We had the best time at Atlantic Climbing School! Max was our guide and he was awesome. All members of our group had different climbing levels and Max was able to accommodate to all of our abilities. We were able to talk before going out to climb and decided on hiking at Otter Cliffs. It was absolutely gorgeous. I was scared going down the cliffs, but Max was able to give helpful instructions and positive affirmations! We had such a great time and would definitely go back! read more

Atlantic Climbing School - Rock Climbing Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Ryan was an excellent and accommodating guide. We climbed Otter Cliffs and the scenery was gorgeous. The entire climb Ryan was helpful with where to go and knew the routes like the back of his hand. Coming back in the fall to climb again! read more

Atlantic Climbing School - Rock Climbing Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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This is my second summer climbing in on Mt. Desert Island with ACS. Last year I climbed twice, and I loved it so much that I booked three times during my vacation week this year. Ryan (there are two Ryans - ours is the one who is NOT the new owner) has been our guide every time, and he's been awesome. I brought along some family members who were inexperienced and fearful, and he helped them to feel totally safe, and to conquer their fears. With me, he's been helpful when asked, but he's also been patient and allowed me to solve my own problems. A truly great teacher. Climbing ocean-side cliffs has been among the greatest adventures of my life! Huge thanks to Ryan and ACS! read more

Atlantic Climbing School - Rock Climbing Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Very casual, and very special experience. Our guide put me at ease and I was able to build confidence during the climb. Don't go to Maine without climbing along the ocean. You'll be proud of yourself! Good for brave little climbers, too; mine is 8. read more

I have been to ANP so many times that our daughter is named after the park! Needless to say that we have been to the park many times. I love rock climbing all over the park and I have used both this school as well as the one which there are only 2 in Bar Harbor. Unlike other times the day we climbed was during the preview of Hurricane Henri and the fog and mist was clouded before we started. I did email the owner Eli about our concern but he assured us that it was safe and we can express to our guide where we want to go and our concern once we meet up. Our guide is Mike and he was wonderful, great with both of my kids, the 10 years old who was hesitant in the beginning about rock climbing to the 18 yo who had some experience with rock climbing but asked different types of questions. He was patient and knowledgeable and helped my little one to climb all the way to the top a few times in the end! He answered my curious 18 yo about belaying and the Rick climbing gears that as a mom I was happy to see both were satisfied in the same outing despite their age difference. The reason I picked Atlantic over the other this time is because the person who answered my phone was more knowledgeable than the other place ( not to say they weren't great because I did use them before) however this time I felt in my guts that this would be a better choice for our family. I was right and I am glad we went despite the iffy weather in the beginning. read more

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Sam was absolutely fantastic and created such a memorable day for us! He asked our goals with climbing and incorporated them into the half day of climbing we booked. Throughout the day, we talked and bonded over college and how the last year feels. Wishing you the best of luck as an adventure educator Sam! He talked us through some scary moments and ensured we were comfortable, happy and vibing the entire time. Overall it was an amazing experience and would absolutely recommend it to any and all. His background in education really shined through and his personality was incredible. Also recommended us some great local food spots! Hope to see you soon Dinglebops, and hope the lunch was good! read more

Atlantic Climbing School - Rock Climbing Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

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I was really itching to climb in Acadia and since I'm not good at setting anchors with trad gear, decided to hire a guide for half day for a private climbing experience. Met Daniel in the office at 8:30AM to sign paperwork and then drove together to Otter Cliffs (I wanted to go to Otter Cliffs because it's the crag with easiest approach, didn't want to spend a lot of time getting to the crag). Daniel was very knowledgeable about the routes there and also super efficient at setting anchors! I said my goal was to just climb a lot and he really delivered. I think we started about 9AM at the crag and by 10:15AM had done 5 routes already, set 4 different anchors. A lot of the routes were pretty wet on the bottom sections and damp on the top sections, don't think it's caused entirely by ocean spray, probably rained a little bit during the night, so pulling on the rocks was kind of difficult. Sadly it started raining full on when I was climbing Guillotine and we had to cut the day short. I got a half day refund after we returned to the office. Overall very happy with the experience and thank you Daniel! read more

Amazing experience definitely captures the day. Our guide was Chris. From the start of filling out the paperwork, through the climb, all the way to the end of our tour, he was accommodating, insightful, experienced, and welcoming. It was like spending time with an old friend that we just met. We went down to Otter Cliffs where my son (13) and I climbed several routes for a half day tour. Having only climbed indoor at gyms, the experience of climbing outdoors at a location as spectacular as Otter was jaw dropping. We had the best time, with Chris testing our skill level on the first route and then stepping it up to keep it challenging. I could not more highly recommend this school, and if he's available, definitely ask for Chris. Thanks for making the day such a memorable experience. read more

