Many people flock to Acadia National Park every year to see the stunning sunrise on Cadillac Mountain (the first on certain days of the year to see in the new day) and the foliage what turns such fantastic colors around Jordan Pond, as well as astro or celestial photography taking benefit of the dark sky. In this guide I’ll be updating after each visit with the best locations to get landscapes, the night-sky and much more from the best National park on the eastern seaboard, including a few off the beaten track.

A few things you will need to take with your camera..an ND filter (up to 9 stop), soft graduated ND filter, circular pol, sturdy tripod (wind at the top of Cadillac Mountain is fierce) decent cloth for cleaning your lenses.

Parking costs around $30 for the week which gives you access to all the parking at trail-heads and popular locations. I started at Jordan Pond which has a large hub for buying your pass and something to take home from your trip at the gift shop.

Travel with me to Maine.

Maybe the most popular trails in the entire park, pretty much all the main hiking trails are accessible from the 4 mile odd trail that surrounds the pond itself, however the views offered from the walk around the pond are spectacular. Shadowed by Cadillac Mountain behind which creates a great background (weather permitting) and the water is super clear making the pond bed visible at any depth. At the far side of the pond there is a small stony access to the pond which you can use to frame a shot. Unfortunate for me, the weather was less than perfect when I went but there are plenty of places online that will show you just what I mean.

The loop is a easy to moderate hike with some large rocks to navigate, so keep your kit in the back pack in those sections, if you’re a little unsteady on your feet. Much of the west-side has plank decking to walk across, which makes for some interesting sections.

Early morning or very late afternoon visits are best, midday will flatten the light and remove some of the chances of getting shadows and light beams through the trees at either end of the loop.

Look out for the “elephant tree” it’s quite the sight.

Entrance to the beach is a little tricky to find but if you park where Ottter Cliff Rd and Park Loop Rd meet on the east side you should see the small drop down to the beach. What makes Boulder Beach so special is that when the water brings the tide in and then out the boulders in the surf slap together the make an amazing “popping” sound, much the same as a small firework.

However from a photography standpoint the whole coast on this side of the park is breath taking. Not unlike the Big Sur in California there are dramatic cliff edges and tides smashing into the orange rock. So take some time to really explore the coast and walk up or start at Thunder Hole (yes its a huge tourist trap) and walk down to Boulder Beach.

Here on Boulder Beach you can create some brilliant low down shots that can really exaggerate the huge rocks the lay on the beach, try and head here in the morning rather than the afternoon as you will be fighting the sun otherwise.

Off the beaten track, the pond looks North East which means on some evenings of the year it can reflect the Milky Way in its waters. Whats also great about this spot is that you will be the only one here. Well other than the Beavers that call it home under the low bridge. So come early if you want to photography them.

From Tremont Rd turn left onto Hodgdon Rd and then turn right onto Long Pond Fire Rd, around 700yrds on your left will be the pond and the view you need to see.

There is a very low level of light pollution here, also and the moon will be hidden from your camera sensor by the trees near by which are pretty tall. Check out the “Golden Hour” app to check when the astronomical twilight ends and night time starts for the best time to visit. You will need some headlamps or a torch as well as a fishing chair as you maybe out here a while.

Once you have finished here it’s worth the 45min drive to Cadillac Mountain to see if you can get the entire sky shot if you are unable to see the Milky Way.

• Before going load all the places you want to go into a map and ensure you have not only a printed copy but an offline version on your phone. Mobile signal is very bad in Acadia so cache your maps and download all your POIs
• Pay for parking, at $30 a week.
• Take plenty of clothing and trail food with you, might just keep you going on those marathon shoots.
• Tell people where you are going, some of the terrain might not be very forgiving.
• Make sure you have insurance for your gear, chances of it getting wet are high.
• Take hiking boots, trainers or sneakers will slip on some of the rocks which are wet.
• Check your tripod has decent traction, if not then grab a new one.
• The park is super super busy during the fall, expect lots of people at Thunder Hole and up Cadillac Mountain for sunrise.