The Breathtaking Acadia National Park Trail Martha Stewart Walks Every Single Time She's In Maine

Martha Stewart seems like she's everywhere these days, from the Winter Olympics in Italy to her Netflix documentary to her restaurant in Las Vegas. When not gallivanting for business, she has name-checked Maine as her favorite travel spot, home to her 63-acre Skylands estate perched on the coastline of Mount Desert Island. She blogs about an enviable lifestyle of spending time boating, gardening, and hiking her favorite trail at the postcard-worthy destination of Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor. Called the Jordan Pond Path, the 3.3-mile loop hugging the shore of Jordan Pond is dog-friendly, a welcome bonus for Stewart's many pooches. She writes that she walks the path "every time" she's in Maine. 

If you want to live the good life of Stewart, you may want to plan a visit to Acadia. While public lodging isn't available at her 12-bedroom manor, you can find cozy stays, restaurants, and charming shops in adjacent Bar Harbor, one of America's most affordable coastal vacation spots. The family-friendly Acadia Inn offers rooms with queen and king beds, along with complimentary breakfast, a swimming pool, and outdoor movie nights. Nightly summer rates start at $317, at the time of writing. Bar Harbor Inn offers a plusher stay, with oceanfront rooms, continental breakfast, and a luxury spa on site. Summer weekday rates start at $479, at the time of writing. 

Getting to the uppermost regions of the North Atlantic may take a little while. Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport is about 10 miles away from Bar Harbor, with mostly direct flights from Boston. Bangor International Airport is a 50-mile drive away and serves cities like Orlando, New York City, Houston, and Chicago. For everyone else, Portland International Airport is about 175 miles from Bar Harbor.

Sculpted by glaciers millions of years ago, the park is home to more than 130 miles of trails amid a blanket of forests, rocky cliffs, lakes, and jagged shoreline. A park pass costs just $35 per vehicle and is valid for seven days, at the time of writing. You can drive yourself or hop on the park shuttles for a scenic ride through 27 miles of roadway and get off at the Jordan Pond stop. 

Considered a fairly easy hike according to AllTrails, the route kicks off along the pond's boat launch, with a mostly even path of compact soil along the peaceful shoreline, eventually crossing over footbridges into a lush forest. From there, you head to a rocky area with some uneven footing, then follow a narrow, wooden boardwalk to a stone road bridge, which takes you back to the trailhead. Along the way, you may be tempted to wade into the crystal-clear mountain lake, but don't. Swimming is prohibited, since the lake serves as the public drinking water supply for nearby Seal Harbor. 

The hike will take an hour or two, but give yourself time to stand in awe of the U-shaped vistas around you, including the rounded mountain peaks known as the Bubbles. Martha Stewart is not the only fan of this hike. Apparently, the trail gets lots of traffic, so the National Park Service recommends visits outside of peak hours, like late on a weekday, for fewer crowds. Perhaps the real reason Stewart enjoys trekking the path is for a stop at the historic Jordan Pond House, the restaurant with green umbrella-covered tables on the lawn. Here, one can indulge in afternoon tea with fresh popovers (a tradition since the 1890s), champagne, or even homemade blueberry lemonade. You can even keep the souvenir aluminum cups!