The most visited spot along Acadia National Park’s Ocean Drive, Thunder Hole easily is located by its large staircase and the tour buses or trolleys often parked there. It is a natural wonder sometimes compared to the Halona Blow Hole on the island of Oahu, but not one that works on a regular schedule like, say, Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park.

On the rare occasions when everything is aligned properly — the ocean rising, at half-tide, with the wind pushing from the right direction — waves are forced into a long crevice in the granite rock, compressed against the back wall, and then exploded high into the air. At the same time, the incoming surf rolls large rounded boulders along the bottom of the channel, creating the thundering sound that gives the Hole its name.

Even if the waves happen to be calm during your visit, as most likely they will be, Thunder Hole is still a great place to stand on the rocks and enjoy Mount Desert Island’s mountain and ocean views.