Maine Ranks as a Top Spot for Stargazing on the East Coast

You have no idea what stars are like until you leave the city.

Living right in Portland for the better part of 20 years, right on the peninsula, you never really truly get to appreciate the awesomeness of the night sky. Granted, my family has always had a camp, on a lake, out in the woods. So whenever I'm there, I can see things in the night sky that you will never see right in Portland.

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That goes for a lot of night things. It's hard to see the aurora borealis right in town. Although, the clearest I ever saw was in Portland, haha. But generally speaking, light pollution is a huge ruiner when it comes to stargazing. And it's not just city lights. Of course, the moon and the weather will always be a factor. But all that said, we have one of the best places on the entire east coast for stargazing...

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Acadia National Park is one of the absolute top spots for stargazing.

There are other places that probably also have insane views, but Acadia National Park is ranked as one of the best. The park is known as a Dark-Sky Preserve. Even in Bar Harbor. Basically, these areas have low light pollution anyway, but steps are also taken to ensure it's as dark in the area as possible.

Some towns, like Bar Harbor, have passed ordinances that actually mandate what type of lighting can be used on the outside of your home. Towns will also often put shades on street lights, so their beams don't point upward. You put all these things together, and you create much better conditions for night sky viewing.

Where are good spots within Acadia?

Obviously, Cadillac Mountain is a great choice, but there's often parking and access restrictions depending on the time of year. But there are other great spots too. Such as Jordan Pond, the Seawall, Ocean Path, and even Sand Beach. Although, remember to check the weather and the moon forecast. If it's a super bright moon, it'll make it tough.

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I doubt it will come as a shock to anyone that Acadia National Park is such a great spot for stargazing. It's probably just another one of the many reasons that people love to visit there so much. I mean, it's basically the feather in the cap of the whole Acadia experience. It just proves that there's always something to do... day or night.

Although, not everyone loves Acadia, hahaha...