We are obsessed with all things Bar Harbor, ME.
We went to Bar Harbor for the first time as a couple in 2009 and fell in love (...with Bar Harbor. We were already in love with each other!)
We've now been to Bar Harbor well over 20 times, in almost every season. Every time we go, we find something new to love on Mount Desert Island.
While there is still so much on the island that we haven't done, here are our favorite things to do on Mount Desert Island that don't involve hiking!
Go to Jordan Pond House
Jordan Pond House is located in Acadia National Park and is one of our favorite places to visit.
The original Jordan Pond House was built in 1847 by George and John Jordan. The house began serving tea and popovers in the 1890s. In 1979, the original house burned down and was replaced by the current Jordan Pond House in 1982.
Today, Jordan Pond House is one of the most popular attractions in Acadia National Park. Jordan Pond House serves as a restaurant, where you can still order their famous popovers, along with other delicious food. (Hint: If you don't feel like eating at Jordan Pond House, the house's popover mix is available for sale at multiple stores in the area.) The restaurant fills up quickly, so get there close to opening if you want to get a seat and avoid a long wait.
You can find the current menu here: Menu - Jordan Pond House Restaurant - Acadia National Park
Next to the restaurant is the Jordan Pond Shop, which is one of our kids' favorite places to visit! The shop spans two floors and sells all kinds of gifts, including apparel, souvenirs, tour books, scented candles, toys, and candy. The second floor has a small cafe, where you can buy food to go (sandwiches, yogurt, drinks, etc), if you don't feel like waiting to eat at the Jordan Pond House restaurant. We love getting some food at the cafe and eating it on the lawn in front of Jordan Pond!
During the on-season, there are free restroom facilities downstairs from the shop. (They are nothing special, but they get the job done!)
Jordan Pond House sits on the southern end of Jordan Pond, which is surrounded by Penobscot Mountain, Pemetic Mountain, and two mountains called The Bubbles. All four of those mountains are easily accessible from Jordan Pond House, if you feel like hiking.
The Jordan Pond House is also located near the carriage roads, which are comprised of 45-miles of well-groomed and easy to use trails, sprawling throughout much of the park. The carriage roads are perfect for walking, biking, and horseback riding.
Because there is so much to do at Jordan Pond House (and because you can access so many hiking trails from there), it is almost always incredibly busy during the on-season.
There is a small parking lot right next to the Pond House, and spill over parking lots just a short walk away. Despite that, during peak season, you may find yourself spending a LOT of time circling all of the parking lots trying to find an open parking space if you get to the Pond House mid-day.
If you want to avoid the stress of trying to find a parking spot, we recommend getting to Jordan Pond House early in the morning (e.g. 7-8am) or taking the Island Explorer, which is a free shuttle service that operates throughout Mount Desert Island. (The shuttle only operates late June through early October. Always check their website for their current schedule and routes before planning on using the shuttle.)
After visiting Jordan Pond House dozens of times, it is still one of our favorite things to do in Acadia National Park.
Photo of Jordan Pond, August 2022.
2. Asticou and Thuya Gardens
A short drive from Acadia National Park, you will find the Asticou Azalea Garden and the Thuya Garden. Both gardens are worth visiting and each beautiful in their own way.
Both gardens are free, although they both ask visitors to make a $5 donation.
Asticou Azalea Garden
The Asticou Azalea Garden is located at 3 Sound Drive in Northeast Harbor and is open from early May to late October.
The design at the Asticou Azalea Garden is inspired by classic Japanese gardens and includes a cherry tree, a large pond, and a zen sand garden. It has beautiful paths lined with flowers and trees and even a botanical novice can easily spend an hour or so walking the paths and admiring the beautiful landscaping.
Asticou Azalea Garden, May 2011.
Asticou Azalea Garden, May 2011.
Thuya Garden
The Thuya Garden is located nearby at 15 Thuya Drive in Northeast Harbor.
(The drive to and from the Thuya Garden takes you on a very winding and very steep one-way road. There are a couple of small pull off spots and some driveways that can be used when two cars are trying to use the road at the same time. However, the drive is a little scary, and I would not recommend that anyone who is uncomfortable navigating their vehicle in small spaces attempt this drive.)
