How to Do Coastal Maine in 7 Days: Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park

Coastal Maine, Bar Harbor, and Acadia National Park are an outdoor lover’s paradise in the summer months. In an effort to get away from urban life and see a new part of the US that I had never experienced, I recently put together a road trip: “Coastal Maine in 7 Days.” This is the second post in a series where I will take you along for the trip. I’ll show you the itinerary I used so that you can replicate and experience everything that Maine has to offer. The first post covered arrival in Maine and exploring the small coastal town of Camden.

This second post starts with the departure from Camden and the road trip up the coastline to Bar Harbor, Maine. The time in Bar Harbor is filled with hikes in the stunning and well-known Acadia National Park. This is balanced with experiencing downtown areas of the small summer town of Bar Harbor. Stay tuned to future posts in this series as we will wrap up a week on the Maine coastline with two days in Portland.

Day 3 – Travel to Bar Harbor

Arising on the third day of the vacation, the time spent in Camden has come to an end. Today begins the journey to Bar Harbor and the nearby Acadia National Park. While the drive between Camden and Bar Harbor is a little under two hours when driving straight through, there are several great stops along the way.

Breakfast, Pack up, and Check-out

The vast majority of accommodations in Camden have a checkout time at 10 or 11 AM. This checkout time gives plenty of time to grab a leisurely breakfast in the morning and get ready to leave. Don’t be in a hurry as there is plenty of time today to enjoy the scenic drive. Stop and smell the roses as the saying goes.

Drive to Bar Harbor (with stops along the way)

The drive north along US Highway 1 (Atlantic Highway) continues. As with the first segment that brought you to Camden, this segment winds through many small and medium-sized coastal towns. Several of these towns are well worth a stop as noted below.

Drive to Belfast, Maine

The first stop of the drive north to Bar Harbor will be Belfast, Maine. Enjoy the small coastal towns that you pass through along the way.

Navigate to Belfast Harbor Walk in your GPS. There are several free public lots in Belfast that you can park in. Just be careful to check the signs in the parking lot. Several have specific spots that are only available to park in on certain days.

Stop 1 – Belfast, Maine

Belfast, Maine is a small coastal town located where Penobscot Bay and the Passagassawakeag River meet (yeah…try to say that three times). Belfast will be most notable for its waterfront and main street.

Once in Belfast, take a stroll along the Belfast Harbor Walk. This is a paved walkway leading from a public boathouse and kayak launch ramp at one end to a pedestrian bridge over the Passagassawakeag River on the other end. The stroll is relatively flat and a pleasant way to take in the great summer weather and harbor views. As you approach the pedestrian bridge, the harbor walk moves through an active shipyard. This shipyard is obviously not as large as the yards in Belfast, Northern Ireland; however, this city does share this industry with its larger namesake. If ship repair, painting, or retrofits interest you, the Belfast shipyard is a great place to see some small and medium-sized ships (both old and new) in various stages of work. The size of the operation is impressive for such a small Maine town.

At the North end of the harbor walk is a pedestrian bridge over the river. Walking across this bridge provides a different vantage point of Belfast. You will find many other walkers and cyclers on the bridge enjoying cool Maine weather. Walk along the bridge to the other side of the river (or as far as you want to go) before turning back.

Once you have finished walking the pedestrian bridge, make your way back to the Belfast downtown area. Belfast is filled with several small shops and boutiques that make for great window shopping, browsing, or actual shopping. The shops include children’s clothing, artisan supply, board game and puzzles store, clothing boutique, and a cider bar (just to name a few). Take in your feel of the small-town shops and charm before getting back to the drive.

Drive to Fort Knox and Penobscot Narrows

The second stop of the drive north is Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows. Located a short ride north on US Highway 1 is Prospect, Maine. Prospect is the home to Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory. Fort Knox, an 1800s-era US fort, is located in a Maine State Park that goes by the same name. Penobscot Narrows is the location of a modern bridge construction where the Penobscot River meets the bay of the same name. The bridge is famous for the observation level located at the top of one of its towers.

Stop 2 – Fort Knox and Penobscot Narrows Observatory

Upon entry to the state park housing Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory, you will purchase a combination ticket for the fort and observatory. I recommend heading straight to the observatory. With the limited number of people that can go up at once, there could be a line. A road leads from the entrance of the park to the bottom of the bridge and a nearby parking lot.

