Maine · Acadia National Park · Gateway

Bar Harbor

Island town base camp

Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park · near Acadia National Park

Bar Harbor, Maine

At a glance — Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor is the fly-in basecamp for Acadia — 2.9 miles from the entrance. Services on hand: lodging, dining, groceries, gas stations, and ATM access. A regional service center — population 5,089, full services on hand.

Distance to entrance: 2.9 mi drive
Town → park shuttle: No — drive in
Population: ≈5,089
Property mix: Chain hotels + budget

Map

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Accessibility

Accessibility — Bar Harbor

Drive-in required — no integrated park shuttle from this base. Plan for private vehicle entrance and trailhead parking. Confirm lodging room ADA features with the operator before booking.

Lodging

Where to stay near Bar Harbor

Sorted by tier (top picks first), then by drive time to the entrance. Confirm room features and current rates with the operator before booking.

Top pick

Motel

Bar Harbor Villager Motel - Downtown

Bar Harbor

Price $$$$ Proximity 0.3 mi from gate Rated 9.2/10

Season

A motel two blocks off Cottage Street with a 9.3 rating — rare in Bar Harbor — so you can walk to lobster rolls, the Village Green, and the Shore Path without moving the car once you've parked. Rooms are simple but clean; the draw is the address.
Top pick for bar harbor walkability

Best for
- Bar Harbor walkability At 0.3 miles from downtown Bar Harbor, this is the closest walkable motel on the island — dine, ferry, and hit the Shore Path on foot while your car stays parked for the day.
- Value travelers One of the highest-rated properties in the dataset at a motel price point, which in summer Bar Harbor is as close to value as the market gets without driving 10+ miles out.
Find on Booking.com See all Bar Harbor lodging

Booking.com via Awin affiliate (advertiser 6776). Prices indicative; vary by date.
Top pick

Motel

Seasider Motel

Bar Harbor

Price $$$$ Proximity 0.7 mi from gate Rated 8.8/10

Season

A mid-range motel less than a mile from downtown Bar Harbor — close enough to walk to restaurants and the ferry pier, far enough to step out of the peak-season foot traffic. Good middle ground for travelers who want walkability without paying for a Main Street address.
Best for
- Bar Harbor walkability At 0.7 miles from the town center, this is an easy flat walk to dining and the Village Green — and you can still skip the car on most evenings.
Find on Booking.com See all Bar Harbor lodging

Booking.com via Awin affiliate (advertiser 6776). Prices indicative; vary by date.
Top pick

Motel

Edenbrook Motel

Bar Harbor

Price $$$$ Proximity 1.2 mi from gate Rated 8.2/10

Season

A motel on the quieter north end of Bar Harbor, about 1.2 miles from downtown — you'll want the car for most restaurant runs, but the Hulls Cove visitor center and the park loop road entrance are practically on your way out of the parking lot.
Top pick for value travelers

Best for
- Value travelers On the edge of town with easy park loop road access — you trade walkability for a motel rate in one of New England's most expensive summer resort markets, and the park entrance is closer than downtown is.
Find on Booking.com See all Bar Harbor lodging

Booking.com via Awin affiliate (advertiser 6776). Prices indicative; vary by date.
Top pick

Hotel / inn

Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Conference Center

Bar Harbor

Price $$$$ Proximity 1.3 mi from gate Rated 8.8/10

Season

A full-service hotel on the oceanside edge of Bar Harbor with a pool, multiple dining options, and direct water views — it's 1.3 miles from the town center (a quick drive or a long walk) but has enough on-site to make a non-hiking evening comfortable without leaving the property.
Top pick for comfort-first travelers

Best for
- Comfort-first travelers The pool, on-site dining, and 9.3 reviewer rating make this the strongest full-service bet on the island — you get ocean views and amenities without driving to a chain hotel.
- Bar Harbor walkability At 1.3 miles from downtown Bar Harbor it's a short drive to restaurants and the ferry; walkable on a non-cruise-ship day, and the on-site bar means you don't have to.
Find on Booking.com See all Bar Harbor lodging

Booking.com via Awin affiliate (advertiser 6776). Prices indicative; vary by date.
Top pick

Hotel / inn

Holiday Inn Bar Harbor Regency Hotel by IHG

Bar Harbor

Price $$$$ Proximity 1.6 mi from gate Rated 8.6/10

Season

The reliable IHG points-earner on Mount Desert Island — 1.6 miles from downtown, with a pool and the predictable quality floor a chain brand delivers. Not the Bar Harbor experience, but a consistent option for travelers who prefer a known commodity in an unfamiliar market.
Best for
- Comfort-first travelers The IHG brand guarantee and on-site pool cover the basics; if you're using hotel points or want a predictable room quality in a market full of independently-operated inns, this is the call.
Find on Booking.com See all Bar Harbor lodging