It's unanimous! 100% 5 Star This is an amazing experience. Do this. It may be scary, depending on your tolerance for heights and your previous climbing experience, but what fun is it sitting on the sidelines? Go for it. I went last weekend with a girlfriend that got me into climbing a few years ago. We mostly climb in a gym and had not had much experience outside. Chris did a great job picking out appropriate routes for us and coaching us up the tricky sections. I felt challenged but never overwhelmed and always safe. Even when I "slipped." Start your morning off on the cliff and your whole weekend will be amazing. read more

Best part of our Acadia trip. We booked this after a disappointing kayak trip and ended up going out two more days after the first trip. Gorgeous setting, great guide...this is a must-do can't miss and great for all skill levels. Waaaaay better way to see Acadia than boat tour or kayak IMO! read more

Eli is amazing! My boyfriend and I wanted to climb while visiting Bar Harbor. We thought we had booked a spot, but we had misread and did not confirm our spot. Eli was quick to respond, and he came in early from his sailing (such a cool guy) to take us climbing despite it completely being our error. He is very focused on safety, while also keeping the experience fun. Eli did a great job reading our skill levels, and found us the perfect routes to climb. He also gives great recommendations for local food! TL;DR We messed up, and Eli, the owner, took time out of his schedule to make sure we got to climb. read more

I went climbing with my two brothers (who are 21 & 23) along with my father. I myself am 17 years old and have little to no experience with rock climbing, but we had a wonderful time climbing with our guides. I cannot express enough how great our two guides were at their jobs. I was terrified of the climbs at first and almost bailed out a few times, but there guys were so incredibly helpful. Ryan and Sam were both extremely informative and encouraging, explaining everything as we went. Overall a great experience and would highly recommend. read more

Eli is the best. He was able to assess our skill level and give my family and I am awesome safe climb. I can't speak highly enough and well worth the cost. read more

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Excellent climbing this summer with several guides at ACS... Ryan, Zack and Chris were awesome. All were patient with my daughters. My daughter and I got to climb this past weekend with Ryan again and had an amazing time. Great selection of climbs based on our abilities and my fear of heights! read more

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What a fantastic experience for my two teenage boys. Spectacular setting over the Atlantic and Daniel, our guide was excellent. Great attention to safety but also very funny and boys loved every aspect of it. Cannot recommend enough for anyone looking to do some rock climbing near Acadia! read more

If you're considering whether to book these guys for a climb on your trip to Acadia, quit thinking about it. Just book it. It will be a (or THE) highlight of your trip. I did a half-day climb with Eli on the Otter Cliffs. I'd never been climbing outside--I've been climbing about a year and a half at a gym. Eli made the transition SUPER easy for me, and made me feel really safe. He pointed out things I'd find challenging, always made suggestions about route options, made sure I concentrated on techniques that would help me climb better/longer, explained all about the pitches and equipment, and generally made the entire experience so much fun that I wanted to do it again the next day. Climbing and rappelling the Otter Cliffs after being in a gym is just mind-blowing. There are so many great routes for all abilities, and the chimney is a BLAST! Waves crash below, the rock is gorgeous, and the views are amazing. DO IT! Life is too short to miss this! read more

From the start of making reservations and sending an email to them to actually climbing, our experience was awesome! I had climbed with this school many years ago and had a great experience, but I knew there were new climbing schools in the area, so I did my research and found out that Atlantic is still the best and most accredited school on the island. We were supposed to climb twice on our trip but ended up having to cancel one of our trips because it was so rainy (and honestly we were super sore from overdoing it hiking) which Eli (the owner) was really great about. We climbed the following day instead and it was an amazing and unforgettable adventure. Climbing Otter Cliffs was probably the scariest thing I've ever done but it was also super rewarding once I had tackled my fears with the help of our amazing guide, Seth! What a patient and knowledgeable guy! The climb was terrifying to me (60 feet above the ocean on a rocky cliff) but I felt like I was in very safe hands with Seth and he helped put me at ease. He talked you through the climb and told you what to expect before you got started. He was great at talking me through some of the tricky hand and foot holds and didn't flinch at my frequent use of profanity (sorry, mom!). He accommodated my more fearless friends by allowing them to climb harder portions of the rock which was cool, too and allowed it to be an experience that we could all enjoy. I will definitely be climbing with Atlantic next summer on my next visit and recommend that you check them out, especially when considering going with another school. You get what you pay for and when you're doing a risky adventure, it's best to be in the safest, most experienced hands possible. read more

