Outsiders discovered Bar Harbor in the 1850s, making the small Maine town a popular vacation spot. In the 21st century, people still come to the town of 5,100 on Mount Desert Island off the Atlantic Ocean. While Bar Harbor is a relaxing place to enjoy nature, it also offers a range of physical activities.
National Park
Acadia National Park is a playground for outdoor lovers. It includes 125 miles of hiking trails with difficult climbs and flat ground and bicycling on 45 miles of carriage roads, which are roads with stones designed for carriages in the early 1900s. The park also offers swimming on two beaches, climbing on small cliffs and horseback riding on the carriage roads. In the winter, you can cross-country ski on the carriage roads and snowmobile on a 27-mile loop road area.
Golf
Kebo Valley Golf Club received high marks from “Golfweek” magazine, which ranked it as Maine’s third-best public access course in its “Best Courses You Can Play” 2010 ranking. The club was founded in 1888 and is the country’s eighth-oldest golf club, according to the Kebo Valley Golf Club’s website. The venue has a 6,131-yard, par 72 course, a pro shop and a pub serving drinks and lunch.
Sports
Athletes looking for traditional sports have a variety of options in Bar Harbor. The town operates the Glen Mary Pool, which turns into an ice skating rink in the winter. Bar Harbor also has five athletic fields, basketball courts and tennis courts. Parents will want to check out a playground across from the fields.
Water Activities
The town of Bar Harbor sits off of a harbor and is near Frenchman Bay. The proximity to water brings outs canoes, kayaks and custom boats. Local companies rent equipment or take people on expeditions. You can even go on whale watching and lobster fishing tours.
Spa
You can rejuvenate by breathing in the ocean’s saltwater air and taking in the views. Another way is by going to a spa. Bar Harbor’s spas provide body treatments like hydro-rain Vichy showers, mud body wraps, facials and massages.
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