Things To Do in Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park

You'll find plenty to explore outside Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. Quiet fishing villages, deep woodlands, and unexpected ocean views are among the jewels you can turn up once you get beyond Bar Harbor town limits.

On the tip of the eastern lobe of Mount Desert Island is the staid, prosperous little village of Northeast Harbor, long a favorite retreat of well-heeled folks up and down the Eastern seaboard. You can see their shingled palaces poking out of the forest and along the shore, but the village itself (which consists of one short main street and a marina) is also worth investigating.

One of the best, least-publicized places for enjoying views of the harbor is from the understatedly spectacular Asticou Terraces. Finding the parking lot can be tricky: Head a half-mile east (toward Seal Harbor) on Route 3 from the junction with Route 198, and look for the small gravel lot on the water side of the road with a sign reading ASTICOU TERRACES. Park here, cross the road on foot, and set off up a magnificent path made of local rock that ascends the sheer hillside, with expanding views of the harbor and the town.

When leaving Northeast Harbor, plan to drive out via Sargent Drive. This one-way route runs through Acadia National Park along the shore of Somes Sound, affording superb views of this glacially carved inlet. On the far side of Somes Sound, there's good hiking and the towns of Southwest Harbor and Bass Harbor. These are both home to fishermen and boat-builders, and though the character of these towns is changing, they're still far more humble than Northeast and Seal harbors.