Are you planning a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine and Acadia National Park? Then, this travel guide is for you! We just returned from our midsummer trip to Mount Desert Island and absolutely love this part of the Maine coast. The drive up and back is all part of the experience too. I suggest taking Coastal Highway 1 on your drive up. It adds a little more time, but you can stop at points along the way. It’s worth the extra windshield time.
Here’s the places we enjoyed visiting on Mount Desert Island…
Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor is bustling come midsummer, and August is peak tourist season here. If you want to avoid the larger crowds, I’d suggest planning your visit for spring or fall before Columbus Day. The town is idyllic Maine with lots of shops, lobster pounds, and boat excursions.
We loved our lunches on the dock at Stewman’s Lobster Pound and The Happy Clam Shack. Also, I recommend grabbing a scoop at CJ’s Big Dipper. If you are adventurous, try the lobster ice cream. Dinner at Havana is a must, and I’d recommend getting a reservation ahead of time. Thurston’s Lobster Pound and Abel’s Lobster were highly recommended, but were not open during our visit to try.
Shopping here is full of touristy shops full of Maine goods. It’s a lot of fun for souvenirs. The Acadia Shops are great, and a visit to Sherman’s Book Shop is a must.
Acadia National Park
There are several ways to experience the beauty of Acadia National Park. Park passes can be purchased ahead of time or at park access points. The park is free to active military and veterans. A week long car pass for the Park Loop is under $40. Do your research ahead of time and know your hiking limitations. Some trails are easy and some are extremely challenging and can be dangerous. If you want to see the sights without the hike, the Park Loop takes you to the most popular sites, and there are parking spaces and bathrooms along the way. Biking is also popular on the carriage paths.
Our favorites:
Thunder Hole (Plan to go during high tide to see the best waves. Breezier days are the best.)
Cadillac Mountain (The views are worth it. You will need to make a reservation since parking is limited.)
Sand Beach (The only beach at Acadia. This is a really beautiful place to enjoy.)
Bass Harbor Head Light (This is gorgeous at sun rise or sunset. Parking can be a little crazy, so I recommend getting there early. Also, if you struggle with traversing jagged rocks, I’d stick to the lighthouse path. The path out to cliffs gives you the best views, but you will have to climb and navigate the jagged rocks.)
Echo Lake (Such a pretty spot and you can get amazing views up the mountain.)
Jordan Pond (I imagine this is even more stunning in the fall. You can get a meal at the Jordan Pond House. The popovers are legendary.)
Where to stay
We loved The Asticou Hotel. You can read my full review on The Asticou here.
Also, highly recommended is The Claremont.
Maine coastal road trip stops
As you enter Maine, we love to stop at Nubble Lighthouse in York. Then, we either stop in Kennebunkport on the way up or back down for lunch or dinner. A visit to the Portland Head Light is also a favorite. We always stop in Freeport for a visit the the L.L. Bean Flagship Store. A new find this year is Supply and Anchor located in Antiques, Etc. in Rockland. We loved the vintage and antique coastal finds here. We found so many great things for our home.
The beauty of Mount Desert Island is definitely worth the trip. We loved it so much, that we are planning a fall visit in the future.
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