Acadia National Park
Managed by National Park Service
12,932 acres66.3 mi of trail
Canon Brook TrailOcean PathCadillac North Ridge TrailSchooner Head Path+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Bar Harbor
More than half of Bar Harbor’s land is conserved: 56%
56% of Bar Harbor’s land is conserved, about 15,072 acres. 13,006 acres are parks and preserves, 2,480 per 1,000 residents. 84 miles of mapped trail cross Bar Harbor, 2.0 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #1 of 143 in Maine. What drives it
Conserved land
56%
15,072 acres · of 42.2 sq mi of land
Trails
84 mi
2.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
13,006 ac
2,480 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
74%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.4 mi
1.1 mi paths
Highest peak
1,529 ft
Cadillac Mountain
Lakes & rivers
21
9 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Bar Harbor?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild56% of the land is conserved; a typical Maine town, 6%.Room to roam2,480 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town2.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 93% of U.S. towns.History along the way24 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bar Harbor have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bar Harbor is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #1 of 143 in Maine. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bar Harbor’s overall grade.
Conserved land56% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (84 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land2,480 acres of park per 1,000 residents (13,006 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home74% of residents within a half mile of a park · ME 30% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Maine towns of 2,500+ (143)#1 of 143
Water is 33% of Bar Harbor’s area (21 of 63 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 38%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Acadia National Park, with 66.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Stone Barn Farm Preserve
Managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust
133 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Kittredge Brook Forest
Managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust
521 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Indian Point-Blagden Preserve
Nature preserve
109 acres1.2 mi of trail
Big Wood TrailShore TrailFern Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Blue Horizons Preserve
Managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust
84 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 14 parks & preserves
Acadia National Park12,932 acres · 66.3 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsStone Barn Farm Preserve133 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Kittredge Brook Forest521 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Indian Point-Blagden Preserve109 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBlue Horizons Preserve84 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Agamont Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsVillage Green1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGrant Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThomas Island Preserve76 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Hadley Point Beach7 acres
DirectionsMaine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge5 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Glen Mary Park5 acres
Babson Creek Preserve2 acres · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Town Hill Playground1 acres
Who protects it
15,072 conserved acres
56% of Bar Harbor’s land. Water is left out: Bar Harbor has 42.2 square miles of land and 20.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Bar Harbor’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service13,518 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,438 ac
Regional agency94 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service37 ac
State parks24 ac
Town or city9 ac
State fish & wildlife6 ac
National Park · 12,902 acConservation Easement · 1,279 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 824 acPrivate Conservation · 808 acUnknown Easement · 662 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,113 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 63 of 105 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia National Park National Park | National Park Service | 12,902 | Open |
| Kitteredge Brook Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,030 | Unknown |
| Indian Point-Blagden Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 207 | Unknown |
| Stone Barn Farm Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 133 | Closed |
| Blue Horizons Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 84 | Closed |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 82 | Unknown |
| Miscellaneous Municipal Lands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 81 | Unknown |
| Thomas Island Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 66 | Closed |
| Northeast Creek - Pelletier Private Conservation | Not recorded | 56 | Unknown |
| Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 37 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
86 places to go in Bar Harbor
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bar Harbor
Boulder BeachIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsSand Beach
DirectionsPlus 7 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Bar Harbor
Glen Mary PoolIn Glen Mary Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Bar Harbor
Park Street Playground
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Bar Harbor
Eagle Lake Boat LaunchIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Bar Harbor
Duck Brook WaterfallIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsScenic views in Bar Harbor
Hawk WatchIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsOtter Point
DirectionsSunset viewIn Acadia National Park
Directions36 scenic views are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Peaks in Bar Harbor
