Acadia Sunrises

Many know that Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park is home to the first sunrise in the country. While that is in fact true, Cadillac Mountain is actually only the first to see the sunrise from roughly the second week in October until very early March.

Whether you’ve driven to the summit or were brave and hiked it, you’ll know that sometimes, you’ll be standing nearly shoulder to shoulder with someone that is also there to witness a Maine sunrise.

Now, don’t get me wrong; watching the sunrise from the highest peak on the Eastern seaboard is a true spectacle, there are many other places throughout the park to catch glimpses of these sunrises.

Acadia (as the locals call it for short) is full of pink granite. Throughout the day, the coastal rock has plenty of pink hues to it; however, in the morning light, the rocks almost seem to turn incredible, rich shades of not only pink, but also orange. If you travel along Park Loop Road, there are plenty of places to catch the sunrise.

Monument Cove, and its photographer-haven, Boulder Beach, is another top place to shoot the morning sun, or just to sit and take it all in. All along Park Loop, there are pull offs and parking lots if you brought your car, but in addition to those, there is also Ocean Path, a mostly level, gravel shore walkway that passes multiple places to observe day break.

In other posts, I’ll touch briefly on each of my frequented spots throughout Maine and Acadia National Park, but this specific one focuses on Little Hunters Beach. Prior to moving to Maine just days before we rang in 2013, I hadn’t been to Maine since October 2006. When I came with my parents, we went to this small, empty beach. I remembered walking down slippery, wooden stairs to a boulder and rock-filled cove that was so intimate and cozy. While it doesn’t face directly east, it still catches some incredible light during what we photographers call, Golden Hour. The fresh sunlight turns the pink granite into a painting of every shade of oranges and pinks imaginable, and the green on the mossy rocks begin to show their colors.

This, to me, is such an underrated spot of Acadia. There’s a small pull off just before the rock bridge/wall with enough parking for about five or so cars, and at the top of the stairway railing, there’s a tiny sign with an arrow and the words “Little Hunters Beach”. I live here and I’ve passed this small, charming cove countless times over the past two and a half years. It’s so very easy to miss.

Words about this spot can only do so much, so if you ever catch yourself in the area, I highly recommend you make a visit just after sunrise or just before sunset. You won’t regret it!

Happy Adventures,

itsmainelybeautiful