Did You know Thursday: Sunrise at Acadia National park

Check out a newer (2020) updated version of this post on my new blog: Sunrise At Acadia National Park: First In The US

Did you know that from October 7 to March 6 each year that the summit of Cadillac Mountain is the first place to see the sunrise in the United States?

While Acadia may have many claims to fame including its hundreds of miles of carriage roads, being one of the most pet friendly (read more on that here) and being the first National Park east of the Mississippi. Possibly the most iconic of these claims are those gorgeous sunrises on Cadillac Mountain, which is the highest peak on the eastern seaboard.

That makes taking in a sunrise at Cadillac Mountain pretty special. Be aware that almost everyone goes to Cadillac Mountain for sunrise. For that reason, you should get there pretty early (I suggest 2 hours and that’s one early wake up) and be prepared to share that gorgeous sunrise with at least 200-400 other people! Don’t get me wrong, it’s still magical.

Who gets to see that first sunrise in the United States in the warmer months? Well, that honor goes to Mars Hill, in Aroostook County near the Canadian border. This is mainly because, in winter, the sun rises a little more to the south. Making it so that sunrise moves north along the horizon during the warmer months.

Getting to Cadillac Mountain is fairly simple by car on the twisting 3.5-mile road. If you are looking for a bit more of a challenge you can always hike to the summit (make sure to bring your headlamp). Either way I suggest dressing warmly (even in August sunrise is pretty chilly) and bringing the bug spray depending on the time of year. Sunrise on Cadillac is certainly a photographer’s event and you will see many with professional cameras and tripods.

It’s not difficult to understand why people flock to Cadillac Mountain to be the first to see the sunrise in the United States. Solar deities and sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. Many sun gods and goddesses ride or drive a vessel of some sort across the sky. It’s interesting that we still connect, on some level, with those ancient cultures that worshipped the sun.

If you do decide to go to Cadillac Mountain for sunrise, don’t let those crowds worry you. Enjoy the sunrise, maybe take a few pictures, relish at the moment that you are witnessing the first sunrise in the United States (if you are there between Oct 7 and March 6). Know that even though you will probably sit in an hour of traffic to get out of that parking lot, it’s worth it. To touch on something inherent in us that connects back so far to ancient civilization and ancestors.

“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.” – **Jo Walton**

If you can’t tell, I’m a total sunrise and sunset person. I’ve never actually taken in a sunrise on Cadillac Mountain because I’ve never been there during the right season. However, I am going back in October this year and will be there to catch that first sunrise in the United States. Instead, during the summer months when the first sunrise is in Aroostook County, I make a game out of trying to find new sunrise spots that are not insanely packed. Don’t forget there are TONS of other awesome places to catch the sunrise – including Bar Harbors, Frenchman’s Bay (photo below).

“I hope you realize that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.”
― **Juansen Dizon,** *Confessions of a Wallflower*

I’ve now found 2 different places where I was the only person there for sunrise. It’s so cool to be able to enjoy the sunrise in that way. Having those spectacular views all to yourself, it is something special. For that reason, I’m not going to share either of the places but invite you to try to find your sunrise spot that you can have all to yourself. Even if you don’t get a full sunrise, chances are that at Acadia it will be gorgeous either way. Between the stunning mountains, the gorgeous rocky cliff line and the ocean waves, you really can’t go wrong. I know I won’t be enjoying it in the same way at Cadillac Mountain in October, but who can pass up being the first to see the sun!