Exploring Acadia National Park: A Fun Adventure for Families

• Tidepooling @ Bar Island during Low Tide- This is a really fun activity if your child is into rocks, water, or sand! We started our adventures with this activity and it was a great introduction to how we would spend the trip: having a lot of fun by the water with great views. This is located right in the main Hub of Bar Harbor, Maine!

• Biking Carriage Roads - We loved our time biking the carriage roads with the kids. They did awesome riding along in the trailers we rented from Acadia Bike Rentals. I will mention that the carriage roads are very hilly, so this is something we’d only recommend if you’re used to biking a lot with the extra weight on the back! Key things you’ll need/want: Lots of Snacks and Beverages.

• Jordan Pond House - This is such a great place to have lunch with kids. We were seated outside and there was a large open area for the kids to play! There were even some berry bushes right alongside the lawn. You could add a short hike if you end up driving here or taking the shuttle instead of biking as we did. We also really liked the gift shop at this location. The kids enjoyed a great blueberry popsicle after lunch!

• Great Head Trail - This family-friendly hike really gets you up close to the ocean and we felt like it offered some great views of “iconic Acadia”. It is a loop, which is always nice with kids because there’s always something new to look at. The four-year-old who was hiking with us did great with all the rock scrambling and we kept the toddlers in our Osprey Poco Carriers. This trail is just under two miles and starts/ends at Sand Beach! We were especially excited about the blueberries we found on the trail!
  5. Sand Beach - One of the only sandy beaches in the area, Sand Beach is a great place to relax and lounge. This is a perfect kid-friendly beach. It is located right inside the park entrance. Get there early for a good parking spot & take note that if you park past the beach, the road is only a one-way!

• Thunder Hole - A really fun viewpoint for kids. Thunder Hole is a natural inlet right along the shore where waves crash & create a really cool boom! A great educational experience that is fun for the whole family.

• Cadillac Mountain - This was a very scenic drive to a kid-friendly viewpoint. Cadillac Mountain -definitely lived up to the hype! We decided against the sunrise reservations because we didn’t think it would be the best idea with the little ones. During the day, it was still extremely beautiful! We actually had a reservation first thing in the morning one day & it was very cloudy, so we rescheduled for just before sunset and it was beautiful! This is a great place with kids because the view comes with very little work-you just have to get out of your car and walk a few yards to see the panoramic views of Maine!

• Southwest Trails - Wonderland Trail & Ship Harbor Trails-Both of these spots are really great to take the kids for a hike. Be sure to check the low-tide times so that you can have a great educational experience checking out the rocks, wildlife & water.

• C-Ray's Lobster Pound - This was probably my favorite lobster roll in Maine! It was a great spot for the kids because of the outdoor seating and of course, they could take a look at the lobsters! We recommend going to a lobster pound outside of Bar Harbor for an authentic experience!

• Lompoc Cafe - A restaurant that our group really enjoyed due to its outdoor space! It had a bocce ball court that could have kept the kids busy for hours! We ended up getting just about every appetizer on the menu to share and they were all amazing. This is just off the main road in Bar Harbor!

• Atlantic Brewing Midtown - We love a great hazy IPA and this place had a few options that were really refreshing! We also had the fish and chips that went great with our beer! They were accommodating to the kids & it was right in the heart of Bar Harbor for walkability!

• A Slice of Eden - This is a perfect quick stop with kids to grab breakfast or pastries to go! They also have coffee, which we all know with kids is an absolute must!
  Aloha - One night we wanted to just grab take-out with the kids & enjoy the patio at our Hotel (Queen Anne's Revenge) This place was right down the street and we had some really incredible Poke Bowls that were huge!

• Fogtown Bar Harbor - This was another fun brewery to stop in at in the heart of Bar Harbor-they offered a lot of great beers and kid-friendly appetizers. Our toddlers loved the Soft Pretzels.

• Jordan Pond Ice Cream & Fudge - You can't have a kid-friendly guide without a great place for ice cream! This is a casual counter-serve ice cream shop right in the heart of Bar Harbor.

• Jordan Pond House - I mentioned this on things to do also because it is a whole experience, but we also loved the food here! We found it to be a great kid-friendly option because of the incredible setting looking over the Bubbles!

Sometimes traveling with kids is hard, but this destination made it really enjoyable because there was so much to do that was enjoyed by all ages! We fell in love with Maine on this trip & definitely want to go back!