Free
Bar Island land bridge
A gravel bar to Bar Island, walkable for about 1.5 hours either side of low tide. Check tide times so you don't get stranded.
Home / Guides / Bar Harbor and Acadia
Mount Desert Island, Maine
Bar Harbor and Acadia
A harbour town beside Acadia National Park: pink granite cliffs, carriage roads, Cadillac Mountain, and a sandbar to an island that appears at low tide.
Photo: Otter Cliff, Acadia National Park, National Park Service / Matthew Lambert (Acadia Youth Technology Team) derivativ, Public domain
Bar Harbor is the main town on Mount Desert Island, right next door to Acadia National Park. The Park Loop Road takes you past Sand Beach, Thunder Hole and Otter Cliff along the pink granite coast.
Cadillac Mountain's summit road needs a vehicle reservation in the main season. The historic carriage roads are car-free and perfect for bikes.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Cheap
Cadillac Mountain
The highest point on the US Atlantic coast, with sunrise views. Summit road vehicle reservations required in season.
Cheap
Park Loop Road, Sand Beach and Thunder Hole
The park's scenic loop past a sandy beach, crashing surf and Otter Cliff.
Cheap
Ocean Path
An easy coastal walk from Sand Beach past Thunder Hole to Otter Point.
Cheap
Jordan Pond and the carriage roads
A clear pond below the Bubbles, and car-free broken-stone carriage roads for walking and cycling.
Paid
Whale watch
Boat trips into the Gulf of Maine from Bar Harbor in season.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Downtown Bar Harbor and Agamont Park
Shops, ice cream and a small park overlooking the harbour.
Paid
Carriage ride on the carriage roads
Horse-drawn tours from Wildwood Stables in the park.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Paid
Popovers at Jordan Pond House
A long-time park tradition: tea and popovers on the lawn, in season.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Cadillac Summit Road vehicle reservation
Timed vehicle entry for the summit road in season.
Oli's Trolley
Narrated trolley tours of Acadia and the town.
Carriages of Acadia
Horse-drawn rides on the carriage roads.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Whale watch Cruise
Part of our Maine and New Hampshire seacoast guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Seeing sunrise on Cadillac Mountain means sleeping on the island the night before.
- The Loop Road, the carriage roads and a whale watch are three different days.
- Bar Island's land bridge only opens around low tide, so leave yourself time to catch it.
Nearby and worth the drive
Southwest Harborabout 25 min · Guide ↗
The quieter west side of the island and Bass Harbor Head Light.
Burlington, Vermontabout 5 h 30 · Guide ↗Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains.
Ready-made trips with Bar Harbor and Acadia
3 days · Bar Harbor and Acadia
Acadia's Park Loop and Cadillac Mountain
Three days on the east side of Mount Desert Island: the Park Loop, a Cadillac sunrise, carriage roads and a low-tide walk to Bar Island.
4 days · Portland, Maine → Bar Harbor and Acadia
Maine coast lighthouses
Portland Head Light and Casco Bay, then up the coast to Acadia.
4 days · St. Andrews by-the-Sea → Bar Harbor and Acadia
Fundy coast to Acadia
Fundy tides and Ministers Island, then across the border to Acadia.
2 days · Bar Harbor and Acadia → Southwest Harbor
Both sides of Mount Desert Island
A two-day sampler across the island: Bar Harbor and the east-side Park Loop, then 25 minutes west to Bass Harbor Head Light, Echo Lake and the quieter shore at Seawall.
Good to know
- Acadia: Park entrance pass required: nps.gov/acad. Cadillac Summit Road needs a vehicle reservation in season.
- Tourism: visitbarharbor.com.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Otter Cliff, Acadia National Park, National Park Service / Matthew Lambert (Acadia Youth Technology Team) derivativ, Public domain
Photo: The Shore Path, Bar Harbor, Seasider53, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Frenchman Bay islands from Cadillac Mountain, Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Jordan Pond and the Bubbles, NPS / Victoria Stauffenberg derivative work: User:Maps and stuff (cropped to 3:1, Public domain