Boulder Beach
BOULDER BEACH
Acadia National Park, ME
Image by Darron Franta @ www.frantaphotography.com
Boulder Beach is one of the absolute best spots on Mt. Desert island, the primary home of Acadia National Park, to capture a beautiful sunrise.
Each morning the sun will rise over the Atlantic and cast its warm glow on the smooth, rounded boulders that literally cover the beach at this location. It's not hard to take some magical shots here. However, the true impact of your image will likely depend on the wave action and the atmosphere you receive on the day you visit.
Photos and location summary by Darron Franta
Trail Difficulty - EASY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 2 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). The walk/trail down to Boulder Beach is short and relatively easy. However, it does have a few challenges pay close attention to.
As you leave the Ocean Path, you will need to descend a slight incline and scramble over some large rocks to reach the beach/boulders. Once there, you will need to navigate the rounded boulders and that can prove to be tricky. The challenge is not only walking on them, but also finding out that many can be slick, and some may also be loose and will shift or tilt when you step on them. If you are going there to shoot sunrise, this walk will likely be done in the dark with a headlamp so arrive early and just take your time and try not to rush.
If you do plan to shoot sunrise at this location, I would recommend visiting and scouting the area in the daylight so that you will know the exact path you should take in the predawn darkness. This will also help to acclimate yourself to walking on the boulders.
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
Sea Level - Elevation
View In Google earth
Download KMZ Trail File
Click Here to download the KMZ file for this location.
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to the Boulder Beach parking area
From Bar Harbor - from Bar Harbor, take Route 3 south out of town for 1.2 miles. Take a left on Schooner Head Rd. After you take this left, you will immediately veer to the right, staying on Schooner Head Rd. You will stay on this road for the next 2.5 miles. At the 2.5-mile mark, turn right and go 300 to 500 yards until you reach Park Loop Rd. where you will take a left. You will go through the Acadia National Park entrance and proceed for approximately 1.7 miles. While on Park Loop Rd., you will pass signs for Sand Beach and Thunder Hole.
After you pass Thunder Hole, you will see a sign and parking on your right for the Gorham Mountain Trailhead. Do not park here. Proceed slowly because approximately 500 ft past the Gorham Parking area, there will be another parking area on the right. It is not marked or named, other than having a small white sign labeled with a large “P.” Pull into this lot and park. Do not pass this lot as the Park Loop Road is one way and it will take you some time to get back to this location. After you park, exit the lot and cross Park Loop Rd. (there is a crosswalk on the road) to the Ocean Path, a well-worn trail close to the road that runs parallel to the ocean front. Once on the path, bear to your right for approximately 100 ft. and look for the location to scramble down to the beach.
If you miss the parking area mentioned above (or cannot find a parking spot), continue for 1/4 mile and you will see another parking area for Otter Cliff Lookout. From this parking area, cross the street and take the Ocean Path trail back toward Boulder Beach for about 500 yds or so.
Photography Tips
This shot is fairly straightforward. You simply need to find a location along the beach that is complementary to the sunrise, clouds and the lens that you are using. Experiment with different tripod heights and exposure settings.
EXIF Data
Focal Length – 16 mm
Exposure – 8 sec @ f 20.0
ISO – 100
Date – Oct 12
Time – sunrise
Best Time of Day to Shoot
You can shoot this location anytime of day, but the primary shot is at sunrise.
Best Time of Year
You can capture a sunrise here any time of the year, but in my estimation the best time to visit Acadia is in mid-October as the photographic opportunities are endless with the beautiful fall foliage.
The above image was taken on October 12th.
Lens(es) Needed
There are many compositions available while at Boulder Beach, so I would bring a wide angle and medium telephoto lens.
The above image was taken with an ND filter @ 100 ISO, f20 at 16mm and 8 seconds.
Birds-Eye View
Permits
Boulder Beach is in Acadia National Park. As of the writing of the summary (Oct 2020) the entry fee was $35 per vehicle. Once in the park there are no other permits required.
If you arrive before the park gates are open (for a sunrise shot), you do not have to pay a fee to enter the park. However, you will want to likely buy a pass for the rest of your visit to Acadia National Park.
Direction of the Shot
The direction of the shot is east by southeast @ around 125°.
Equipment Needed
Other than a sturdy tripod, there is no need for special equipment. A polarized filter and/or a graduated ND filter will also come in handy at this location.
Number of Other Photographers to Expect
This will depend upon the season. This image was taken in October during peak leaf season and there were probably two dozen photographers at the location on this morning. I arrived about 45 minutes before sunrise and there were about 6-10 individuals already there.
Until sunrise (and even after) there was a steady trickle of photographers into the area. However, the beach is large enough that it never seemed overly crowded. There are probably spots along the beach that offer better compositions than others, and photographers seemed to gravitate to those spots, but I never felt imposed upon or that I was intruding upon someone else. If you are on the island during a peak part of the season, you should plan to arrive at least an hour early to scout a spot.
Weather
The weather in Acadia is often pleasant in the fall and spring. Mild in the summer and brutally cold in the winter. This October morning was slightly chilly with no breeze.
Cell Service
I use Verizon and cell service is spotty at best on the island.
Lodging & Camping
There is no shortage of lodging opportunities in the Bar Harbor and Acadia areas, but as far as I know there is only one campground in Acadia National Park (Blackwoods). There are also many VRBO and Airbnb locations in this area.
Nearby camping and lodging
Camping - click on the campground below for directions
Blackwoods Campgrounds (Acadia)
Lodging - click on the lodging below for a TripAdvisor review
Edgewater Motel & Cottages
137 Old Bar Harbor Rd., Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME
Bar Harbor Grand Hotel
269 Main St, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, ME
Nearby Restaurants
Bar Harbor and the surrounding areas are great places to visit and relax and there are tons of very good food choices and brewpubs; like the Thirsty Whale Tavern. I really enjoyed dinner at Cafe This Way and Havana. If you are looking for a well-to-do seafood house, try the Bar Harbor Lobster Company. A great spot for breakfast after you finish shooting sunrise is Jordans. They are known for large breakfasts and their Maine blueberry pancakes and muffins.
Nearby Restaurants - click on the restaurant below for yelp review
Thirsty Whale Tavern
(207) 288-9335
40 Cottage St, Bar Harbor, ME
Bar Harbor Lobster Company
(207) 288-2529
297 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME
Cafe This Way
(207) 288-4483
14 Mt Desert St, Bar Harbor, ME
Area Guides and Workshops
None