GOLF: There are several good eminently playable courses on Mount Desert Island. The Kebo Valley Golf Club (tel. 207/288-3000) at 136 Eagle Lake Road in Bar Harbor (a short walk or drive from downtown) is one of the oldest in America, open in some form or another since 1888; it’s a beaut. (Golf Digest awarded it four stars.) Greens fees run Greens fees run from $84 to $114 per person for 18 holes (they’re highest in summer), and it can get very busy on peak summer weekends—try to reserve well ahead.
SEA KAYAKING: Sea kayaking is massively popular around Mount Desert Island. Experienced kayakers arrive in droves with their own boats. Novices can sign up for guided tours offered by several outfitters. Many new paddlers have found their inaugural experiences gratifying; others have complained that the quantity of paddlers on quick tours in peak season makes the experience a little too much like a cattle drive to truly enjoy. A variety of options can be found on the island, ranging from a 2.5-hour harbor tour to a 7-hour excursion; plenty of outfitters in Bar Harbor and the other towns offer guided excursions. Try
Coastal Kayaking Tours, 48 Cottage Street (tel. 800/526-8615 or 207/288-9605) oror
Maine State Sea Kayak, 254 Main St. (; 📞
207/244-9500), which launches from both Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor. With unpredictable weather and squirrelly tides kayakers are advised to have some prior experience before attempting to set out on their own.