We had a great day climbing here on 8/11 with Dane at Otter Cliff. He was very thorough and informative and generally just a good time. He was also good at tailoring the climbs to our skills (or lack-there-of!) and what we wanted. We would definitely recommend him, as well as this company. We really enjoyed ourselves for something different to do in Acadia. read more

You will not regret taking a day out of your vacation to Acadia to learn to rock climb with Atlantic Climbing School! I had no climbing experience (only hiking and rock scrambling) going into this. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and professional and just all-around fun. They started us at an easier climb to boost our confidence and the climbs advanced from there. It is a TOTAL body workout, more than I expected, but oh-so-fun! After climbing with them, I wanted to start climbing all the time because they made the experience so enjoyable and safe! read more

We just had a wonderful afternoon climbing at otter cliffs. Our guide Ryan was awesome. Our daughter was climbing for the first time and he got her totally jazzed about the experience. It has been 13 years since my wife and I last climbed. Great day! read more

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This was one of the best experiences of our trip! I had a GREAT time in BH/Acadia and would love to go back. If I do go back, this place is definitely something I would try to do. Our guide Grant did a great job of instructing us, keeping us safe, explaining things, and finding good climbs for us! He was very professional and personable. He definitely seemed to know his stuff and was able to answer all of our questions. He was also great at encouraging you to keep going/find hand holds, etc! He definitely made us feel a lot more hardcore than we probably were! I would highly recommend this company to any friends/family who visit the island in the future! read more

This was the best decision we made while in Bar Harbor. This school is so professional and friendly. The climbing was breathtaking, challenging, and exciting. Matt was our climbing guide... he was so knowledgeable and truly made the experience. I felt incredibly safe and trusted him the entire time. My boyfriend and I went together and had just started climbing indoors a few weeks ago. Although I think the basic knowledge helped in some aspects, you could definitely do it as a beginner. There are climbs for all skill levels. If you are looking for an activity to get your heart pumping with stunning views please consider and go with Atlantic Climbing School - you won't regret it! read more

Atlantic Climbing School - Rock Climbing Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

We did a half day with Atlantic Climbing School and had an amazing time. Eli and Ryan were our guides, both were absolutely fantastic. Our group of four was all beginners but Eli and Ryan were incredibly patient and reassuring. The otter cliffs are breathtaking. I highly recommend this activity if you're spending a day or two in Bar Harbor. read more

Atlantic Climbing School - Rock Climbing Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

The BEST, hands down. My husband and I have climbed with a number of different guides in a few different states and the ACS folks are the best, period: they're really friendly, very professional and knowledgeable, and great teachers. We climbed in 2016 with Dane at Otter Cliffs and the South Wall, both for fun and to learn anchor building techniques, and had such a great experience that we returned in 2017 to do a week-long course in learning to trad climb with Ryan, who tailored the course to our needs and abilities and interests, and made the whole time SO enjoyable. Even though we are able to climb outdoors using our own skills and equipment now, we'll definitely be returning to ACS, and Ryan, Dane, and Eli in particular, to continue our learning, hone our skills, and explore new routes and techniques. read more

My most favorite part of enjoying the park. HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend! Some of the most amazing views during the trip were from the climbs. A wonderful way to experience the park. The guide was excellent, well experience. I felt safe the entire time. I had some indoor climbing experience, very minimal. The guide was there to talk me through tough spots during the climbs. This is for any climbing level. There were even families with small children doing climbs. read more

Outstanding family adventure! One of the highlights of our week in Acadia. Our guide, Noah was great with our family - explaining details about the park, mountain and climbing techniques , as well as challenging us to "do it!" Super proud of my kids for being courageous and making great vacation memories! read more

My partner and I spent two days climbing with Ryan in Acadia last week and it freaking ROCKED. This is our second time climbing with Ryan and the first booking through the Atlantic Climbing School and the whole experience was extremely professional, safe and easy! I would 1000% recommend climbing with this company, if you're reading this review just book it already, you will absolutely not regret it. read more

Ryan took my daughter and I out to Otter Cliffs for a sunset climb. It was amazing!!!!! My 10 year old said it was the time of her life . And I feel it was very affordable. read more

