Where do you even begin to review a national park as gorgeous as Acadia?…read more Sand Beach and Thunder Hole are a must see. Beautiful sights. Cadillac Mountain is worth it.

Acadia National Park has been on my list of "must visit" parks for years. I've been talking to…read morevarious friends about a trip there for a while. While searching for a last-minute 4-day weekend birthday trip - the timing seemed to work out to visit Bar Harbor and Acadia. I was here from 30 April - 03 May and loved it. Not everything was open, but enough was open that I was able to explore and see most of what I wanted in Acadia (Cadillac mountain opened ON 30 April so, we were able to drive to the top, park and walk around without a permit/pass before season starts in a few weeks. We hiked Beehive, Jordan Pond, Ocean Path, Homan's Trail and a few other short park and walk items. By far, my favorite was Beehive as it's just scary/steep enough to give you a thrill, gorgeous views. I also loved Homan's trail - easy and short, but beautiful rock work. The ranger also told me that one of the women who originally donated a ton of the land for Acadia and wanted to do so anonymously was last name Homan, so this is honor of her. And what a beautiful trail it is! The visitor's center is small but as always, friendly and helpful rangers who helped me prioritize my must-sees and map out the best use of time/driving to get to everything I wanted to do in two short days. Schooner Point lookout is also an easy/quick stop off before entering one of the park entrances - and a beautiful view of the ocean. Bar Harbor is charming and fun and welcoming and at that time in late April/early May - no waits for anything as season is just beginning. Can't wait to come back!

Despite having done some research in advance, I had not been aware of this particular opportunity…read more There are many small islands in the region, but this one is notable for having a gravel walkway that sits above the tide for only a few hours a day. An appropriately timed hike yields an array of fantastic views that beggar belief. And this is despite the fact that walking to the end of the trail on the island from downtown, Bar Harbor takes maybe half an hour. Signage warns people not to get trapped on the island when the tide rises as getting a boat is expensive. I could imagine that if the weather is rough one could get into a bit of trouble here, but as long as you're smart about it, this is a fantastic place to visit.

Bar Island is a tidal island connected to Bar Harbor by a gravel and sand bar that is exposed at…read morelow tide and submerged at high tide. So interesting to be able to cross from Bar Harbor by foot and then hike to the top of the island for a view of historic Bar Harbor. The city of Gouldsboro still maintains jurisdiction over the island based on its 1798 articles of incorporation. Many families have tried to build a bridge to the island from Bar Harbor, however John D. Rockefeller, Jr. purchased the half of the island that has the sandbar which stopped the bridge from being constructed. Today, the island is part of Acadia National Park. If you visit, mind the times for the tides. People have been stranded and apparently cars have been washed away back in the days when they parked on the sandbar. Once high tide comes in, you will need to wait approximately nine hours for low tide or pay a hefty fine for being stranded on Bar Island. A unique experience in Acadia National Park.

Playground has something for everyone. Equipment is all new and well taken care of. Nice wood chips…read moreno dogs allowed so no pee or poop to worry about. Kids could complete a whole obstacle/ninja course. Kids are 7 and 5.

This is the nicest playground I have ever seen. If I could rate it 10 stars, I would…read more It was so clean, well kept and huge. Plus, it's all fenced in which is a must have in my opinion for a perfect park. The equipment was great for a variety of ages - my two year old had a blast! There are restrooms across the street by the baseball field that also has a water fountain and a place to refill water bottles, which is so handy. There are trash cans, plenty of benches and a couple of picnic tables to use while your kiddos burn some energy. There is a small parking lot by the park, or I'm assuming you could park across the street by the ball field. There are also hooks to hang jackets or diaper bags. No dogs allowed - which even as a dog owner/lover, I prefer for kid parks because not everyone cleans up after their fur kids, and I don't want to have to worry about that nonsense when letting my kid play. Also, there is one of those "free library" cases out front. Love seeing these pop up all over the place. I didn't get to peek at what was inside, but love the idea. But anyway, great park! Wish I would've stumbled upon it earlier in our week here!

The compromise that seems to have been made involves a set of private properties that go near to…read morethe shore, but then a path that is open to the public right on the shoreline. It is a narrow space but plenty wide enough to walk in two directions. The views are majestic, so thankfully people that didn't invest in waterfront property have access to them. The length of the path is modest and it adjoins other parklands, and there is no reason not to stop by when in town.

Breathe in the sea air along this easy walk along Shore Path. Guests and locals have been strolling…read morealong this peaceful path since the late 1800s. Start at Agamont Path and follow the trail along the edge of Frenchman Bay. It winds past the historic and once exclusive private Reading Room, now the restaurant of the Bar Harbor Inn, former private residences and summer homes, including The Briars (Nelson Rockefeller's birthplace), and Balance Rock. During the last Ice Age, approximately 10,000 to 30,000 years ago, a glacier creeped along the mountains in Acadia carving the landscape, creating what became lakes as the ice melted and moving huge boulders known as glacial erratics to where they sit precariously today. Balance Rock is a beautiful example of a huge rock that was picked up and moved by the glacier many miles from where it was originally. Geologists estimate that it may have come from a location near Bangor which is 40 miles away. The pink or white roses that grow along the Shore Path are Rosa rugosa which are native to China and Japan. Rugose means "corrugated" or "wrinkled" and refers to the wrinkled leaves. This is in contrast to native Maine roses that have smooth leaves. After the rose hips bloom and the blossoms fade out, the fruit of the rose can be eaten. They are a good source of Vitamin C. So nice to be able to spend a tranquil summer morning walking along this scenic walkway.

