A lovely walk along Bar Harbor, we didn't do the whole thing I'm not sure how long it goes for…read more However it was interactive with different signs along the way telling you history about the spot or the viewpoint. Easy too, pretty flat so accessible, although some rocks/pebbles. Bring a little sweater at night it gets cool, and perfect to see the sunset. Some parts don't have a railing so just be careful.

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.

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.

An easy hiking trail that leads you from Sand Beach to Otter Point, about 4.4 miles round trip…read more They have nice bathrooms at Sand Beach as well. Acadia was not busy when we came, so we had an easy time finding parking at Sand Beach to start the trail. While you'll have beautiful views of the water, the majority of this hike is along the side of the road - so beautiful views one way, cars the other. You'll have plenty of areas to step to the side to take pictures. Thunder Hole is included on this trail, and it's a quick stop off on your way. Once you get to the branch off for Otter Point, you'll get more of a hike with some minor incline changes and rocky paths. View from Otter Point is beautiful. All that being said, unless you have plenty of time, I'd recommend parking near Otter Cliff and just doing the tail end of the hike. Ocean Path is beautiful, but you're literally just walking along the road a majority of the time with pretty much the same views you would get from the car, and Thunder Hole has its own parking lot. Save some time, just do the short walk to Otter Cliff.

Wow the views are spectacular!! So many small paths to go down. Lots of less crowded spots to hand…read moreout on rocks. Great for foraging too!

I love this place! The attention to detail at this park is incredible. There's a big, well kept…read moreplayground, a sweet little mud kitchen, life sized Lincoln logs for getting creative, musical instruments (I particularly love these, haha), not to mention a little walking path, and a massive community garden. The garden is amazing, and I love the idea of providing the community with organic produce. This has been the place of many a play date, and will continue to be! Make sure to stop by the Crows Nest Cafe for your coffee treat before coming to the park!!

Milbridge Commons Wellness Park is an amazing community gathering place, play area for children and…read morecommunity gardens. There are signs as to what is ripe and ready so you can pick your own produce. The views of the Narruagusus Bay are beautiful with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs in this peaceful location. Well worth taking your book and pausing for a chapter or so!

This place is the former estate of a female ornithologist. You can walk on a wood boardwalk…read morethrough the forest and there are additional dirt trails. Use bug spray though as there are a ton of biting insects here! When you park you will notice a number of cages. These cages are housing injured raptors. You can really get to see them up close although it is a little sad that they are stuck in cages. There is a visitor center though I was there too early in the morning so I cannot comment about it.

Such a great find! Many people come to the region specifically to explore Acadia. But I highly…read morerecommend you take a little time to explore this gem just outside of Ellsworth. It is quiet and gentle and gorgeous. We walked the white trail -- the longest of 4 miles of intersecting walking trails through the picturesque and peaceful woods. Then we visited all the bird habitats with owls, hawks, ravens, vultures, and geese - all of which have been rescued and given a second chance in this lovely place. Be sure to take the time to read the placards about the birds and the venue to really appreciate what's going on here. Lovely!

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.

Listen up: this intense hike does not mess around…read more All those things you read at the trailhead and on the websites are true. If you're not in great shape, and if you have even the tiniest whisper of a fear of heights, then this hike is NOT for you. No kids, full stop. There's a reason it's on lists of "The Most Dangerous Tourist Attractions In The World" and the like. Now that you're appropriately warned, I can also say that this is one of the most memorable and fun hikes I've ever done. You start at the very small parking area (plan to park along the road, or honestly, just take the shuttle that stops here) and have the easiest part of the hike first. After just a bit, you'll come to your first climb up a rock face, then you wrap around the mountain to find a scramble up a talus rock slope. At the top of the that rock scramble you bop over and then under a tunnel of rock, and that's just getting you warmed up. Expect 90-degree granite cliffs where you cling to iron ladder rungs, exposed rock faces where you shuffle along the face on a tiny ledge, and a lot of thigh/glute/calf workout as you basically scale up the side of a cliff with many many many ladder segments as your sweaty palms cling to the iron rungs. In a word: awesome! At the end, you end up on the top of Acadia, looking out to the water. We visited in October when the foliage was prime, and obviously that's a pro move. Everyone talks about Cadillac but if you're willing to put in the sweat, this is the views without the crowds. Once you're at the top, they recommend coming down a different trail that pops you out on the road closer back to town, and then walking back to the trailhead. We did just that and it's the way to go--descending those ladders in two-way traffic is a recipe for problems. Shoutout the bus driver who stopped for us on the road so we didn't have to walk all the way back! If you're into hikes like this but don't want, you know, the FULL hike like this, I'm told the Beehive Trail has a little taste of this kind of thing and that may be the way to go. But if disaster flirting is your thing and you're a responsible hiker and it hasn't been raining, hit up the Precipice Trail for sure.

I love this. Not for beginners. Mostly steps and some…read moresteeper parts. When going uphill I had to stop a lot. A very good workout, and I would love to do it again when I am in shape. Don't do it midday, be there around 9. Leaving later would be too hot (it was 60F today and at 9 we were boiling from sun) Also, leaving early because of tourists. But, older people who can handle it can do it. For example: my friend who is 57 could walk and do it, but another 57 year old was much slower and behind the group. But, she did well.

I hiked the Hollingsworth Trail and it was well marked and relatively easy. Just have to be mindful…read moreof some roots and rocks. It looped around the Rocky shoreline,, which was beautiful. So it was. The ride to The preserve (Pigeon Hill Rd) is scenic. Parking could be tight on the busiest days but I was lucky!

We hiked the Birch and Lobster Point trails. There is a fairly decent sized parking area at the…read moreBirch/Lobster trail head, which is the first parking lot on the right. There were only a couple of cars when we arrived on a Thursday in September. The trail starts off in a mass of blueberry fields. Unfortunately for us, it was past blueberry picking season. As a note, you can only hand pick the blueberries, no rakes are allowed. The trail then enters the woods, and you are in the woods until you reach the water. The trail is gravel/natural mulch which makes for easy walking. There are some roots but it's not too bad. In several wet areas, they have built boardwalks. There are some strategically placed adirondack chairs at various viewpoints of the water. They were very comfortable - what a great idea! So, if you plan ahead, you can pack a lunch and dine by the water :) As you hike along, there is a spur trail that takes you to Lobster Point. When you return to the main trail, the loop trail to Birch Point is not far away. Once you leave Birch Point, continue around the loop. There is a pretty narrow part through some low bushes that is cleared just enough for you to walk through. Then you come upon a very open, rocky space that is on the water. Another place that would be fun to hang out and have lunch. Finish the loop trail and head back to the parking lot on the original main trail. This isn't a hike that will get your heartbeat up; however, it is an enjoyable walk with some great water views. It took us about 2 1/2 hours but we lollygagged around quite a bit. There were some bugs but they weren't too bad in September.