Guest Author - Kimberly Misra
Acadia National Park, on the coast of Maine, seems to be made for kids. The area is a child’s paradise of deep green forests, rocky beaches, and sea star studded tide pools. Here are five of my family’s favorite Acadia activities…
1. Become a Junior Ranger
My daughter enjoyed participating in this wonderful program offered by the Park Service. You buy an inexpensive workbook (at a visitor’s center) geared to the age of your child, complete a few of the activities, and attend a ranger program. To get her badge, my daughter attended a program about pond life, hiked in the park, took a boat tour, and completed activities such as drawing pictures of her favorite parts of the park.
2. Try a horse-drawn carriage ride
Wildwood Stables in Acadia offers several options. We chose the shortest trip, a 1 hour loop around Day Mountain. Other rides go as long as 3 hours, depending on what your kids are up for. It was a fantastic, old time experience, with the steady clopping of horse hooves and the rhythmic swaying of the carriage lulling small children off to sleep.
3. Look for sea stars on the way to Bar Island
Bar Island is connected to the mainland by a stretch of sand only visible at low tide. There’s about a 3 hour window to get across and back before the water comes back in, leaving you trapped on the island. This adds a sense of mystery and danger any kid would love. It’s a great place to find sea glass and little critters left behind by the tide. When we were there, the water was full of big pink sea stars you could just wade in to hold.
4. Take a boat tour:
The Diver Ed boat tour is universally recommended for kids, and with good reason. Diver Ed goes underwater (with a video camera and bag) to collect lobsters, crabs, starfish, and whatever else he can find. The kids can watch and listen on the video projector as he captures the feisty creatures, along with a lot of drama and jokes. When Diver Ed resurfaces, he bring the critters along for a show and tell (and touch if you dare!) session. They often have their pet Newfoundland on board which adds to the fun.
5. Shiver away an afternoon at Sand Beach
The water here is bone-shaking cold. According to the National Park Service it doesn’t get much warmer than 55 degrees (13 degrees Celsius), but many kids still enjoy splashing around in it. The beach can get quite foggy which adds to the sense of seclusion. When there is no fog, the views are stunning.
