caught. Got rid of him and reset the trap. Before going to bed, I go out again to find one in the other bay. This one was only trapped by the leg so I had to shoe Chris away since I knew she wasn’t going to be helpful for the next step! 

This stop was our last one we had reserved for our stay in Maine. It has brought us to early October and our next reservation isn’t until November 1st near Savannah Georgia. The plan was to start heading back west and south along the coast of Maine. But other than a little bit of rain now and then, the weather has been reasonably warm. We call an audible and will head north and east as far as the United States go - Lubec Maine, the easternmost town in the USA.