NICK BOULOS explores Acadia National Park and is quickly captivated by its rugged beauty

THE PARK ranger had given me an impossible task. I didn't have to forage for food or even build a shelter. This was a real challenge.
"During our walk I want you to find one spot that sums up all of Acadia's beauty, " said Lora Haller. Just one? How absurd.

Acadia National Park is one of America's most dramatic locations. A 35,000-acre playground of rugged bare-topped mountains, islands, forests and lakes with beauty at every turn.

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Some 275 miles from Boston, it consumes most of Mount Desert Island just off Maine's untouched coastline.

Tourism first arrived in the 1880s when wealthy city folk built stately 90-room "cottages" as holiday homes. Today it remains a refuge for weary fast-living Americans. Hiking the 120 miles of trails, cycling along car-free roads and kayaking while gulping lungfuls of Maine's fresh sea air are all on the agenda.

Our two-hour hike to Otter Point began on a rocky headland overlooking the swelling Gulf of Maine. Water sprayed through the crevices below and a heavy mist lingered out to sea as we headed into the dense forest of fir and spruce trees.

Emerging from the forest at Otter Point, the sun blazed down on the jagged coastline.

Behind us was Cadillac Mountain, highest point along the Eastern Seaboard and the first place in the US to welcome the sun's new rays each day.

Many rush to its 1,530ft peak for sunrise but changeable weather can sometimes shroud the view with fog.

Not one to take such early-morning risks, I headed straight to the summit as the sun continued to shine.

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It's not just the park that attracts visitors.

Just beyond its gates is Bar Harbor, a town lifted straight from the Fifties.

Strolling along Main Street, it soon became clear there are two staples to cuisine here.

The shelves of the 120-year-old grocery store were stacked high with all manner of blueberry products, including ale and soap, and the restaurants all boasted lobster.

There are some three million lobster traps in Maine's waters. Keen to learn more, I took to the water with Captain John, a portly local who has worked on lobster boats for a decade.

He navigated the boat out of the harbour as harp seals lazed on the shore surrounding the Egg Rock lighthouse.

"Lobstering is strictly regulated and that's why we're doing so well, " he told me as he hauled a trap aboard.

My Maine visit ended with dinner at Galyn's, one of Bar Harbor's best restaurants. Its intimate porch was perfect to watch the lobster boats come in as the sky turned an inky blue. With just enough room for dessert, I wandered along Main Street until I reached Bill & Ben's Chocolate Emporium.

I impulsively opted for a scoop of vanilla and lobster. Well, what would you expect?

THE KNOWLEDGE:
Virgin Holidays (0844 557 3860/www.virginholidays.co.uk) offers a four-night package including two nights at a four-star hotel in Boston and two nights at the three-star Bluenose Inn in Bar Harbor from £655pp (two sharing), room only.

Price includes return flights from Heathrow to Boston and four day's car hire.

Lobster tours with Captain John (dialling from the UK: 001 207 963 2341/www.lululobsterboat.com) from £20pp.