Bar Harbor is a tourist town located on the northeastern shore of Maine's Mount Desert Island, and on the shores of Frenchman's Bay. Bar Harbor is popular with tourists in part because of its proximity to Acadia National Park--that bears the tallest mountain on the eastern seaboard. The town is a short three miles from one of Acadia's main entrances, affording visitors easy access to the park's many recreational opportunities.
Hiking
There are more than 100 miles of hiking trails in Acadia National Park, a few of which are located very near to the town of Bar Harbor. Two of these trails are the Bar Harbor Shore Path and the Bar Island trails. Another trail that can be easily accessed from Bar Harbor is on Bar Island. Bar Island can be reached on foot during low tide. But timing is crucial as you will be stuck on the island until the next low tide if you don't know what time the tide starts to come back in. Many of the businesses in Bar Harbor have tide tables posted near their entrances, so it is relatively easy to determine what time to go and when to start crossing back over the 1/3-mile long sand bar.
Bicycling
Visitors who wish to enjoy some bicycling need only drive three miles to Acadia National Park's Hulls Cove Visitor Center. Parking at the visitor center allows bikers to gain relatively easy access to the 45 miles of carriage roads in Acadia. These carriage roads run throughout the entire park and bikers can pedal from Bar Harbor to Northeast Harbor, Seal Harbor, or any of the locations and attractions in between.
Horseback Riding
All of Acadia's carriage roads, with only a couple of exceptions, also allow visitors to ride their horses. Those visitors who wish to ride a horse, but don't have one with them, can hire a horse or set up a tour at the park's Wildwood Stables. Riders with their own horses will want to get a copy of the Carriage Road User's Map, either online or at Hulls Cove Visitor Center, so they can identify the carriage roads that are off limits to horses.
Camping
Although primitive or backcountry camping is prohibited, in Acadia National Park, there are two campgrounds located within its borders. Blackwoods Campground is just five miles from Bar Harbor and is open year round. Blackwoods has 306 campsites, restrooms with running water, and nearby pay showers. Reservations are suggested during the summer season. Seawall Campground is located near Southwest Harbor and is only open from May through September 30. Seawall has 214 campsites and nearby pay showers.
Kayaking
Bar Harbor is very popular with kayakers because it is right on Frenchman's Bay. This affords them various access points to the bay, including the sand bar that provides access to Bar Island during low tide. There are also more than a dozen islands that can be reached within a six-mile radius of Bar Harbor, and many of these islands are no more than half a mile from each other. This makes it easier for kayakers to paddle their way across Frenchman's Bay if they like.
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