Things to Do in Bar Harbor, Maine: Acadia, Cadillac & More (2026)

The best things to do in Bar Harbor, Maine, are driving Acadia National Park’s Park Loop Road, catching sunrise on Cadillac Mountain, and walking to Bar Island across a sandbar at low tide. Bar Harbor is a town of 5,089 people in Hancock County, on the east side of Mount Desert Island.

The town was incorporated as Eden in 1796 and took the name Bar Harbor in 1918. By 1880 it was a summer resort that rivaled Newport. Then a wildfire in October 1947 burned nearly half the island’s eastern side, including 67 of about 222 grand summer cottages.

Acadia National Park and the Park Loop Road

Acadia wraps around the town, and it drew a record 4.08 million visitors in 2025. The 27-mile Park Loop Road links Sand Beach, Thunder Hole and Jordan Pond. Beyond it are 158 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads that John D. Rockefeller Jr. built between 1915 and 1940.

★ Good to know The Park Loop Road is open April 15 to December 1, and Hulls Cove Visitor Center runs May 1 to October 31. Winter storms damaged parts of Ocean Path and Otter Cove, so check the park’s alerts page.

Cadillac Mountain

At about 1,530 feet, Cadillac is the tallest mountain on the U.S. Atlantic coast. From October 7 through March 6, it’s the first place in the continental U.S. to see the sunrise. You can drive the summit road or hike up on marked trails.

★ Good to know From late May to late October, driving the summit road takes a vehicle reservation bought online ahead. The Island Explorer bus doesn’t go to the top.

The Shore Path

This walk along Frenchman Bay dates to 1881 and runs about three-quarters of a mile from Ells Pier to Wayman Lane. It passes Balance Rock, a glacial boulder on the shore, and old summer cottages, with views of the Porcupine Islands. The Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association maintains it.

★ Good to know It starts right by Agamont Park downtown, so it’s an easy walk after dinner; several side paths lead back to Main Street.

Bar Island Sandbar

For about 1.5 hours on either side of low tide, a half-mile gravel bar connects town to Bar Island. On the island, a half-mile trail climbs through woods to an open meadow with a view back to town. It’s part of Acadia and free to walk.

★ Good to know Check the tide chart and watch the time. If the tide comes in, you’ll need a water taxi or a nine-hour wait.

Abbe Museum

Dr. Robert Abbe founded this museum in 1926, and it is now dedicated to the Wabanaki Nations of Maine. The downtown building, a former YMCA on Mount Desert Street, opened in 2001. Its collections include major basketry holdings and about 12,000 years of Native history in Maine.

★ Good to know The downtown museum is seasonal, from late May through October. The original Sieur de Monts building in the park is temporarily closed.

Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co.

Trips leave from 1 West Street and head offshore into the Gulf of Maine for humpback, finback and minke whales. You may also see porpoises, seals and seabirds. Researchers from Allied Whale at College of the Atlantic ride along on every trip.

★ Good to know The season runs late May through early October, and trips last 3 to 5.5 hours. If you see no whales, your ticket becomes a voucher for another trip.

Island Explorer Bus

This fare-free, propane-powered bus links Bar Harbor with park trailheads, carriage road entrances, campgrounds and nearby towns. Drivers will stop anywhere it’s safe along the route. It’s the easiest way to skip Acadia’s parking fights.

★ Good to know Service is reduced in fall, so check the schedule on the myStop app.

Also in town

The Village Green, which the American Planning Association named a Great Public Space in 2012, is the heart of downtown, and College of the Atlantic and the Jackson Laboratory are both based in town.

When to goJune through mid-October is peak season, when the Loop Road, visitor centers, whale watches and the Island Explorer all run. Come from October 7 on if you want Cadillac’s first-in-the-nation sunrise.

How long to stayPlan at least two full days: one for the Loop Road and Cadillac, one for downtown, the Shore Path and a boat trip.

Heads upAcadia now tops four million visitors a year, so book the Cadillac vehicle reservation early and use the Island Explorer bus where you can.

Getting hereHancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (BHB) in Trenton, with Cape Air flights to Boston, is about 9 miles northwest of downtown, roughly 20 minutes by car.

Do you need a reservation to drive up Cadillac Mountain?

Yes, from late May to late October. You buy the vehicle reservation online in advance; it isn’t sold at the park. Hikers don’t need one.

How do you walk to Bar Island from Bar Harbor?

Walk the half-mile sandbar from town, within about 1.5 hours of low tide. Check the tide chart first, or you could be stuck on the island for nine hours.

Is the Island Explorer bus free?

Yes. The Island Explorer is fare-free and connects Bar Harbor with Acadia trailheads, beaches, campgrounds and nearby towns. It doesn’t go to the top of Cadillac.

What else is there to see on the Maine coast?

Head down Route 1 to Camden for windjammers and Mount Battie, or to Ogunquit for the Marginal Way. See all our small towns in Maine.

Where to find them

Acadia National Park and the Park Loop Road Hulls Cove Visitor Center, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Website Directions
Cadillac Mountain Cadillac Summit Road, Acadia National Park, ME 04609 Website Directions
The Shore Path Ells Pier to Wayman Lane, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Website Directions
Bar Island Sandbar Website Directions
Abbe Museum 26 Mount Desert St., Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Website Directions
Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. 1 West St., Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Website Directions