The boat launch for Echo Lake is by Ikes Point off Busy Route 102.
Echo Lake covers 237 acres and is partially located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 C2). Access is down an unnamed Park road off Route 102. Look for the “Ikes Point” sign. Drive down this short Park road, passed the parking lot, to the public boat launch at the end. The unimproved sandy launch can accommodate trailered boats. Keep in mind that boat engines over 10 HP are not allowed on this water body. Also, be aware that you will need a pass to legally park your vehicle anywhere inside the Park, including here. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the visitor center on MDI, among other places.
The access point can only accommodate hand-carried craft. The rock jutting out in the pond is a great place to fish from shore!
Lower Hadlock Pond covers 39 acres and is located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteermap 16 C3). Access is a couple of 100 ft. down Hadlock Pond Road off busy Route 3/198. Be aware that you will need a pass to legally park your vehicle anywhere inside the Park, including here. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the visitor center on MDI, among other places. The launch site can only accommodate hand-carried crafts, such as a canoe or kayak. Parking is along the road shoulder or a nearby small Park-managed gravel parking lot.
The public access point by the outlet can only accommodate hand-carried crafts
Upper Hadlock Pond covers 35 acres and is located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteermap 16 C3). Access is via Route 3/198 which runs parallel to the entire western shoreline of the pond. Be aware that you will need a pass to legally park your vehicle anywhere inside the Park, including here. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the visitor center on MDI, among other places. The public launch site by the outlet on Route 3/198 can only accommodate hand-carried crafts, such as a canoe or kayak. Parking is along the road shoulder or a nearby small Park-managed gravel parking lot.
I did not anticipate this situation… I ended up hauling my canoe up to the pond.
Lake Wood covers 16 acres and is located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B3). Access to this pond is via Lake Wood Road off Crooked Road. Be aware that you will need a pass to legally park your car anywhere inside the Park, including here. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the visitor center on MDI, among other places. I reach Lake Wood Road at 2:30 pm and am surprised to see that the park gate is closed. Crap… I park my truck on the shoulder of Crooked Road and walk around the gate to reconnoiter. It is about a half-mile stroll up and down a good gravel road to reach the parking lot and then the pond itself. Unfortunately, I left my canoe wheels at home because I did not anticipate this situation. And I do not want to carry my canoe all the way in. So, I head back out, put on my hip boots, pick up my ultralight spinning rod and reel, and walk back in. I start casting out a #2 Mepps spinner full of anticipation when I suddenly feel water trickling into my right hip boot. You have gotta be kidding me! The boot sprung a leak somewhere. I grit my teeth, walk back out, offload the canoe on my back, and walk back in. I then make one last trip to bring in the rest of my fishing gear. Thank goodness, I can finally start fishing one and a half hour behind schedule, and four miles later!
Witch Hole Pond can be shorefished for brook trout from multiple locations along the carriage road in early spring when the water is cool and the aquatic plant life subdued
Witch Hole Pond covers 28 acres and is located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B4). I reach the pond by walking for about 1.5 miles on the 16 foot-wide and well-maintained carriage road from the small parking lot located off Route 233 across from Eagle Lake. Be aware that you’ll need a pass to legally park your car anywhere inside the Park, including here. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the Park’s main visitor center on MDI, among other places. I reached the Route 233 parking lot earlier this morning and have fished Lower Breakneck Pond, Upper Breakneck Pond, and Halfmoon Pond along the way. After hitting these three spots, I replace my canoe on my “canoe wheels” and continue on to my last destination for today. I’ll state here for the record that I should have returned to the Route 233 parking lot after fishing Halfmoon Pond, loaded up my gear in/on my car, driven to the Hulls Cove visitor Center, and then walked from there the half mile to Witch Hole Pond. The reason is that the carriage road drops by a surprisingly steep (but barely perceptible) 85 ft between Halfmoon Pond and Witch Hole Pond. That loss of elevation does not present any problems when going downhill with the canoe. However, it demands a strenuous – and very perceptible – effort to continuously push the canoe back uphill for half a mile! It takes me a solid 40 minutes of huffing and puffing (and several snack refueling stops) to make it back to the Route 233 parking lot at the end of the day.
This big ol’ beaver lodge sits along the southern shore of Witch Hole Pond
Halfmoon Pond covers 3 acres and is located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B3). The pond can be reached by walking for about one mile on the 16 foot-wide and well-maintained carriage road. Leave your car in the small parking lot located off Route 233 across from Eagle Lake. Be aware that you’ll need a pass to legally park your car anywhere inside the Park, including here. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the Park’s major visitor center on MDI, among other places. I reach the parking lot at 9 am and head first to Lower Breakneck Pond and then to Upper Breakneck Pond. After fishing these two locations, I place my canoe on my “canoe wheels” and lug everything to my next destination.
The carriage road provides easy access to Upper Breakneck Pond
Upper Breakneck Pond covers 9 acres and is located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B3). The pond can be reached by walking for about 2,500 ft on the 16 foot-wide and well-maintained carriage road. Leave your car in the small parking lot located off Route 233 across from Eagle Lake. Be aware that you’ll need a pass to legally park your car anywhere inside the Park, including here. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the Park’s main visitor center on MDI, among other places. I reach the parking lot at 9 am and head first to Lower Breakneck Pond. I then carry my canoe through the 50 ft long outlet that connects the lower pond to the upper pond. Note, however, that Upper Breakneck Pond can also be reached directly from the carriage road via a short walk through the woods.
The carriage road is wide and accessible to everyone
Lower Breakneck Pond covers 8 acres and is located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B3). The pond can be reached by walking on the wide and well-maintained carriage road. Leave your car in the small parking lot off Route 233 across from Eagle Lake. Be aware that you’ll need a pass to legally park your car anywhere inside the Park, including here (even though the parking lot is right off a public road). The pass can be purchased on-line or at the Park’s visitor center on MDI, among other places. I reach the parking lot at 8:30 am and am glad to see only a few other vehicles. This relatively small lot fills up quickly later on in the season, particularly on weekends. I place my canoe on my “canoe wheels”, load it up with all my fishing gear, and walk the half mile or so towards the pond.
General view of Lower Breakneck Pond in early spring (no aquatic vegetation on the surface yet) looking south.
Bubble Pond covers 32 acres and is located inside Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B4). The pond is situated right off the Park Loop Road. Vehicles can be parked in a small paved lot which contains a clean bathroom. Be aware that you’ll need a pass to legally park your car anywhere inside the Park. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the visitor center on MDI. The pond is located about 200 ft further down from the parking area. The access point can only accommodate hand-carried craft. Besides, it lacks an official launch and motor boats with internal combustion engines are prohibited.
Long Pond covers 897 acres and is located in Acadia National Park, just north of Southwest Harbor, on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 C2). This body of water is surrounded by Acadia National Park on its entire western side, and along the lower third on its eastern side. I access the pond via the public boat launch at the end of Long Pond Road at the southern tip of the pond. Even though this launch falls within the boundary of the Park, I do not see any signs which explicitly state that vehicles require a Park-issued pass to enter or to park a vehicle. I’m not worried because I have the pass. However, it might be prudent to first inquire with the Park authorities, just to make sure. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the Park’s visitor center on MDI, if needed. I also note that a second public boat launch is located at the northern tip of this pond right off Route 102 (Pretty Marsh Road; see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B2) which falls outside of the Park boundaries and therefore would not require a pass.
Sunset view of Long Pond from the boat launch at the southern tip of the lake.
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