2024 Summer Weekend in Maine’s Acadia Region | Travel Guide

Acadia National Park is the draw here, but between driving the Park Loop Road, hiking, pedaling, and ogling the eye-candy scenery, you’ll want to take in more highlights of the Acadia region. First, you need a place to stay.

VACATION COTTAGES
Salt Cottages, Bar Harbor

These adorable white clapboard cottages with red accents overlook Hull’s Cove, and they’re just a half mile from the park’s visitor center and the start of the Park Loop Road. Refresh with a dip in the ocean-view heated pool or a Ping-Pong match in the clubhouse, refuel with light fare from Picnic, and savor s’mores by the firepit. saltcottagesbarharbor.com

OCEANFRONT INN
Bar Harbor Inn, Bar Harbor

Keep an eye on the harbor action from this oasis of classic elegance and calm with a primo oceanfront location. Only the Shore Path separates it from the rippling waters of Frenchman Bay. Now add two excellent restaurants, a lounge with live entertainment, a spa, and an ocean-view pool with a bar, and you’re truly staying in style. barharborinn.com

Once you’re checked in, drive the Park Loop Road at an hour when most park visitors are calling it a day. After catching the sunset from Cadillac Mountain (you’ll need a reservation to drive to the summit), return to town for dinner and dessert.

FINE DINING
Havana, Bar Harbor

This Latin-inspired restaurant has earned raves ever since opening 25-plus years ago. Even then, the menu featured organic and naturally raised meats, sustainably harvested native seafood, and local organic produce. Sit inside or on the covered patio, sip a mojito, and splurge on the lobster moqueca or paella. havanamaine.com

ICE CREAM
Mount Desert Island Ice Cream, Bar Harbor

With both familiar flavors and innovative ones (cinnamon-cardamom, lemon poppy jam), it’s no wonder MDI Ice Cream always has a line out the door. Before calling it a night, indulge in this high-butterfat treat, scratch-made in five-gallon batches using fresh ingredients and with an emphasis on sustainability. fearlessflavor.com

After a restful sleep, explore downtown Bar Harbor’s shops and sights while the crowds head to the park. In the West Street Historic District, admire mansions that survived the Great Fire of 1947. The Bar Harbor Historical Society owns the grandest of these.

MUSEUM
La Rochelle Mansion & History Museum, Bar Harbor

Experience the grandeur of the Gilded Age inside this 41-room Georgian Revival waterfront mansion dating from 1903. Fascinating exhibits focus on Bar Harbor’s cultural and economic history, the lives of year-round and summer residents, and key events such as the Great Fire. barharborhistorical.org

PICNIC LUNCH
Downeast Deli & Boxed Lunch Co., Bar Harbor

When the weather’s fine, you won’t want to spend an hour inside at lunchtime. Solution: Picnic in the park or along Bar Harbor’s waterfront. Bypass the line by ordering in advance (you can call until 8 p.m. the day before). Your bagged or boxed lunch includes a hefty sandwich of your choice accompanied by chips, a cookie, and water. The chowder, lobster rolls, and blueberry pie are all top-notch. downeastdeli.com

Before heading out for the rest of the day, grab a fleece, a windbreaker, a flashlight, and a telescope or binoculars if you have either. You’ll be thankful later when the sun goes down.

PRESERVE
Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve, Northeast Harbor

Most island visitors know about Thuya, an English garden, and Asticou, a Japanese-influenced garden. But there’s more to discover on this 1,400-acre preserve salted with woodlands, streams, and a pond. Trails make it easy to cobble together hikes taking in a variety of wild and cultivated landscapes. You’ll need reservations to view the Beatrix Farrand–designed, Asian-themed Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Seal Harbor. gardenpreserve.org

After working up an appetite, wander around Somes Sound, a rare fjard, and over to MDI’s quiet side. Mosey through downtown Southwest Harbor, loop over to Bass Harbor Light, then continue around the base of Bass Harbor and out to Bernard, a traditional Maine fishing village.

LOBSTER SHACK
Thurston’s Lobster Pound, Bernard

What makes Thurston’s superlative? Is it the dreamy harborside location? Watching lobstermen unload their catches? Knowing the lobster on your plate came from one of those boats? Maybe it’s breathing in the brine-scented air or catching a fiery sunset from the covered and screened dining decks. Perhaps it’s knowing that Thurston’s is under fifth-generation management. Or it just might be all of the above. thurstonforlobster.com

STARGAZING SPOT
Acadia National Park Seawall Picnic Area, Southwest Harbor

Marvel at Acadia’s unobstructed dark skies from Seawall, a cobblestone beach offering exceptional views of planets, constellations, and the shimmering Milky Way. It’s nature’s sound and light show, with waves rolling ashore under star-spangled skies. If you’re lucky, perhaps you’ll see a shooting star or even the northern lights. nps.gov/thingstodo/stargazing-seawall.htm

To truly appreciate Maine’s Acadia Region, you must see it from the sea—and taking a morning cruise before you depart is a fine way to do so.

EXCURSION BOAT
Dive-In Theater with Diver Ed, Bar Harbor
Hop aboard the Starfish Enterprise for a two-hour cruise that’s equally fun and educational. Diver Ed explores the ocean floor with his undersea camera and Mini Ed (an action-figure toy) and communicates with those above watching the action on a big screen. After rounding up sea critters, he surfaces and shares his finds in touch tanks before returning them to the sea. diveintheater.com