Are you thinking about a trip to Bar Harbor or Acadia National Park? If so, you’re in the right place because I am sharing the best places to stay, eat, and explore while you’re there! I’m so excited to be finally sharing our trip to Bar Harbor + Acadia National Park, Maine. We decided to take a trip for our four year anniversary and we are so happy we chose Maine because it’s literally breath taking. For our trip we spent a few days camping in Acadia National Park and a few days in the bay side town Bar Harbor. They are both so close to each other so I suggest checking them both out.
Why should you visit? Well for one Bar Harbor is a cute town with tons of restaurants and shopping making it a popular getaway. Acadia National Park is full of rocky beaches, hiking trails, and wild life. I love that there’s so many different things to do in Bar Harbor and when you throw in the National Park the list just doesn’t stop.
Convinced yet? Read on and get ready to start planning your adventure!
Where to Stay
For the Bar Harbor portion of our trip we stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort Bar Harbor. It’s the perfect location because it’s right in the middle of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. It was a nice hotel, but the best part was definitely the pool & hot tub area! It was gorgeous and the views were amazing.
For our adventure portion of the trip we camped at the Black Woods Campground in Acadia National Park. This was the coolest camping trip we have been on by far! We did so much while we camped, hiked, and just enjoyed nature. There was a beautiful lookout right by our campground where we watched the sunset the first night and it was so peaceful listening to the waves crash.
Where to Eat
When in Maine you must eat allllll the lobstah rolls. If you know anything about Maine, you know they are famous for their lobsters. They have lobster flavored everything, even ice cream!! (We sampled it and it was interesting!!) There are lobster pounds on every corner and each one is better than the last. Our favorite one was Thurston’s Lobster Pound.
In downtown Bar Harbor Stewman’s Lobster Pound is a must! The atmosphere is so fun and the views are beautiful. They have dinner specials where you can pick your lobster and it’s just a really cool and picturesque restaurant.
Grab breakfast at Jordan’s Restaurant in Bar Harbor. It’s a quaint little diner that is inexpensive and delicious. Blueberries are also a big deal in Maine and Jordan’s is home of Bar Harbor’s best wild Maine blueberry muffins & pancakes. So, of course I had to try their blueberry pancakes and they live up to their title!
Recharge with some Iced Coffee from Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium. This place is a huge candy store filled with coffee, candy, and ice cream. This is where we tried the lobster flavored ice cream. Speaking of ice cream, Bar Harbor has a lot of different ice cream shops so make sure you get some ice cream while your exploring downtown too! We ended up getting ours from CJ’s Big Dipper.
What to do in Bar Harbor
Explore downtown Bar Harbor
Like I said before, there is so much to do in this charming town. The town looks like a place straight from a book! There are a lot of little shops, places to eat, and parks. I also recommend checking out the sand bar, It’s a path to a little island that is only out 1 to 2 hours before low tide so you have to time it just right or else you’ll get stuck out there.
Watch the sunset
If you’re looking for the perfect place to watch the sunset then you absolutely must visit the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. It’s such a beautiful place! I suggest arriving a little early to find the perfect spot on the rocks, and bring a blanket to sit on.
Things to do in Acadia National Park
There is an abundance of cool stuff to do in the National park and you don’t have to camp there to do it. You can buy a day pass and adventure your little heart out. Read on to see the highlights from our experience in the park.
Drive the Park Loop Road
The Park Loop road is a 27-mile, one way road that drives through the whole park. There are plenty of places to stop to take pictures and simply enjoy the views along the way. The road connects you to the iconic Park sites like Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, Jordan Pond, and Cadillac Mountain.
Visit the Sand Beach
Sand Beach was probably one of my favorite places to visit in Acadia National Park. It is located in a small inlet between the granite mountains and Mount Desert Island. There is also an ocean side trail you can take to enjoy even more views.
Admire the Thunder Hole
The Thunder Hole is SO cool, it’s a natural rock inlet where waves crash with a thunderous boom & high-flying foam when seas are up.
Take a hike
One of the best things you can do in Acadia is go on a hike. We did a few different trails like the Ocean Trail, Gorham Mountain Trail, and our favorite one of all – the Beehive Trail. If you’re looking for a challenging hike then you would love this one. It was insane and probably one of the scariest things I’ve ever done because it’ a vertical climb with metal prongs and pegs throughout, but it’s so rewarding!
Cadillac Mountain
Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the United States’ East Coast and because of that it’s also the first to see the sun rise. Besides it’s stunning views, one of the coolest things about this mountain is crowds gather here as early as 4am to watch that sun come up. I couldn’t believe I was actually able to wake up to witness this, but I am so happy I did because it was an unforgettable experience. Tip: Dress warm and bring blankets because it’s very windy up there.
BONUS: On our drive home we stopped in Portland to check it out and grab a bite to eat. Portland is so cool and trendy, we wish we had more time to spend there. We went to Demillo’s on the Water for the best ever Lobster mac & cheese and then The Shop because Mike couldn’t leave Portland without trying their oysters!
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