The first thing I noticed about Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park, Maine, is the clean water. Look at how you can see to the bottom — that’s something we just don’t see in suburban Boston!

The Jordan Pond area isn’t just about the water, however. The incredibly scenic views of Penobscot Mountain and the Bubbles (center of photo in distance), wonderfully accompanied by hiking trails, dense forest and country-fresh air make for a one-of-a-kind travel destination.

Our appetite for this type of scenery begs for an extended stay, but another kind of hunger next door to Jordan Pond cannot be denied: the famous Jordan Pond popovers at the Jordan Pond restaurant. Dating back to the late 1800s, these right-out-of-the-oven popovers have been pleasing visitors year after year. Make sure you get here when the warmer weather arrives!

But I digress. Although the popovers are fabulous, the scenery at Jordan Pond is the main travel attraction here. Acadia National Park has virtually a lifetime of scenery to take in, but, for me, Jordan Pond’s tranquility and amazing natural visual appeal makes it my personal Acadia starting point in this beautiful area of New England.

Jordan Pond is located approximately seven miles from Bar Harbor. Take the Cadillac Mountain entrance off Route 233, follow the signs for Cadillac Mountain, then for Jordan Pond.

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Read our Acadia National Park article for more information.