Once at the bottom of the bridge, enter the small lobby in the base of one of the bridge towers. Visuals providing the history of the area and old bridge are on the walls of the lobby. The walls also show photos of the construction of the current bridge. Once it is your turn to ascend the tower, an elevator takes you 420 feet up to the observation level at the top of the bridge. From here there are 360° views out the glass windows. You have great views of Fort Knox, the Penobscot River, the Penobscot Bay, the town of Bucksport, and the surrounding area. While you won’t spend much time at the top of the observatory, the view and experience are so unique you won’t want to miss them.

Next up is Fort Knox. Fort Knox was constructed in the early 1800s as protection against the British who controlled Canada at the time. The fort’s only wartime action was during the war of 1812. The fort became outdated and was abandoned shortly after that; however, the site has been well restored. While it is a small fort, it still shows off all the cannonry, dormitories, kitchens, officers’ quarters, courtyard, and other typical fortification sights. While you don’t have to spend long at the site, the fort is included in the cost of your ticket. Fort architecture is always somewhat impressive. As an added bonus, imagine the time soldiers spend here protecting this northern US frontier in the winter.

Drive to Bar Harbor

With pit stops complete, the journey continues. There are no further stops between you and one of the outdoor capitals of the Atlantic coast, Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Head straight to your accommodations to check in and park your car.

Explore Bar Harbor and Dinner

If you are unfamiliar with Bar Harbor, the first night is a great opportunity to walk around the downtown area. Get your bearings and learn what all is located in this popular coastal town. While Bar Harbor is only home to about 5,200 residents year-round, the downtown area and influx of visitors will make it feel much larger in the summer. During the summer months, the downtown area is able to support lots of restaurants, breweries, ice cream shops, harbor cruises, cafes, museums, gift shops, clothing shops, and so much more. The downtown area is a shopper’s paradise. If you don’t want to purchase anything, browse and see all that Bar Harbor has to offer.

The first night in Bar Harbor is also an excellent time to stroll along the harbor walk (also known as the Shore Path). This stroll takes you a half-mile along the Bar Harbor coastline starting from downtown in Agamont Park. In the evening, this walk is very peaceful and is exactly what you expect the Maine coastline to show you.

Either before or after the Shore Path walk (depending on your mealtime preference), I recommend grabbing dinner. The majority of restaurants in Bar Harbor are first come first serve. Therefore, when you are starting to get hungry it is best to search out where you want to eat and get your name on the list. Depending on the time of day and how popular the dinner restaurant is, you could be waiting 30 minutes to an hour for a seat. If you are in this situation, doing the Shore Path walk while you wait could be a perfect activity.

Day 4 – Hiking Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park

Day 4 of the 7 Day Coastal Maine trip has arrived. With it comes the first of a couple days spent hiking in Acadia National Park and enjoying the charming Bar Harbor downtown.

Prepare Lunch for the Day

Once you are inside Acadia National Park and have a parking spot, you aren’t going to want to leave. Traveling out of the park takes a while as several roads are one way and finding a parking spot again can be very difficult. There are also very few restaurants inside the park. Therefore, in order to make the most of your time, you will want to bring lunch and snacks with you.

There are generally two options to bring a lunch into the park. The first option is to get a lunch made from a sandwich shop/deli in Bar Harbor before going to Acadiona National Park. The most famous shop for this is Downeast Deli and Boxed Lunch Co in downtown Bar Harbor. The Downeast Deli provides a boxed lunch of sandwich/wrap/salad, chips, cookies, and water. You will want to call the night before you want to pick it up to order your boxed lunch. The shop opens at 7 AM in the morning for you to swing by and pick up your lunches. You can come by and order the lunch in the morning, but if you call ahead that’s one less thing you have to do. The downside to getting a boxed lunch is the pickup time and cost.

If you don’t want to order ahead, wait in line, or pay for someone to make your boxed lunch, the second option is to go to the local supermarket to pick up lunch. The best grocery store in Bar Harbor is Hannaford Supermarket. It’s easy to get some pre-made sandwiches, wraps, and salads here from a deli case. In addition, you can pick up some fruit, chips, or other snacks for the rest of the hike.

Drive to Acadia National Park – Sand Beach Parking Area

The trailheads for today are all located near the Sand Beach Parking Area in Acadia National Park. In order to get into the park, you will be required to have a vehicle pass. As of writing, a private vehicle pass that provides entrance to the national park for up to 15 passengers is $30 for 7 days. While you can purchase passes at several entrances to the park, you can also purchase and print the pass ahead of time at https://www.recreation.gov/.

