Schoodic Peninsula – The Uncrowded Part of Acadia National Park

I just returned from a short trip to the Schoodic peninsula in downeast Maine. If you have plans to visit Acadia National Park, don’t miss the Schoodic, which is home to the uncrowded part of Acadia NP. You get much of the same rocky shoreline with fewer people to jostle and no line of cars. The Schoodic National Scenic Byway is not to be missed.

A few years ago I visited the main part of Acadia, including the town of Bar Harbor. Because national parks are rare in the eastern part of the United States, and much smaller, Acadia is definitely worth the visit. Climbing up Cadillac Mountain gives hikers a chance to stretch their legs after sitting in busy summer traffic. A Maine lobster dinner is always a nice reward to make you forget the ache in underused muscles.

Schoodic is largely ignored by the masses even though it’s not a far drive beyond Bar Harbor and has much of the same views. My trip this time was because my brother, a highly accomplished wetlands biologist with a long history of environmental service, recently took on the job of President/CEO of the Schoodic Institute. The non-profit Institute sits on the former Navy base on Schoodic Point. Their mission is to bring science to the public and to support Acadia National Park through public/private partnerships. The extensive campus provides housing of visiting scientists, conferences, classrooms, laboratories, and an auditorium for public lectures, films, and presentations.

Driving around the loop road on the peninsula you’ll encounter many places to pull off and explore the rocky seacoast. In the distance you’ll see the Schoodic lighthouse and Cadillac Mountain rising from the main portion of the Acadia National Park. Seabirds abound, from ospreys to ducks to plovers passing through. We also saw several Bald Eagles soaring above us and a few juveniles stretching their wings closer to the ground. In the forested interior, a sharp eye may see hummingbirds, yellow warblers, cormorants, and many more birds. Climb up to Schoodic Head for a panoramic view on all sides of the peninsula

If you have more time than I did, check out the campgrounds, longer hikes, wildflowers. Kayak around the coves to get up close to the rocky shorelines, birds, and if you’re lucky, spot moose and foxes. After a long day exploring nature, check out the many local artist studios, the bakery Patrick runs out of his home, the gourmet food of the Salt Box, and breakfast on the porch of Gerrish’s restaurant or a few blocks away at Chase’s. And, of course, don’t forget to get lunch at the Pickled Wrinkle, a local landmark. [A wrinkle is Mainer for a conch, which are pickled to preserve them for long days of lobstering] After eating (perhaps a lobster roll?), stop next door at “Me and Ben’s” for some Moose Tracks ice cream. Here’s a list of places not to be missed.

I’m looking forward to a return trip to Schoodic. On the way up I stopped in Rockland, Maine to have lunch with a Lincoln Group colleague who rents a cabin in the area every summer. So the tentative plan is to go up for a longer time, make a writer’s retreat of it, do some kayaking, check out Red’s Eats in Wiscasset, and more.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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