u/TBECTPLBSPK

Afternoon all, I’m in need of some of y’all’s assistance, lol. I’m planning a solo road trip up to Maine from NJ 09/03/26-09/08/26 to see Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park. I was going to leave from work Thursday 09/03/26 & drive straight up about 9.25-10 hours to park in the Ellsworth super Walmart parking lot that night just to catch some 💤s & wake up the next morning to really get this trip started. I’m mainly going for hiking & the stunning views they have to offer, but one of my only questions is… where? of course I have the general, well known locations locked down to visit such as The Bubbles, Cadillac Mtn, Beehive Trail, Ocean Path Trail etc but are there some lesser known spots offering similar beauty 👀 open to nice, easy hikes offering great views & the more challenging ones that reward me at the end. Best places to grab food (any meal - breakfast/lunch/dinner/quick bite)? A drink? Enjoy Mother Nature while getting away from the crowds? What are the people like? I’d like to make some friends, possibly. My most important question is where the hell are all the free camping spots at though? lol, I use TheDyrt Pro app to find some spots but hell there’s like nothing other than public campgrounds which is fine but I’d rather roughneck it preferably.. as stated, my main goal is to enjoy & appreciate The Great Outdoors… I have a “decent,” amount of time to spend & want to make it worthwhile so any & ALL recommendations are welcomed even if it’s not something I listed here! sorry if this is a lot, this is my first time taking a trip like this & I’m really, really excited.. thanks all in advance! 🖖

Goodmorning all. I was planning to book an Airbnb cabin in The Great Smoky Mountains region during mid-late October in hopes to see the beautiful color changing of the leaves at high altitudes & mountains of course. Are there hikeable trails in the mountain region & what are some other things that I can do in the immediate area & or nearby? Was thinking about bringing a lady friend as well if there are any recommendations that would be specifically for that