Bar Harbor, Maine – Top 10 Things To Do!

Beautiful Bar Harbor – a place to experience “the way life should be” – and we did exactly that. We spent three wonderful days exploring the Island and all it’s magical coves, trails, and vistas, and let me tell you, our expectations were blown away! The town beams with tourism with it’s seafood restaurants, trinket shops, and world class views, it’s no wonder that this spot is a must visit! Here’s a bucket list of must do and sees while visiting Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park!

1. Explore the Shops

The shops are so cute! One of my favourite things to do while exploring a new place is to wander around and pop in and out of all the unique shops! There are plenty of places to pick up a souvenir or stop in for a bite to eat, drink, or coffee.

2. Pint of Blueberry Beer

A must (if you drink alcohol) is to try the Blueberry Beer from a local brewery. We went to Atlantic Brewery Company, and their Blueberry Beer was top notch! However, I do wish they had a larger, shaded patio to support us travelling with our Griffin…they weren’t as dog friendly as we would have hoped! Nonetheless, their beer was amazing!

3. Ice Cream on the Green

If it’s a nice day, we recommend grabbing an ice cream cone and sitting on the green and admiring the beauty of Frenchman’s Bay.

4. Beach Day

If you drive to the very end of Schooner Head Rd., you will come to a parking lot and just a short 10 minute walk down a trail, you’ll arrive at Sand Beach. A beautiful spot for some R&R on a beautiful, sunny day! There is much shade, so I would recommend bringing an umbrella, chairs, and a picnic lunch. It really is the best beach on the island!

5. Acadia National Park

You most definitely need to explore all the wonderful vistas in Acadia National Park while you’re visiting the island. A park pass gives you 3-days of unlimited exploration.

6. Thunder Hole

We recommend driving the Park Loop Road and stopping Thunder Hole (you can research the best time to see the water spray the highest, when we were there, it wasn’t very spectacular, but cool to see nonetheless!)

7. Jordan Pond

You definitely do not want to miss Jordan Pond! It’s a natural spring fed lake that is part of a string of lakes that homes domestic plants and animals and supplies the Island with drinking water. You can not swim or float in Jordan’s Pond. Because it’s so picturesque, the parking can be frustrating on sunny days. You can book a reservation at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant and enjoy a tea and a famous popover and jam – however you need to book your time in advance. Just a note, even if you have a reservation time, it does not guarantee you a parking spot. You’ll still have to circle the parking lots with the hundreds of other tourists looking to get a glimpse of the pond and walk the trails. I would recommend taking a shuttle from Bar Harbour, or if able, plan a day of biking and take the trails up to the pond.

8. Cadillac Mountain Top

This view is AMAZING! With 360 panoramic views of the island, it’s a view that can not be missed! If you’re going to drive up, like we did, you’ll need to reserve an entry time with Acadia National Park. This can be done online at www.recreation.gov – if you plan your trip in advance, I would recommend booking a sunrise ticket! It looks so beautiful, and I wish we would have done it!

9. Eagle Lake

This lake was beautiful. Plus, there was an old carriage bridge at the entrance which you must see! There are bridges throughout the park if you have time for some hikes to see them. We were travelling with our Griffin, who is 10, so long hikes were not on brand for us with Girff in tow, however, we brought a dog trolly attachment for our bikes and biked the Eagle Lake loop and it was challenging….alot of hills, but so worth it! It took us about 1.5hrs to do the loop and the views were incredible!

10. Bioluminescence Paddle Trip

If you book your trip to Bar Harbor well enough in advance, I definitely recommend looking into a Bioluminescence Tour! Apparently the glow of the phytoplankton at night is magical! You can gaze up the star lit sky and float above the bioluminescence stars of the sea. Unfortunately the tours were booked when we were on the Island, but it is at the top of our list when we return!