Sand Beach is a popular starting point for both hikers and people going to the beach. Because of this, the Sand Beach parking area starts to fill up quite early. For this reason, I recommend arriving at the parking area by 9:00 AM. While the primary parking area will be getting close to being filled at 9:00 AM, there are several secondary parking areas and street parking that normally are open at this point in the morning. All of these are close enough to the trailhead that they are acceptable.

Beehive Trail

Perhaps one of the most popular trails that departs from the Sand Beach trailhead areas is Beehive Trail. This is a short hike at only 1.5 miles roundtrip, but it is strenuous. The hike takes you up the side of a mountain with great overlooking views of Sand Beach and the surrounding Maine coastline. If you are afraid of heights, this is not the hike for you.

While the Beehive Trail hike is marked strenuous, in many ways it is easier and more rewarding than the Mt. Battie hike that was completed earlier in this trip. Beehive has several sections of iron rung ladders that help you ascend elevation quickly. This is much easier than a slow climb uphill like Mt. Battie. Because of the elevation increase and it proximity to the coast, there are excellent views from the top.

Make sure you complete this loop trail in the counter-clockwise direction. First, climbing the ladder portion is much easier than descending the ladder portion. Second, the vast majority of people will go counterclockwise on this trail, meaning you don’t have to try to pass groups going the opposite direction in skinnier portions of the trail. With the popularity of this trail, don’t underestimate the annoyance of trying to get past other groups in some of the small portions of the trail.

Trails throughout Acadia National Park are marked with blue paint stripes on the trail or on trees. You shouldn’t worry about getting lost on any marked trails as the guidelines are well maintained.

This trail ends with a slow decline to Bowl Pond (which makes a great spot to stop for a snack). From the pond, the trail continues to descend back to the Sand Beach trailhead. I highly recommend this hike if you are in good physical shape and don’t have acrophobia (fear of heights).

Lunch and Beach Time

Another hike is scheduled for the afternoon, but first, take some time between the hikes to rest and relax. Since we are at the popular Sand Beach area, the best way to enjoy your lunch is to take it down to the beach. If you are adventurous and want to experience the cold water of the North Atlantic, change into your swimsuit at the bathhouse and changing areas located at the Sand Beach Parking Area. While it is no doubt very cold, once you are able to get in there is something very refreshing about the cold water after the morning hike.

Gorham Mountain and Ocean Loop Trail

The afternoon hike includes a walk next to the ocean and a hike up and over Gorham mountain. This hike is longer at 3.1 miles, but it is much less strenuous than the morning hike.

While the default direction for this looped hike is clockwise, there isn’t a big difference in the hike based on the direction of travel. During the walk along the coastline, the hike passes a natural inlet in the rock named the “Thunder Hole”. When the ocean waves crash into this inlet around high tide, a large thunder-like sound and huge splash are created. If high tide coincides with when you are hiking this trail, try to plan your arrival at the “Thunder Hole” closest to then for maximum effect.

The inland portion of this hike is still hilly, but it has some fun elements such as going through a “tent” of rocks or underneath nearby cliffs. This hike is long so make sure you bring plenty of water and are prepared for the length.

Freshen Up, Bar Harbor Downtown, and Dinner

If you tackled both of the hikes on this day’s itinerary, you should feel both accomplished and probably sweaty. Head back to your accommodation in Bar Harbor and clean up. Wrap up the day with your favorite activities in Bar Harbor and dinner. My favorite locations to visit in the early evenings were the ice cream shops, small bars, and breweries. There is a wide variety of specialty shops as well to appeal to any taste.

The pictures below are from Cottage Street Pub, a small eclectic pub for beer and cocktails. I recommend checking them out if you have a few minutes to kill while waiting for dinner.

Day 5 – Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park

The last full day in Bar Harbor will provide the opportunity to explore some other hiking trails and areas of Acadia National Park. The hikes for Day 5 of your trip include a more relaxing hike around one of the largest ponds in the national park.

Prepare Lunch for the Day

As with yesterday, you won’t want to exit the national park in order to get lunch. However, there are a few other options besides bringing a picnic lunch today (more on these options below). If you do decide to pack a picnic lunch, pick it up this morning at the deli or grocery store.