Village green is a large open green space that's kind of in the center of the downtown/harbor/…read moreshopping area. We parked on the street in front of the square to let our dog out to use the restroom and walk around. We also wanted to do some shopping and this is a prime location to start your journey on foot. There are great stores in every direction. We had to use the restrooms as well and there is a public restroom across the street from the green near the police station. We ended up spending 20 or 30 minutes at the green itself, walking the path around the little gazebo and enjoying the fact that we were visiting during the off-season. It's just a beautiful, welcoming space with great views of the historic buildings in the area. If we return, I would definitely stop here again and maybe grab some food from a local restaurant and enjoy a picnic here or just a snack on the bench.

I was in town to run the famous Mount Desert Island Marathon. The Village Green was used as the…read morestaging area for the race. I thought it was the perfect location for runners to hang out right before running the race! It was centrally located in Bar Harbor so it was easy to get to no matter where you were staying. The start line for the race was just a hop, skip, and a jump away.

This was something I wanted to explore as I found it online while researching…read more We came here before entering the park and I found the short walk/hike down to the rocks easy (maybe 0.2 of a mile?) and the rocks are flat enough here that you can easily walk around a little and see the view from different angles. No one else was here while I was visiting (01 May) and I was able to take photos and enjoy the ocean. Gorgeous views.

What a stunning location. Turn before you hit the park entrance pass station,and you'll come out in…read morea parking lot that was, at the time we visited, nearly empty. The views from the lot are lovely enough, but the short (.25 mile) hike down to the cliff edge is absolutely worth it. If you are severely mobility challenged, you will probably want to stick to the parking lot overlook. If you are comfortable with a paved downhill slope, the views along the water are worth it. As you get to the end of the path, there will be natural rock steps toward the water and tidal pools. Avoid taking early shortcuts -- the path down to the incredible tidal pools is easier if you follow the path to its natural conclusion. I'd recommend wearing sturdy, waterproof shoes with a good grip, and taking extreme caution with every step -- even at the best possible viewing time (maybe an hour or so before low tide) -- the rocks will be slippery and falling is very easy. You will see tidal pools all along the shoreline, and there is a stunning sea cave accessible during low tide. I would continue to the natural end of the path and double back along the shoreline and tidal pools to get to the cave. Otherwise the scramble down is quite rough. The sea cave is worth the effort if you arrive prior to low tide. However, this is an area where the dangers of rising tide are acute. Be safe. Be smart. And enjoy!!

Our tour on Lulu Lobster Boat with Captain Mike and our tour guide Mark was genuinely the highlight…read moreof our trip! I was not expecting to really learn such a wealth of information- Mark did an incredible job of providing an educational experience not only full of information and history, but with plenty of laughs as well! He really made this such a special experience- you can tell that he truly loves what he does and takes pride in his roots in Bar Harbor, and it was heartwarming to get to get a local's perspective on what makes the town and its history so special. It can be a lot colder out on the water than it is on land so dress accordingly! The lobstering portion of the tour was educational and interactive, and the second half of the tour where we got to see seals (and their babies!) was so exciting and special. The views from anywhere in the boat were great. My partner was able to actually drive the boat along with Captain Mike for a bit, and had such a cool experience while learning so much from his wealth of experience. We were originally on the waitlist for this tour as we discovered it last minute, and consider it a huge blessing that we were able to get on as it was such as highlight- definitely do not miss this experience!

Wonderful storytelling and sights, especially for the price I (frankly) expected much less. Our…read moretour narrator and captain were friendly, but not in a weird way. You can tell the care taken to educate and entertain safely -- and there are no bad seats! Our boat was nearly full and everyone on board had a great time and chance to see, hear, and experience everything.

Perfect for a brief stop along Park Loop Road. The cove is a nice stop to walk to the water's edge…read moreand relax. Views are nice from either side of the bridge. Limited parking available along the right side of the road.

Very nice narrative of the area, history and some "fun facts". It was neat to see Acadia from the…read morewater after visiting from land the day before.

Rich took our family on a full day tour of Bar Harbor/Acadia. The kids are ages 7 and 9 and he…read moreadjusted the content of the tour based on the likes and dislikes of my kids that I described to him over the phone prior to arriving. We started the morning on 1+ hour hike through a spruce forest to arrive at the edge of a cove. Seals were in the water and birds in the distance. We literally didn't see a single other person on the hike which is incredible given that it was high season (August). It was a testament to Rich's knowledge of the island. We did visit Sieur de Monts Spring and did a flat loop walk on the long boardwalk trail which was also fairly deserted given its proximity to the tour buses pouring tourists out in front of the nature museum there. Lastly, we made a visit to a tidal pool where we spent a solid 2 hours in the water looking under every rock for starfish, crabs, sea anemones, sea urchins and snails galore. Rich knew each species and explained the good and the bad (green crabs -- invasive, not good; Jonah crabs - native, good) Rich did all of the driving and it made for a relaxing exposure to Bar Harbor/Acadia that we would've never been able to do as quickly on our own. Well worth the money.