Cadillac Mountain1,529 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsDorr Mountain1,270 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsChamplain Mountain1,060 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsDike Peak1,053 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsThe Whitecap906 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsHuguenot Head728 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsMcFarland Mountain722 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsYoungs Mountain653 ft elevation
Directions18 more peaks
Great Pond Hill633 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsConners Nubble587 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsGreat Hill531 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsGorham Mountain525 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsThe Beehive518 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsHalfway Mountain486 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsBrewer Mountain417 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsKebo Mountain410 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsDiamond Peak407 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsEnoch Mountain400 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsParadise Hill289 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsFrenchmans Hill256 ft elevation
DirectionsIreson Hill230 ft elevation
DirectionsCranberry Hill167 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsWhalesback151 ft elevation
DirectionsGreat Head105 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsHigh Head92 ft elevation
DirectionsSchooner Head92 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bar Harbor
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor CampgroundFee · Modern America Campgrounds
DirectionsHadley's Point CampgroundHours: May 15-Oct 15
DirectionsMt. Desert Narrows Camping ResortEncore
DirectionsTerramor Outdoor Resort
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Bar Harbor
COA Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 21 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 19.4 miHorses · 19.0 miUnpaved · 63.6 mi
Schooner Head Path2.7 mi
Canon Brook Trail2.3 mi
Ocean Path2.1 mi
Cadillac North Ridge Trail2.1 mi
Great Meadow Loop1.7 mi
Great Head Trail1.7 mi
Cadillac South Ridge Trail1.6 mi
Eagle Lake Trail1.5 mi
Gorge Path1.5 mi
Gorham Mountain Trail1.4 mi
15 more trails
Champlain South Ridge Trail
1.3 miDorr Mountain South Ridge Trail
1.2 miA Murray Young Path
1.2 miAunt Betty Pond Connector
1.2 miBeachcroft Path
1.2 miKebo Brook Trail
1.0 miSchiff Path
1.0 miChamplain North Ridge Trail
1.0 miJesup Path
1.0 miDorr Mountain North Ridge Trail
0.9 miOrange & Black Path
0.9 miBig Wood Trail
0.8 miKebo Mountain Trail
0.8 miKane Path
0.8 miCadillac West Face Trail
0.8 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Beaver Dam PondpondBeaver PondspondBreakneck PondsBubble PondlakeDuck Brook FallsEagle LakereservoirFawn PondFrench Hill PondpondHalfmoon PondHamilton PondreservoirKief PondpondLake WoodNew Mills Meadow PondpondThe BowlpondThe FeatherbedpondThe TarnreservoirWitch Hole PondAunt Betseys BrookJordan RiverNortheast CreekOld Mill Brook
Biking & sports
9.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.1 mi
off-road bike paths
8.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Eagle Lake LoopBike route
5.9 miTri Lakes LoopBike route
5.7 miWitch Hole Pond LoopBike route
4.1 miJordan Pond LoopBike route
3.4 miCourts & fields
16Tennis
4Baseball
4Softball
4Basketball
2Soccer
1Beach volleyball
1Football
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →24 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 11 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Turrets, TheBuilding · listed 1974
About itRedwoodBuilding · listed 1978
About itHighseasBuilding · listed 1978
About itEegonosBuilding · listed 1980
About itCriterion TheatreBuilding · listed 1980
About itWest Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itSproul's CafeBuilding · listed 1982
About itReverie CoveBuilding · listed 1982
About itAbbe, Robert, Museum of Stone AntiquitiesBuilding · listed 1983
About itNannauBuilding · listed 1984
About itUS Post Office-Bar Harbor MainBuilding · listed 1986
About itJesup Memorial LibraryBuilding · listed 1991
About it12 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bar Harbor: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 32 | 40 | 52 | 63 | 71 | 77 | 76 | 68 | 56 | 46 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 4.3 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 5.3 |
August is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 5.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Bar Harbor →
Next door
Bar Harbor and its neighbors
Bar Harbor has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Mount Desert110 miBar Harbor84 miHancock21 miGouldsboro20 miWinter Harbor16 miLamoine4.1 miTrenton2.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Harbor | 56% | 2.0 | 2,480 | 74% | A+ |
| Gouldsboro | 21% | 0.4 | 244 | 18% | B+ |
| Trenton | 4% | 0.2 | 64 | under 1% | C+ |
| Lamoine | 4% | 0.2 | 41 | 24% | B− |
| Mount Desert | 60% | 3.0 | 5,960 | 45% | A+ |
| Winter Harbor | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hancock | 18% | 0.7 | 13 | 14% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bar Harbor
Where can I hike in Bar Harbor?
The longest trail networks: Acadia National Park, 66.3 miles; Stone Barn Farm Preserve, 1.8 miles; Kittredge Brook Forest, 1.3 miles; Indian Point-Blagden Preserve, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bar Harbor is conserved land?
56% of its land, against a typical 6% for a Maine town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bar Harbor’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Acadia National Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bar Harbor?
9.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.1 of off-road paths and 8.3 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Eagle Lake Loop, Tri Lakes Loop and Witch Hole Pond Loop.
Is there public land near Bar Harbor?
35,627 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bar Harbor or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 13,006 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bar Harbor have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #1 of 143 in Maine. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bar Harbor neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →