Acadia and Downeast Maine to West Quoddy Head
Acadia’s Park Loop Road and Schoodic Point, then the quiet Downeast coast of blueberry barrens and big tides to Lubec, West Quoddy Head and Eastport.
- Distance
- 179 km (111 mi)
- Driving
- 1 h 59 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 8
- States
- ME
- Updated
- April 23, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 179 km (111 mi) with 8 stops, from Bar Harbor to Eastport. About 1 h 59 min of driving in total.
More road trips in Maine
Route description
Acadia’s 27-mile Park Loop Road starts near Bar Harbor; much of it is one-way, and you need a park entrance pass. Stop at Sand Beach and Thunder Hole on the Ocean Path, then continue to Jordan Pond, where the shore loop and the view of the Bubbles make a gentle walk. The lots fill by 9 am in summer, and the free Island Explorer shuttle serves all these stops.
Leave Mount Desert Island on ME-3 and follow US-1 around Frenchman Bay to Winter Harbor and the Schoodic Peninsula, about an hour. The 6-mile loop road, mostly one-way, passes coves and spruce forest to Schoodic Point, where waves break on pink granite ledges. Schoodic Woods, the park’s newest campground, has sites for RVs, and an Island Explorer bus route runs here in summer.
Beyond Schoodic, US-1 enters the quieter Downeast coast of blueberry barrens, fishing villages and deep tides. Machias, site of the first naval battle of the Revolution in 1775, is about 1.5 hours east. From there take ME-191 along the Cutler coast, or stay on US-1 and turn onto ME-189 to Lubec, the easternmost town in the United States.
West Quoddy Head Light is about 6 km from Lubec, with cliff trails above Quoddy Narrows, where tides rise and fall around 20 feet. The bridge from Lubec leads to Campobello Island in Canada, so bring a passport. To finish in Eastport, drive around Cobscook Bay on US-1 and ME-190, about an hour; Eastport is a small fishing port on Passamaquoddy Bay. The route is about 300 km.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Bar Harbor
ME - 29 km
Thunder Hole
NatureBar Harbor, MEA rock inlet on Acadia’s Park Loop Road where incoming waves trap air and boom, best about two hours before high tide in rough seas. A park entrance pass is needed; parking is along the one-way road.
- 36 km
Jordan Pond
NatureSeal Harbor, MEA clear glacial lake below the rounded peaks of the Bubbles, with a flat 3.3-mile loop trail along the shore. Part of Acadia National Park; the lots fill early, so use the free Island Explorer bus in summer.
- 419 km
Schoodic Point
ViewsWinter Harbor, METhe mainland part of Acadia National Park, where a mostly one-way loop road leads to pink granite ledges, heavy surf and views back to Mount Desert Island. Much quieter than the island; entrance pass required.
- 576 km
Machias
ME - 649 km
Lubec
ME - 77 km
West Quoddy Head Light
ViewsLubec, MEA red-and-white striped lighthouse on the easternmost point of the US mainland, with cliff trails above the strong tides of Quoddy Narrows. State park fee; Campobello Island in Canada is across the bridge from Lubec.
- 813 km
Eastport
ME
FAQs
How long is Acadia and Downeast Maine to West Quoddy Head?
4-day road trip of about 179 km (111 mi) with 8 stops, from Bar Harbor to Eastport. About 1 h 59 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Acadia and Downeast Maine to West Quoddy Head?
We suggest 4 days: about 1 h 59 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Acadia and Downeast Maine to West Quoddy Head start and end?
It starts in Bar Harbor and ends in Eastport.
Which states does Acadia and Downeast Maine to West Quoddy Head pass through?
Maine.
