Acadia National Park Maine
Best of Bar Harbor Attractions

For one of the best Maine tourist attractions, you can’t go wrong with Acadia National Park, and since you’re in Bar Harbor anyway, you’ll definitely want to put this on your list of things to do in Maine.

I remember the first time we went to Acadia, over a decade ago. It was a gorgeous autumn day, the leaves were changing colors and as we drove into the park, I was blown away.

The incredible views you see driving up to Cadillac Mountain actually left me breathless. I had never seen such extraordinary beauty.

Granite mountain tops, sparkling lakes, forested valleys, meadows, marshes, and rocky coastline join together to create a national park like none other.

We’ve traveled to Acadia nearly every year since then, and I still get blown away by its splendor.

Although seeing the breathtaking scenery of Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain are reason enough to include this on your Maine Vacations… within the 40,000 acres of this National Treasure there are plenty of other activities for the outdoorsy person.

One of the most popular activities to do here is hiking. With over 120 miles of hiking trails, rated from very easy to strenuous, you will definitely find a trail to match your ability.

Carriage rides, Biking, kayaking, rock climbing and fishing are popular activities too, and if you can brave the cold water, swimming can even be done here.

To find out all that you can do at Acadia National park, the best thing to do is to stop at the Visitor Center and get a map of the park with all its attractions, and a list of all the activities.

By the way, if you want to leave the driving to someone else, while you take in the scenery, the Island Explorer Shuttle Bus makes regular stops at the Visitors Parking Lot.

Some of the most popular areas to visit within Acadia park are, Otter Point, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, and Cadillac Mountain, Jordan Pond and the Jordan Pond Restaurant.

The Thuya Garden and Asticou Azalea Garden are wonderful places to enjoy the beautiful flowers and relax from a tiring hike.

The Wildwood Stables located on Park Loop Road even offer horse-drawn carriage rides through the park.

There is so much more than has even been mentioned here! It’s doubtful that you’ll be able to experience all that Arcadia National Park has to offer within one day.

So plan to include Acadia National Park on your Bar Harbor vacation!

You will not regret your decision!

Go back to Bar Harbor Maine from Acadia National Park