Tips for Visiting Bar Harbor Maine

New England is a region in the Eastern United States that consists of six US states. One of those states is Maine, and it’s one of the most picturesque states in the US. In fact, I might even venture to say it IS the most beautiful state! It has dramatic scenery… rocky coastlines, dense forests, rolling mountains, beautiful lakes and charming lobster boats dotting the ocean! All along the rocky coast are lighthouses, quaint fishing villages, beaches, and small offshore islands. Of all of those quaint villages, my favorite, the one with the most exceptional beauty, is Bar Harbor. Bar Harbor Maine is on Mount Desert Island and is about 63 square miles, 42 of which is land and 21 acres is water.

There is just something so magical about Bar Harbor Maine. Come here to experience something fun in all four seasons. Go hiking, biking, and boating and whale watching in the summer and spring, cross-country skiing in the winter and, of course, leaf peeping in the Autumn.

Bar Harbor Maine

Bar Harbor is a town in northeastern Maine that is a very popular tourist spot. It’s home to the beautiful Acadia National Park, and the highest point on the Eastern coastline of the United States, Cadillac Mountain.

What to See and Do in Bar Harbor

The Town of Bar Harbor

The town is very compact and walkable. It has great little shops, museums, art galleries and restaurants. And if you walk down to the waterfront you can watch the lobstermen pull in their catches of the day. Lobstering is centuries old in Maine and it’s still going strong.

The perfect way to start off in Bar Harbor is to take a relaxing walk along the Shore Path. The trail starts at Ells Pier near Agamond Park. It passes by the beautiful property of Bar Harbor Inn and then goes along the eastern shore. The views are magnificent.

Trolley Through Town

Oli’s Trolley’s Downtown Harbor Tour will take you on a 30 minute drive through Bar Harbor and it’s fully narrated. It’s a great way to get sort of a quick rundown of the area, and see where everything is located.

Acadia National Park

Just a few miles from downtown Bar Harbor is the beautiful Acadia National Park, home to Cadillac Mountain. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. donated ⅓ of Acadia’s land and built 45 miles of motor vehicle-free carriage roads for hiking and biking. He also had built 16 stone bridges, each one different.

One of the best things to do in Bar Harbor is to take a drive to Acadia . It is a one-way 27 mile loop road you can drive on, but there’s also a portion on which cars are not permitted. There is some great hiking, or you can take a horse and buggy ride through the park and over those beautiful little stone bridges.

There is a beach on the loop! If you’re a sunbather, stop at Sand Beach and do a little sunbathing. If not, just head straight to Thunder Hole where you’ll get soaked if you’re not careful. The tide rushes in and hits Thunder Hole, and the water booms like thunder and shoots pretty far up. Hold onto the railing and wear good hiking boots or something in which you won’t slide on wet surfaces.

Cadillac Mountain

Take a 3.5 mile drive up to Cadillac Mountain for amazing views of Bar Harbor from high above! Cadillac’s peak is the highest point of any Atlantic coast state, and it’s a great place to watch the sunrise and sunset. In fact, this is where the sun rises first throughout the United States in the fall and winter months. Do keep in mind that the road to Cadillac Mountain is closed from December to April 14.

Jordan Pond

When you need a break and want a bite to eat, have lunch at the beautiful Acadia Jordan Pond House inside the park. You can choose to eat inside if you want, but definitely try to get a table outside overlooking the “pond” – just gorgeous!! And the food is actually pretty good!

Trolley Tour Through Acadia National Park

Oli’s Trolley’s also has a 2.5 hour trolley tour to Acadia. It is completely narrated, and you’ll enjoy the scenery probably a little more because you won’t have to keep your eyes on the road! This takes you up to Cadillac Mountain, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach and other locations within the park. Only problem with the tour is you’ll get to see Jordan Pond, but you can’t stop for lunch. It’s just so beautiful having lunch outside overlooking the lake.

Park Fees

The entrance fee for the park is $30 per vehicle. But, if you tend to visit a lot of National Parks, then before you go you should order your America the Beautiful Pass. It’s $80 for an annual pass and gets you into all National Parks for a year. Now, if you’re a senior… that $80 will get you into all National Parks for your entire lifetime!

For more information on Acadia National Park, see my dedicated post here.

Schoodic Peninsula

There’s a quiet side to Acadia National Park, the Schoodic Peninsula . Take your rental car and drive to the Peninsula, which is only about a little over an hour from the town of Bar Harbor. You won’t see as many tourists here. We were blown away by the beauty and peacefulness. All along the Peninsula you’ll see artists with easels set up creating incredible paintings. The rocky granite shoreline has tons of volcanic dikes that the waves crash through as seagulls fly overhead.

