Just as no ball game is complete without a hot dog smothered in favorite condiments, there'd be no beach without a thick layer of toe-tickling sand. A rare beach for Acadia, this short stretch of sand covers less than a quarter mile. A little slice of heaven sandwiched in between an unyielding jumble of large multicolored granite rocks. Although Acadia's Sand Beach is manned with lifeguards during the summer and the National Parks Service provides a bathhouse, only the brave take to the cool waters, rarely topping the 60 degree mark.
   Star parties and shoreline hikes attract more attention at Sand Beach. Although Maine's weather is cloudy more than it is clear, ranger lead star parties at beach-side introduce visitors to Maine sky and its constellations. Acadia's surrounding 47,000 acres provide an effective dark-sky site for stargazing, perfect during autumn when clear skies are more common and darkness descends on the park early in the evening. Acadia National Park offers over 125 miles of hiking trails, ranging in difficulty from easy to strenuous. From the Sand Beach area, the Great Head Trail, rated as moderate, hugs the shoreline of the small peninsula. Ocean Trail, an easy 3 mile hike, begins near Sand Beach on the east side, and passes the famous Thunder Hole on the way to Otter Point.

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