9 Best Sights in Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island

Massed granite ledges meet crashing waves at Schoodic Peninsula's tip, off the loop road at the end of Arey Cove Road. Dark basalt rock slices through pink granite, to dramatic effect. Look east for a close view of Little Moose Island; a bit farther away to the west is a sidelong view of Mount Desert Island; and to the south, an inspiring open ocean view. There are bathrooms and a good-size parking area. 

Popular with birders, the Alder trail heads inland, passing fruit trees and alder bushes on an easy 1.2-mile out-and-back hike, but many hit the grassy path as part of a near-loop with the challenging 1.1-mile Anvil Trail, since trailheads for both are near the Blueberry Hill parking area on the loop road (you must cross the road to get to them). Steep and heavily rooted in sections as it climbs Schoodic Head, Anvil requires lots of rock climbing but rewards with wonderful water and island views from the rock knob overlook (side trail) for which it's named. After connecting with Schoodic Head Trail from Alder or Anvil, it's not far to the top of Schoodic Head, where expansive views of the surrounding seascape and landscape await.

About a half mile beyond the Schoodic Point spur on the scenic one-way loop drive, this spot looks out on nearby Little Moose and Schoodic islands and the ocean beyond. It’s also where to park if you’re planning to hike a loop consisting of the Alder and Anvil trails across the road from the parking lot.

Just before the start of the one-way section of the loop road, this serene spot has views across to Winter Harbor and out to nearby islands. Open year-round, it has 26 sites and a handicapped-accessible pier where you can fish, launch your canoe or kayak, or simply soak up the view. For the warm months, a float dock is attached to the pier.

This impressive 1934 structure resembles a mansion but was built as housing for personnel at the U.S. Navy base that operated on Schoodic Peninsula for decades. Now part of Schoodic Institute, an Acadia-affiliated research and education nonprofit, the first floor houses a seasonal park welcome center. You can get information, watch a video about Schoodic, and check out kid-friendly exhibits about this neck of Acadia and the navy base. There's a small gift shop area. An automated fee machine inside the gatehouse at the complex's entrance sells Acadia weekly park passes.

You can drive up or walk up to the 440-foot summit —the highest point in these Acadia lands—along a narrow 1-mile gravel road. It's unmarked, so watch for it 2½ miles from the start of the one-way portion of Schoodic Loop Road. Prefer an actual hiking trail? You've got options: plot your course for an easier or longer way up, or down. Starting at Schoodic Woods Campground, Buck Cove Mountain Trail—Schoodic's longest at 3.2 miles—summits its namesake before climbing Schoodic Head’s north face. On the southeastern side, the challenging 1.1-mile Anvil trail links with 0.6-mile Schoodic Head Trail to the summit, as does the easy 0.6-mile Alder Trail. Trailheads for both are along the loop drive near the Blueberry Hill parking area; hikers often combine them. A bit farther is a terminus for the ½-mile East Trail; this challenging, steep climb up Schoodic Head’s east face connects, near the summit, with Schoodic Head Trail. Regardless of your route, on a clear day atop Schoodic Head, spectacular views flow across the forested peninsula and island-dotted Frenchman Bay to Cadillac Mountain.

Formerly apartments and offices for the U.S. Navy base that operated here for decades, this massive 1934 French Eclectic-style structure is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Today, the building is known as Rockefeller Hall, and its home to the Schoodic Institute, which is home base for many ranger-led programs and family-friendly activities at the park’s Schoodic District, including public programs of its own (some have fees and require overnight stays; check the institute's website for more information); it’s the largest facility of its kind at a national park. The Rockefeller Welcome Center is on the first floor.

Less than a mile from the entrance to Schoodic Woods Campground and Ranger Station, and just beyond Frazer Point Picnic Area, the only road into the park becomes one-way and continues for about 6 miles to the park exit (no RVs are allowed on the road after the campground entrance). Edging the coast and sprinkled with pullouts, the first few miles yield views of Grindstone Neck, Winter Harbor, Winter Harbor Lighthouse, and, across the water, Cadillac Mountain. After a few miles, a two-way spur, Arey Cove Road, passes Schoodic Institute en route to Schoodic Point. Here, huge slabs of pink granite lie jumbled along the shore, thrashed unmercifully by the crashing surf, and jack pines cling to life amid the rocks. Continuing on the loop road, stop at Blueberry Hill parking area to look out on near-shore islands. The Anvil and Alder trailheads are near here. From the park exit, continue two miles to Route 186 in Birch Harbor. There's a biking path trailhead with parking at the exit and another one about midway to Route 186, both on your left.

Built with materials from the surrounding region and opened in 2015 along with the campground here, this striking post-and-beam structure serves double duty as campground host and information center—Acadia passes and Federal Lands passes are sold. Inside, a large Schoodic District relief map centers the room, which has a gift shop area and exhibits, some hands-on, about the park. Comfy chairs flank a fireplace, inviting visitors to relax, pamphlet in hand, after chatting with a ranger or park volunteer. Outside, the setting is village-like, with walkways and handsome signage for bike paths that converge here, a stop for the free Island Explorer buses, and restrooms in a cabin-like building. Trailheads for 3.2-mile Buck Cove Mountain and 1.5-mile Lower Harbor trails are nearby. A campground amphitheater hosts ranger programs for park visitors and campers.