Drive to Acadia National Park – Jordan Pond Parking Area

Jordan Pond is one of the largest ponds in the national park. Due to the restaurant located on its shores (Jordan Pond House) and the relatively easy walking trail that surrounds the pond, this is also a popular trailhead. While the Jordan Pond Parking Area doesn’t fill as quickly as the Sand Beach parking area, it is still good to get an early start. I recommend arriving at the parking area by 9:30 AM.

Jordan Pond Path and South Bubble Trail

The morning hike is a relatively easy 3.5-mile loop around Jordan Pond with a short hike up South Bubble mountain at the midway point. The Jordan Pond Path is a cleared and nearly flat trail that wraps around the edge of Jordan Pond. The path is majority cleared and wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side at most points. In addition, large portions of the path have been improved with gravel, bridges, and raised walkways. This is a path that anyone should be able to complete.

The Jordan Pond Path provides great views of the pond and the Bubble Mountains. Be prepared to hike in a few wet areas because of the path’s proximity to the water. This is especially true if it has rained in the preceding days as was the case for my hike shown in the pictures below.

The Jordan Pond Path meets the South Bubble Trail at the midway point around the pond. South Bubble Trail climbs the southernmost Bubble mountain. These two mountains located at the north end of Jordan Pond provide a great vantage point of the pond and the surrounding area. The South Bubble Trail also adds some different hiking and views to what you will see the rest of the day on the pond path. If you don’t want to climb South Bubble, you can stay on the pond trail and reduce the total hike length by approximately a quarter of a mile. However, the full hike is recommended to nearly everyone who can climb a little incline.

Lunch

There are several options for lunch today like mentioned earlier. The first option is to do a picnic lunch like yesterday. There are several great spots along the hike if you want to stop before it is complete and eat your lunch. Alternately, you can eat your lunch when you get back to the trailhead. There is an observation area at the Jordan Pond House where you can eat (although it can get crowded at times).

Another option is to eat at the Jordan Pond House. The pond house is a traditional Acadia experience and is known for its tea and popovers (popovers are similar to a large roll that is cooked in a muffin tin). The views from the restaurant across Jordan Pond are excellent from inside or from the lawn seating (if you are lucky enough to snag one of those tables). Because it is one of the few restaurants inside Acadia, dining here is very popular. Normally, reservations can be made so that you can complete your hike by the time your table is ready. This would help to cut down on your wait times. However, in the current environment (Summer 2021) as we emerge from a world pandemic, Jordan Pond House is not accepting reservations.

Bar Island Hike

In what can only be characterized as a unique hike, I recommend attempting the Bar Island Hike. Bar Island is a small tidal island located right in downtown Bar Harbor. This island is a tidal island because at low tide the island is connected to the mainland via a land bridge. If timed appropriately, hikers are able to walk across the land bridge connecting downtown Bar Harbor to Bar Island.

Check the tide charts for Bar Harbor before you go. The land bridge is accessible for roughly 1.5 hours before and after low tide. Ensure you have plenty of time to walk over and get back before the tide rises too high. If you do get stuck, the next low tide is often 11 – 13 hours later so you could be stuck on the island for a while. If you find yourself in that unfortunate situation, you can hire a private ferry to come to get you, but this can be quite expensive. Best to just be certain of the tide and plan ahead.

If the times work out for you, there is a nice and easy hiking trail on Bar Island. This trail takes you to the top of Bar Island with several forks that head down to the water. If you start soon after the land bridge is passable, you will be able to do the entire trail including the forks. However, if you start later you may need to skip some of the forks and be cognizant of when to turn around to make sure you don’t get stuck.

Even if the tide times don’t work out for a hike, take a stroll or drive down to the trailhead in town as it’s neat to see where the connection to the island would be.

Freshen Up, Bar Harbor Downtown, and Dinner

After the Bar Island hike (or after seeing the trailhead if the tide isn’t at the right position), head back to your accommodations in Bar Harbor and clean up. Wrap up the final full day in Bar Harbor with some more of your favorite downtown activities:

• Try different ice cream
• Grab a Bar Harbor or Acadia souvenir
• Grab a drink
• Enjoy a summer day in one of the parks

Wrap Up

This wraps up days three through five of the “Coastal Maine in 7 Days” road trip in Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. If you have any questions, please leave them below.

The final two days of the road trip in Portland are coming out soon.