Whale Watching

On another day, make sure to take a whale watching tour with Bar Harbor Whale Watching Company. The company pretty much guarantees that you will see whales. But even if you don’t, it’s a great day on the water and you WILL see some stunning scenery and lighthouses… and possibly even some puffins and seals.

Road Trips from Bar Harbor Maine

Moosehead Lake

About a 2 hour drive from Bar Harbor is the pristine Moosehead Lake. This is the largest lake in the State of Maine. I’ll never forget the view as we came over a bridge and saw this lake in the distance!

It is an unspoiled wilderness dotted with islands and seaplanes, and it is stunning! This quiet nature refuge is where you will have the most luck finding the elusive moose.

Activities at Moosehead Lake

• The fly fishing, trout & salmon fishing, and smallmouth bass fishing at this lake is some of the best in the state. Find out more about fishing at Moosehead Lake here.
• Put on your hiking boots and hit the trails at Moosehead Lake to release your stress and be one with nature. There are trails here for every level of experience. In fact, Moosehead holds a portion of the Appalachian Trail. Find more information, and trail maps here.
• Boating is one of the best ways to see this gorgeous lake, its coves, inlets and islands. Kayaks, paddle boards, canoes and other boats are all available to rent on Moosehead Lake. Find more information on renting boats, canoes and kayaks here.
• If you don’t want to do any boating on your own, hop on board the Katahdin Steamship a/k/a The Kate. Kate is over 100 years old and steams smoothly over the lake as the Captain narrates the history and scenery of Moosehead. She sails from June through October. See more information on Katahdin here.
• If you’re more into winter sports, Moosehead has several cross country ski & snowmobile trails, as well as several ski resorts and clubs. Find more information on snow skiing and snowmobiling here.
• See the incredible lake from above with a seaplane scenic flight. There are a couple of options for tours over the lake which you can find here.
• Plan your trip around the International Seaplane Fly-In which is celebrated at Moosehead Lake each year. It’s an amazing event in which accommodations filled up very quickly, so make your reservations well in advance for this event. Please note that this event has been canceled for 2020, thanks to Covid-19.

Baxter State Park

Beautiful Baxter State Park was created for the people of Maine by Percival P. Baxter, governor of Maine between 1921 and 1924. He bought almost 6,000 acres of land, including Maine’s highest mountain peak, Katahdin, in 1930, and then in 1931 he donated the land to the State of Maine with the condition that it stays “forever wild”. By the way, there is no electricity or running water in the park… forever wild! To ensure that the park remains wild, Mr. Baxter left nearly 7 million dollars to the State to take care of the park. Find trail maps here.

There are over 215 miles of hiking trails in Baxter State Park, as well as eight roadside campgrounds, and two backcountry campgrounds. See more information on campgrounds at Baxter State Park here.

Baxter State Park is about a 2.5 hour drive from Bar Harbor.

Explore Stephen King’s Book/Movie Sites in the Town of Bangor

If you’re flying into Bangor to get to Bar Harbor, why not spend a few hours checking out the town?

I’m a HUGE Stephen King fan… I have every single one of his books, including signed ones. HUGE fan! So, of course, I wanted to see his house and a few of his book sites on the way from the airport to Bar Harbor.

was built in 1858 and is surrounded by an iron fence. The fence is decorated with gargoyles, bats and spider webs… very cool!
• I think pretty much everyone has either read or seen Stephen King’s “It”. The standpipe from the movie/book was the inspiration for the haunted water tower.
• Most of Stephen King’s “The Langoliers” was filmed at the Bangor International Airport. is where Stephen King appeared in the original “Pet Semetary” film. He played a minister at the funeral of the little boy, Gage. This was also reportedly the cemetery that was the inspiration for the book “Carrie” due to a grave marker with the name “Carrie” on it. It’s a beautiful old cemetery and worth a visit.
• Get anything Stephen King related at Gerald Winters & Son Bookstore in Bangor. They have his first editions, signed novels, shirts, hats, and all sorts of memorabilia. This is a treasure chest for Stephen King fans!

If this is something you’d truly be interested in, the best way to see all of the sites from Stephen King’s books and movies is with SK Tours of Maine.

Portland

On the other hand, if you fly into Portland, why not stay and explore for a couple of hours, or even a couple of days!