The Thuya Garden is accessed by walking through large, wooden doors inscribed with Thuya Garden on them.
Lauren standing in front of the Thuya Garden gate, August 2022.
When you go through the gorgeous wooden doors, you will feel as though you are entering a beautiful new world. Stone steps, lush grass, manicured walking trails, and thousands of vibrantly colored flowers make the gardens feel more like something out of a fairy tale than real life.
Once again, even botanical novices will revel in the beauty of the garden and can easily spend an hour or two inside.
The last time we went, we spotted a monarch butterfly, several bees, and a couple of gigantic toads (or maybe frogs?). We smelled all of the flowers (some of them smell divine) and practiced our photography.
There are walking trails, a small pond, and a shaded structure with some seats and a nearby fountain. The walking trails can take you outside of the garden and onto some wooden trails, if you feel like hiking.
Thuya Gardens, August 2022.
3. Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
Inside Acadia National Park, Carriages of Acadia operates a stable and offers horse drawn carriage rides. (Note: They do not offer horseback riding, but you may bring your own horse to ride on the carriage roads, if that's something that interests you.)
A horse drawn carriage ride is a unique and beautiful way to tour Acadia National Park. Carriages of Acadia offers a few different tours, all 1-2 hours long. Two of the tours go around or to the summit of nearby Day Mountain. The third tour takes you to three of the beautiful stone bridges in the park.
Because operations may have changed with social distancing and because the rides have always been popular, we highly recommend contacting the stable early on in your visit if you are interested in a carriage ride. On at least one occasion pre-pandemic, we were not able to get on a tour because they were booked. As with anything else in Acadia National Park, assume that this option will be very busy during peak season and plan accordingly.
While walking on the carriage roads on a recent visit, we were passed by a couple of the horse-drawn carriages.
4. Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf
If you're ready to do something other than hike and the weather is nice, one of our favorite options is to go mini-golfing at Pirate's Cove!
Directly on Route 3, Pirate's Cove is a short drive from downtown Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. (Hint: If you are staying at the Bar Harbor Campground, you can easily walk to Pirate's Cove.)
Pirate's Cove features two separate 18-hole courses... or you can do both, making it a 36-hole adventure!
The course is pirate themed (wait...did you guess that already!?) and is filled with waterfalls, facts about pirates, and even includes a pirate ship.
Holes-in-one can win you coupons off your next visit, including free games, if you're lucky!
For hours and prices, visit: Bar Harbor | Pirate's Cove (piratescove.net)
5. Sitting on the lawn in Bar Harbor
No visit to Bar Harbor is complete without sitting on the sloping lawn in downtown Bar Harbor that overlooks the ocean and the Bar Harbor Inn.
It is an amazing place to sit and eat some ice cream or maple sugar candy and enjoy the magnificent views.
If you're an adult, it is a great place to sit and talk to your significant other/friends or read a book.
If you're a kid (like ours), the sloping hill is the PERFECT angle for rolling down it again and again until you're dizzy. (Just make sure they don't roll into the road!)
Other visitors enjoy the lawn in August 2022.
View of the Bar Harbor Inn from the lawn, August 2022.
6. Shopping in downtown Bar Harbor
A perfect thing to do when it's raining or at night after a day full of hiking, there are dozens of stores to visit in downtown Bar Harbor.
While most of the stores are aimed at tourists, somehow walking the idyllic streets of downtown Bar Harbor and smelling blueberry candles just never gets old.
From gorgeous geodes, apparel, artwork, Christmas ornaments, toys, and jams, there is something for everyone to enjoy in downtown Bar Harbor.
Some of our favorite stores include the Acadia Shop (lots of scented candles, maple sugar candy, and jams) and Sherman's Bookstore (popular books and lots of toys).
The toy section in Sherman's Bookstore in Bar Harbor, August 2022.
Whether you are planning your first trip to Bar Harbor or consider it one of your favorite places in the world like us, we hope that something on this list appeals to you and that you have an AMAZING time on beautiful Mount Desert Island!!!
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