My Labor Day trip to Mount Desert Island reminded me once again how much I love Acadia National Park.

I wasn’t really sure where I wanted to head on this trip. I started out at one of my new favorite places in the park, Jordan Pond. Jordan is great; it’s incredibly peaceful, impressively gorgeous, and there are a number of ways to enjoy it. Casual travelers can walk along a fairly level trail around the edge of the pond, while more advanced hikers can climb the iconic Bubble peaks alongside the pond. A stretch of the park’s carriage trails also run alongside the pond, offering hikers, bikers, and horseback riders the opportunity to see the pond from yet another angle.

I decided to take it easy and just hike alongside the pond on this trip. The views didn’t disappoint.

After going to Jordan, I headed to the spectacular vista at Cadillac Mountain. Cadillac offers gorgeous views of the entire horizon around Mount Desert Island. I particularly loved one of the cairns on the mountaintop, one of the many trail markers that dot Acadia’s hiking paths.

Finally, I headed to the other side of the island in hopes of reaching one of my favorite Maine lighthouses – Bass Harbor Head Light – in time for sunset. I’ve taken a number of pictures of the lighthouse in the past, but I’d never really had a chance to stay at the lighthouse’s edge for sunset. Luckily, I decided to stay this time.

Thank you, Acadia, for providing a wonderful Labor Day and the most gorgeous sunset I’ve ever witnessed.