The very busy city of Portland is large, but it seems like a small town with its quaint cobbled streets. It’s a very walkable city with lots of great waterfront restaurants and bars, as well as cute little shops and museums.

Although there are no free walking tours in Portland, you can create your own with the GPSMyCity app, or use one of the app’s already generated tours.

Check out DiMillo’s on the Water for a great meal. This is an old ferry ship that was turned into a floating restaurant with really good food! Try the lobster roll and the New England Clam Chowder… amazing.

Top Tours for Bar Harbor Maine

See all Viator tours for Bar Harbor, Maine.

Annual Festivals and Events

Plan a trip around one of Bar Harbor’s annual festivals and events.

Best Time to Visit Bar Harbor

The best time for visiting Bar Harbor is September through early October… when the summer crowds have gone home, but before the freezing temperatures begin.

From May through September is perfect temperature-wise, but you will be there with everyone else, and you won’t get to see the beautiful fall foliage.

In the winter, if you want to do some cross-country skiing, it’s beautiful. However, most restaurants, shops, and even some of the inns close up for the winter. So this is something to keep in mind.

Where to Stay in Bar Harbor

The Atlantean Cottage

There are a lot of gorgeous historic Inns and B&B’s in Bar Harbor. Our favorite, though, is The Atlantean Cottage . This B&B is a lovely Tudor cottage owned by Nadine & Brad. Our room, the Edgemere Bedchamber, had a gorgeous 4-poster comfy bed and a fireplace, and the room itself was huge!! It is quiet and tranquil, but also within walking distance to all of the restaurants, art galleries and boutiques. The very extensive breakfast menu choices were absolutely delicious.

Primrose Inn

The Primrose Inn is also just a short walk from Main Street. It has 15 very large rooms, each with its own private bath. Some of the rooms have fireplaces and private porches. Full breakfasts are included and delicious.

The Bar Harbor Grand Hotel

If you’d rather stay in a hotel, The Bar Harbor Grand Hotel is right on Main Street, in a perfect location. It is a fairly new hotel and the prices are pretty reasonable.

Bar Harbor Inn & spa

Here’s one if you want a splurge on the water… the Bar Harbor Inn & Spa. It’s an oceanfront hotel right in town! The property is absolutely gorgeous, the rooms are spacious and elegant, and a continental breakfast is included in the price. The views alone are worth the price.

Finding and Booking Accommodations

Lodging is one of the most important aspects of planning a trip. You want to find the right place for the best price. Our favorite resource when making reservations for lodging is Booking.com. They really seem to have the best deals on hotels, B&B’s and rental properties. Read more about finding and booking accommodations.

Where to Eat

The Friar’s Pub: Open from 7:30am to 10:00am for breakfast, and then it reopens for happy hour at 4:00pm. The burger and the poutine are some of the best!

2 Cats: An adorable restaurant that is open from Thursday through Monday for breakfast and lunch. The breakfast burrito is fantastic. Sit out on the front porch for your meal if it’s a nice day.

Testa’s: This restaurant has been around for a very, very long time. In fact, there used to be one in my hometown, as well. They are open daily from breakfast through dinner. They have a great lobster roll!

McKay’s Public House: Very good soups, salads and pub fare. Try the pretzels and beer cheese, the meatloaf, and the fish n’ chips!

Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound: I’ve saved the best for last! This place is to die for. It’s not right in town, but it’s only about a 20 minutes drive. You pick out your live lobster and they cook it outside in sea water over a wood fire… and then you get your little picnic table and chow down on some of the best lobster in the world! This place is anything but fancy, but it’s seriously the best!

How to Get to Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor is about an hour from Bangor International Airport (BGR), or about three hours from Portland International Airport. We have done it both ways. Bangor is a smaller airport and it’s much easier. You can actually fly into Bar Harbor, but these flights tend to be much more expensive and have more stops. See how to get the best deals on flights.

Then, really, the only way to get to Bar Harbor from the airports is renting a car. There are other options (bus, shuttle), but they are difficult and it makes for a very long day. See my tips and tricks for renting a car.

If you choose not to rent a car and drive, you can check Rome2Rio for other options.

Watch This

Shutter Island is a movie directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leo DiCaprio. There is a scene in the movie where he climbs rocks at the ocean. This scene was filmed in Acadia National Park.

Fun Fact

Acadia is the fifth smallest National Park by land area, but it’s among the top ten most visited.

Share Your Travel Tips & Comments

As always, if you have any of your own travel tips to add to this post, any remarks on the article, or if my information needs an edit or addition, please leave your comments below. I value all of your input.

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