From there walk to the Summit Trail, find an east-facing niche in the rocks, and settle in on the highest east coast mountain north of Brazil. Here is one of the places where dawn first touches the continental United States. After enjoying the dawn, hunt for blueberries along the trails radiating from the summit. The blueberry season runs from mid-July through August. On the way down, stop at one of the eastern overlooks for a view of Frenchman Bay, a vast, island-dotted seascape; its name takes note of the area’s early French settlers. (Another way to see the bay is on a 2-hour sea cruise; check schedules at the Municipal Pier in Bar Harbor.)
Return to the loop road and turn right. Less than 0.5 mile [0.8 kilometer] on, bear right again (here the road becomes one-way) and continue south toward the ocean. Pass up Sand Beach for now. You may want to return to the beach later for sunbathing or swimming (though the summer water temperature is between 50° and 55°F [10° and 12.8°C]).
Not quite a mile [1.6 kilometers] farther, a sign marks Thunder Hole. Park on the right and walk down the concrete steps to the cleft in the rocks, named for the roars produced when air, trapped and squeezed by incoming surf, explodes out of a cavern. A stop here may disappoint you, for you’ll probably hear the thunder only at half tide with a rising sea, or during a storm. Other times, you may hear only gurgles and sloshes.
Continue to the 110-foot [33.5-meter] Otter Cliffs. Park, cross the road, and walk the shore path to Otter Point. Bobbing offshore are numerous brightly colored buoys marking lobster traps. Linger here to savor the essence of the Maine coast: rocks, gulls, the tang of salt air. At Hunters Head the loop road turns away from the sea and soon becomes two-way as you head back to where you started. You’ll pass Jordan Pond, one of many glacier-carvedponds on the island.