These guys were great! Pricing may seem high but it is well worth it! You get an amazing personal experience from the guides and leave feeling accomplished! A must do if you visit Bar Harbor. read more

This was the highlight of our trip to Acadia. Our guide Noah was exceptional in his knowledge, patience and encouragement. We felt safe at all times while he pushed us to do some amazing climbs. We could not be happier with our trip to Otter cliffs. read more

Ryan from Atlantic Climbing School saved the day! After (literally) rescuing me from the top of the South Wall he helped me conquer my outdoor climbing fears by providing a thorough lesson on setting anchors on gear and rappelling techniques / rappelling safety at Otter Cliffs. As someone with a huge fear of heights I found Ryan to be incredibly calming and patient. In addition to his extensive knowledge about climbing he was such a cool person to hang out with which really made for a fun day of climbing. My partner has been climbing for over 10 years and was also able to learn from Ryan and improve his anchor building techniques. Whether you just want to hang out on some rocks while on vacation or you need assistance with your 11b project, Ryan is your guy. He also takes great photos, won't judge you for your selfies, and the Atlantic Climbing School crew is all over the guide book. They know the area in and out and will help you create the experience you are looking for. read more

I am terrified of heights and this was a bucket list type of event. Peter was a great guide but I will never ever rock climb again.

My friends and I did a half day climb with Eli and his staff and they were wonderful. I have rarely met a more knowledgeable, friendly, or supportive group of individuals. While climbing in the gorgeous Acadia National Park, the instructors were able to tell me all of the hand and footholds on the wall as I was climbing, even though they were dozens of feet above me. Amazing! And Eli did a wonderful job of making sure everyone felt safe and comfortable. read more

Great experience, Grant guided us with extreme patience and assurance. We felt safe yet pushed beyond what we anticipated we could accomplish. Highly recommended beginners to experienced read more

Atlantic Climbing School - Great time - Rock Climbing Near Me - Bar Harbor, Maine

Experienced guides and a wide variety of climbing options. We had a spectacular time, great pictures, and a great value.

I did two trips with them - a half-day experience course with my 56-year old parents who had never climbed before, and a full-day anchor building class. I'd expected them to just belay for my parents as they tried climbs, but they also taught them the knots, how to belay, and how to rappel. The routes they selected were appropriate for beginners and my parents had a great time, although neither is likely to take up climbing. Everyone got in 3-4 climbs, myself included. During the anchor class I got the opportunity to do a few multi-pitch climbs in addition to one-on-one instruction on whatever I wanted. My guide even brought up a camera, took pictures as I seconded and emailed them to me. They do an excellent job tailoring the trip to the individual - let them know your comfort level and experience and they'll take care of you. Highly recommended. read more

My kids all had a fantastic time climbing at otter cliffs! Our guide,Eli did an excellent job at making it fun while he did a great job explaining and giving great instruction. In Rock climbing just remember to "smile and breathe." We would highly recommend climbing with Eli at ACS!!!!! read more

We spent 3 lovely days in Bar Harbor 3 weeks ago, and rock climbing was the part I was most nervous about. My husband had been there before and climbed with the Atlantic Climbing School, and he been chewing my ears off about how awesome it was. In hindsight, this was one of the greatest things I've ever done. I felt incredibly accomplished afterwards. We each got to climb three times on different walls at Otter Cliffs. All of the routes required different moves and had their very own challenges. But as much as we might have hurt, the panoramic view of the ocean right underneath the cliffs made up for all of it. Matt, our guide, was excellent. Not only was he funny as can be (singing included), but he provided great instruction and advice, even when I was hanging in the middle of the cliff like a wet bag with my arms stretched out like a puppet. Wonderful experience - highly recommend it to everyone! read more

We had an exceptional experience with the Atlantic Climbing School. Wendy was our guide, and she was awesome. She was extremely knowledgeable, trustworthy, friendly, and a great instructor. We climbed the South Otter Cliffs and had the best time. Next time we come to Acadia, we are definitely doing this again!!! I highly recommend them. read more

My son and I went climbing at Otter Cliffs and had a fantastic time. We are fairly experienced at indoor climbing but new to climbing outdoors. Our guide was Grant and he did a great job making us feel comfortable, safe, and was always very upbeat and encouraging. Even the misty rain and fog couldn't dampen our spirits and perhaps even added to the exotic feel of the climbs. We'll be back next year to try some even bigger and more ambitious climbs, and definitely plan to have the Atlantic Climbing School guide us. Highly recommended. read more