I'm no stranger to parks and beautiful natural places, but Acadia is like a dreamscape. There's…read morestunning ocean views from crumbling gorgeous cliff sides. There are lakes, streams, ponds, scenic lighthouses, boats, bikes, trails, gardens, crazy hikes with vertical iron rungs, rolling forest hikes, lighthouses, and more! The main issue you'll run into is crowds.. lots of people want to come here, especially in July and August. Best thing to do, go in as early as possible, do some things, take a break, go back again after 3. If you're early, you can get a parking spot then work from there. If you are flexible on time, take advantage of the shuttles, but be warned, they may be full, and they don't run every 10-15 minutes, so plan accordingly. I would be in the park by 7, have plans maybe on a tour in Bar Harbor late morning or early afternoon, then head back after 4, and I got to all the must-do's, ie hiked the Beehive, the Bubbles, Cadillac Mountain sunrise and sunset (reserve this early as spots sell out, I booked mine 3 months in advance the minute they released and they were sold out shortly later, especially sunrise tickets), Jordan Pond and popovers, Bass Harbor Lighthouse, as well as some boat tours in the area, including very successful whale and puffin watching. For more hints and tips, I watched some YouTube videos, there's great info out there, especially the videos from Ash, a former park ranger, who has loads of helpful tips to get around and not spend your trip sitting in traffic or waiting in a parking spot.

Did we go in a wrong entrance or something?!…read more I was underwhelmed for sure. We walked a few trails and took some photos but ??? Im very glad we hit Cadillac Mountain - that's where it's at!!!

Despite having done some research in advance, I had not been aware of this particular opportunity…read more There are many small islands in the region, but this one is notable for having a gravel walkway that sits above the tide for only a few hours a day. An appropriately timed hike yields an array of fantastic views that beggar belief. And this is despite the fact that walking to the end of the trail on the island from downtown, Bar Harbor takes maybe half an hour. Signage warns people not to get trapped on the island when the tide rises as getting a boat is expensive. I could imagine that if the weather is rough one could get into a bit of trouble here, but as long as you're smart about it, this is a fantastic place to visit.

Bar Island is a tidal island connected to Bar Harbor by a gravel and sand bar that is exposed at…read morelow tide and submerged at high tide. So interesting to be able to cross from Bar Harbor by foot and then hike to the top of the island for a view of historic Bar Harbor. The city of Gouldsboro still maintains jurisdiction over the island based on its 1798 articles of incorporation. Many families have tried to build a bridge to the island from Bar Harbor, however John D. Rockefeller, Jr. purchased the half of the island that has the sandbar which stopped the bridge from being constructed. Today, the island is part of Acadia National Park. If you visit, mind the times for the tides. People have been stranded and apparently cars have been washed away back in the days when they parked on the sandbar. Once high tide comes in, you will need to wait approximately nine hours for low tide or pay a hefty fine for being stranded on Bar Island. A unique experience in Acadia National Park.

Good service- bikes were strong and steady for us. Is it…read morebiking when you have that power? We think so... Don't know how to bike those hills of Acadia without a little power underneath you.... I know we used to do it... but I'm old and tired now. Scenery perfect - bikes never let us down. Thanks for a great day!

We rented 2 e-bikes Saturday July 29 every thing we needed they provided maps of area suggestions…read moreof trails best suited for a pleasure ride we ate lunch at grab and go rode back the whole thing was a success would highly recommended

Highly recommend. Rented for a full day. Took the carriage trails through Acadia Natl Park. It was…read morea great day! Very nice bikes. Leticia (owner) and Patrick were very friendly, knowledgeable & super helpful. They made it easy for us! Showed us suggested trails and provided a map with markings as to routes and distances. They transported bikes from their shop to the trailhead and picked bikes up at the trailhead when we finished, so we didn't have to ride in traffic at all. We parked at the trailhead and got our bikes and took off!

Nice people, great bikes. Highly recommend. Had a wonderful afternoon riding in the park.read more

Cadillac Mountain is a part of Acadia National Park. What beautiful sights to see from the summit…read moreof Cadillac Mountain. This review is based on the visit to the summit of Cadillac Mountain. My visit here was with a tour on October 2, 2019. We were in Bar Harbor for the day sailing on the Disney Magic. With our tour, we had about 15 minutes to visit this area. The time of day was 11:30 to 11:45 am. The weather wasn't as nice this day, as it was overcast and cool, temperatures in the 50s, and windy. A cold front passed through the area earlier that morning. The weather conditions didn't stop me though. One of the nice things is that there were several signs that had information about that area of the park. Even though it wasn't a clear day, the views were still great to see at Cadillac Mountain. I was able to take in the views of Frenchman Bay, which is where the Disney Magic was anchored for the day as well. There were some fall colors in the trees, but was a bit early for the peak season views of the fall colors. Even with the limited time we had, this was still a great place to visit. I would love to come back and stay several days, allowing to come and see the sunrises and sunsets at Cadillac Mountain, along with other areas of the park. The natural beauty of this place is breathtaking. If you come visit Acadia National Park, this place must be on your list to visit.

Cadillac Mountain is a must-see when traveling to Bar Harbor, Maine…read more It gives a great overview of the harbor and a real rugged experience. But be prepared. Make reservations in advance online; you can't make them in person. You must buy park tickets, which are $35 (kind of ridiculous for a state park), and $6 bucks to tour the top of the mountain. They had a small gift shop and only one working restroom with two portalets close by. Some people drive it, some hike it to see the sunrise and some bike it. I would only recommend driving it given how narrow the road is and it's off the side of a cliff. It was a nice overall experience.

