Acadia NP - The North and South Bubble Summits and Bubble Rock

 

Trailhead marker for the South Bubbles & Bubbles Rock Hikes.  We departed 7:30 a.m. to be sure to get a parking spot at the lot for our hikes. It's a holiday weekend and evidence from our Cadillac Mountain sunrise trip, the park is full. 

. The Bubbles are two mountains at the north end of Jorden Pond.  As you can see, various rocks need to be scrambled to hike the trail.  We decided to hike the North Bubble first. 

This is one of the few flat sections of the trail. 

Average trails in Acadia NP exceed 17% grade, so you are going up quickly. 

Large rocks need to be climbed as well. It is rocky, but if you are in good shape, it's not a problem. 

As you near the top, boulders form your pathway.  Some are wet and slippery, so you have to be careful. 

Blue paint, as seen in this photo are painted on rocks to mark your way. Think of these as breadcrumbs, so when in doubt as to which way to go, look for blue paint. 

A nice view of Jorden's Pond at the North Bubble.  The hike was .7 miles to the top, but the trail was fairly steep.  

Elevation 873 feet at the summit. You can move around and see other views great views of the pond. 

Me at the top.  While called a pond, this is a lake in my book.  Jorden Pond is 150 feet deep. That's a pretty deep pond!

We hiked back to the trail marker to travel to the South Bubble.  The trail was very similar to hike for the North Bubble but a little shorter in length.

The South Bubble Trail is 0.4 in length.  The area around Bubble Rock is a great place to take photos and explore, but you have to be careful as the cliffs are quite steep.

Once at the top you have views of two mountains, one pond and one Lake.

Eagles Lake at the South Bubbles 

Kathy uses a program called "Map My Walk" to track our trails and times. This hike was a great warm up for other planned hikes in Acadia National Park. 

Cadillac Mountain Sunrise at Acadia National Park

The Cadillac Mountain sunrise is one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring natural phenomena that you will ever witness. With an incredible view of both land and sea, it may be the greatest sunrise you’ll ever see.  Vehicle reservations are required to drive the Cadillac Summit Road. Our vehicle pass was valid for 5:00 a.m. to enter Cadillac Road. It is a windy, paved 3.5 miles up to the summit.  We had to drive from the RV campground 30 minutes early to arrive at 5:00 a.m. 

It’s important to dress appropriately for sunrise at Cadillac Mountain. Remember to dress in layers so you can stay warm, but also be comfortable.  We did not do our due diligence and were not dressed appropriately for this event. 

At 1,530 feet tall, Cadillac Mountain is the tallest mountain on the eastern seaboard and the tallest mountain in Acadia National Park. Due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis, Cadillac Mountain only receives the first light in the United States between October 7 and March 6

 

  

Your vehicle pass does not mean you have a specific parking spot.  We made sure we arrived early for a 5:55 sunrise. Kathy was much better prepared than I was.  I went back to the truck to get warm and waited till 20-minute before sunrise. 

The moon was still visible, even after sunrise. Cadillac Mountain reservations limit the stress on park rangers and visitors alike. With a reservation system, Cadillac Mountain sunrise is a much more enjoyable experience.

The parking lot was full.  There are 150 park passes and 150 parking spots.  We were extremely lucky that there was no fog, nor rain so it was an unbelievable experience.  So much, we have another pass for another day. 

The following photos were taken on a trike ride later that day.  The harbor is a great place for cruise ships to catch a glimpse of the spectacular sunrise. 

A photo of the harbor. 

Not sure if this is a lighthouse but it's the only building on the island. 

Of course! Any viewpoint facing east is a great place to watch the sunrise and great views of Bar Harbor and its surrounding. This looks like a million-dollar house. We thoroughly enjoyed the sunrise and the trike ride later that day.