Booking.com via Awin affiliate (advertiser 6776). Prices indicative; vary by date.
Top pick

Hotel / inn

Acadia Ocean View Hotel

Bar Harbor

Price $$$$ Proximity 4.2 mi from gate Rated 8.1/10

Season

A hotel 4.2 miles north of downtown Bar Harbor on the quieter western shore of MDI — the name delivers: ocean views without the Bar Harbor premium, and you're closer to some of the park's carriage road access points than you are to Cottage Street.
Best for
- Boutique & quiet Sits away from the cruise-ship crowds and downtown noise with actual ocean views from the property — a calmer alternative for travelers who don't need to walk to restaurants every night.
Find on Booking.com See all Bar Harbor lodging

Booking.com via Awin affiliate (advertiser 6776). Prices indicative; vary by date.
Solid option

Hotel / inn

Bar Harbor Cottages & Suites

Bar Harbor

Price $$$$ Proximity 5.1 mi from gate Rated 9.8/10

Season

Individual cottages and suites set back from the main road on the quiet west side of MDI — a 9.1 reviewer score and the New England cottage form factor that's harder to find than the island's hotels. Five miles from downtown means you arrive to silence after the park day instead of the cruise-ship crowd.
Top pick for boutique & quiet

Best for
- Boutique & quiet The cottage-and-suites format, strong 9.1 rating, and distance from Bar Harbor's summer crush make this the pick for travelers who want a quieter, more characterful stay than the Main Street hotel corridor.
- One-of-a-kind stays Individual cottages on the island's quieter west shore — a different texture than the downtown motel block, with the New England property feel that suits the Acadia landscape.
Find on Booking.com See all Bar Harbor lodging

Booking.com via Awin affiliate (advertiser 6776). Prices indicative; vary by date.
Solid option

Hotel / inn

Woodland Apartments - Acadia National Park

Tremont

Price $$$$ Proximity 12.1 mi from gate Rated 9.0/10

Season

Apartments in Tremont on the quiet southwest corner of MDI — 12 miles from Bar Harbor's cruise-ship crowds, on the same side of the island as the Acadia Schoodic alternative. A 9.0 rating suggests the value proposition works: more space, more quiet, and a car-dependent stay that suits groups or longer visits.
Best for
- Boutique & quiet Tremont is the opposite of Bar Harbor in every way — no foot traffic, no cruise ships, no Main Street — and the apartment format means a kitchen and space to decompress after a full park day.
- One-of-a-kind stays Staying on the southwest side of MDI rather than in Bar Harbor gives you a quieter island experience with access to the less-crowded Seawall and Bass Harbor Marsh trails — the Acadia most visitors skip.
Find on Booking.com See all Bar Harbor lodging

Booking.com via Awin affiliate (advertiser 6776). Prices indicative; vary by date.
Solid option

Hotel / inn

Under Canvas Acadia

Surry

Price $$$$ Proximity 13.9 mi from gate

Season

Under Canvas's upscale glamping camp in Surry on the mainland — 14 miles from the park via the Trenton causeway, with safari-style canvas tents, en-suite bathrooms, and a fire pit setup that turns the end of a Cadillac Mountain sunrise day into something worth celebrating. The furthest option from Bar Harbor but the most distinctive.
Top pick for one-of-a-kind stays

Best for
- One-of-a-kind stays No other property in this set offers this: a canvas tent with a real bed, heat, and a private bath, set on the wooded Maine mainland — the sunrise-to-campfire arc from Cadillac Mountain to Under Canvas is the Acadia stay most travelers won't forget.
Find on Booking.com See all Bar Harbor lodging

Booking.com via Awin affiliate (advertiser 6776). Prices indicative; vary by date.

See all Bar Harbor lodging →

Things to do

Things to do near Bar Harbor

We're still mapping things to do near Bar Harbor. We'll add operators as we field-test them.

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Camping

Camping near Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor has no campgrounds in town — the nearest sites are inside the park.

See all Acadia camping →

Quieter alternatives

Quieter alternatives near Bar Harbor

We're still mapping quieter alternatives near Bar Harbor. We'll add suggestions as we field-test them.

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Bar Harbor

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