Really fun State Park to visit. Many well parked trails or you can just drive to the top of Mount…read moreBattie. Great views of the harbor and Camden as well as down the coast towards Rockport. We had just spent 10 days in Acadia and Camden Hills was a nice break from the crowds - albeit on a much smaller scale. Certainly worth a visit !

Spectacular view of Penobscot Bay, the surrounding islands, and the Town of Camden. Well…read moremaintained and clean park, we walked a few of the trails on our visit today. $6 per person for non residents of Maine. That pretty much says it all, a short review, but this is a "must visit" if you are in the area.

We had a group of seven riders to go ride the Carriage Roads at Acadia National Park. Two of us…read morehad our own gravel bikes and the five others needed to rent gravel bikes. Because I was the organizer of the ride, I insisted (pestered) them to reserve their bikes online, which they did. We arrived the morning of the ride and there were several staff members outside ready to help renters. They were friendly and quickly set up my buddies on their bikes. I should mention that they rent Cervelo Asperos (my bike too) and Trek Checkpoints - both really good gravel bikes and perfect for the Carriage Roads (frankly, a bit better than needed on those tame roads). With everyone set up, we started off. This is where the shop shined. For whatever reason, my derailleurs were not working, and I had just charged them up a couple of days ago. Even though I was riding my own bike, I went back to the shop and asked if they could give me a quick charge-up. One of the mechanics (Shawn) instead, put the bike on the stand and started fiddling around with it. Meanwhile, the shop owner took me around the shop and showed me his collection of Cervelo bikes (awesome! He also does Ironman Triathalons). Meanwhile, Shawn figured out that a wire had worked loose while I was bringing my bike up to Acadia. He saved the day (I do NOT want to ride the Carriage Roads on one gear). No charge, and we were on our way. Generally great folks at the bike shop, and they rent real gravel bikes that you can ride with verve. I can't recommend this shop enough.

Chaotic from start to finish…read more The rental process alone should have been our warning sign. Their online cutoff is 2pm the day before, which means you have to call-fine, except the woman who answered never called us back. We had to chase her down twice just to confirm a reservation. We arrived at 12:50 for a 1pm pickup and stood there watching the one staff member slowly process an entire family who was renting bikes for the next day on our time. The guy who eventually got us our bikes moved like he was underwater. Directions? He handed us a map that would challenge a cartographer and told us to "turn at the thing that blinks." That was the landmark. The blinking thing. We missed a turn. My husband's bike was mechanically broken. He came back with mud splattered across his backpack, shorts, and hair. And the e-bikes if you've rented an e-bike anywhere else in your life, do not expect that here. These things have less power than a child's ride-on toy. I'm not exaggerating. There is no assist. There is no joy. Unprofessional, disorganized, and a complete waste of a half day in a place where you have limited time and actually want to have fun. Skip it.

We rented bikes here while on vacation. Bob set us up with a couple basic hybrids that were perfect…read morefor cruising the carriage paths of Acadia. Bikes weren't anything fancy but were perfectly dialed in. Perfectly. We also were given a map and some excellent suggestions about where to ride. All around great experience!

We had a great experience at Southwest Cycle! Mark and Bob fitted each member of our group to a…read morebike and took their time to discuss different route options. We had the most magical day riding the carriage roads! We can't wait to come back next summer!

Loved our experience with MDI-ebikes. Patrick was awesome. I would like to support any local…read morebusiness whenever I can and it was a great experience. We met at the Hulls cove visitor center and he explained how to operate the bike, gave a map of the park and off we go. This is by far the best ways to see Acadia national park. We went on a Sunny day during beautiful fall season. If you are coming in the month of October, have gloves and a cap. The bike trails were colder than usual. It was windy on some parts of the trail. The carriage roads are awesome and no traffic to worry about. The bikes were new and were simple to operate. They also had a pouch at the back to store your belongings. This was not a guided tour and we could stop when ever we can. A great value for money. Overall a great experience. I would recommend MDI e-bikes 1000%.

If you are looking to explore the carriage trails of Acadia National Park, renting from MDI Bike is…read morean absolute must. My fiancée and I had an incredible time, and a huge part of that was thanks to the owner, Patrick. He is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely cares about your experience. Before we set off, Patrick took the time to make personal adjustments to our e-bikes and ensured we knew exactly how to operate them correctly and safely. He even provided a fantastic map highlighting the best trails and landmarks to hit during our ride. The e-bikes themselves are top-notch and made tackling the park's hills immensely easier. They come fully equipped with a helmet, a lock, and a highly convenient small pack to carry your belongings. The pack even has a designated spot for a water bottle--which you should definitely bring for the long, scenic ride! Returning the bikes was completely hassle-free. I would highly recommend MDI Bike to anyone interested in an interactive, breathtaking way to see the park. Thank you, Patrick, for making our trip so memorable

My usual mountain hike areas are not well known and sometimes takes time to find the entrance to…read morethe trail. This is not such a place. Driving into the area, I found a museum for the local fish hatchery, a busy swimming area, and public bathrooms. Such luxury compared to what I usually have when out for a hike. The road to the trail was a dirt road and I believe I traveled about a mile before getting to one of three parking areas. There was a large map showing all of the local trails, mountains, and scenic spots. The trail itself was well marked with wooden blue blazes, well groomed, a well maintained bridge and signs along the way to guide a hiker song the trail they want. Much of the trail was smooth granite that made easy walking and can also make for easy mountain biking as a biker when scooting by me while I relaxed. Near the top of the mountain was where the best views were had. At the very top, the view was not as spectacular but needed so I could say I did the whole mountain. All or nothing!! I will definitely be back with my husband and our bikes to check out the mountain bike trails and to check out the museum.

Great Pond Mountain is a fabulous spot and there are different ways to get to the top. There's a…read morelot of granite higher up in the trail and there is a nice loop around the summit.