Jordan Pond

Jordan Pond is a clear, 187-acre freshwater lake in Acadia’s steep, glacier-carved interior. North Bubble and South Bubble rise across its northern end, giving the pond its signature view. At 150 feet deep, it is Acadia’s deepest lake and second largest. Even a short stop is worthwhile: walk down the sloped path from the south-end visitor area to the lawn and shore for the water-level view.

The Jordan Pond Path makes a 3.3-mile circuit, and the National Park Service estimates one to three hours. Start at the boat launch and take the eastern shore first; its footing is more even, with crushed stone. The west side is a much rougher finish: the path crosses a field of boulders that fell from the cliffs, with stepping stones, uneven rock, a raised boardwalk and bridges. The NPS recommends starting east in case you decide to turn back. The full path is not wheelchair accessible.

Jordan Pond is reached from the two-way section of Park Loop Road, and the Island Explorer bus stops at the south-end visitor hub. There are accessible parking spaces, restrooms and a bottle-filling station by Jordan Pond House and the park store; the house and store area is mostly level, but the path down to the pond slopes. Afternoons often bring congestion and full lots, so an earlier visit is a better bet for easier parking and a quieter walk. Carriage roads also meet here; the separate 8.6-mile Jordan Pond carriage-road loop is a bike route through a wider circuit, not the shoreline path.

Ice carved the valley into a steep bowl, and the lake now sits beneath granite slopes and cliffs. From the south shore, look north across the clear water to the rounded Bubbles; the shore path gives you rocks, shallow water and reflections in the foreground. On the trail, listen for common loons, look for beaver signs, and scan the granite cliffs for nesting peregrine falcons—wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.

George and John Jordan established a logging camp by the lake in 1840. A small mill used the pond’s outflow, and timber was hauled by oxen, sleds and wagons down to Seal Harbor. Their farmhouse on the hill was completed in 1847. The pond’s southern end was already a working landscape before the area became a celebrated visitor destination.

Jordan Pond House is a separate stop beside the lake, but its tradition is part of the visit: guests were first served there in 1893, and tea and popovers remain its signature. The original building burned in 1979; the current restaurant opened in 1982. The adjacent lawn is a good place to pause with the pond and peaks in view.