Where to stay on Mt Desert Island/Acadia

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have lodging suggestions for the Mt. Desert Island area? Im probably looking for a camping cottage with a set of bunk beds or large motel room. However, I think we’ll probably stay for less than a week, so a weekly rental is out.

I’d also appreciate any thoughts on pros/cons for different parts of the island.

[Anonymous]

We stayed here once:https://www.atlanticeyrielodge.com/

Great view.
Quite basic, but nice pool.
Decent breakfast.
Well-located.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know what kind of experience you want, but we loved being smack in the middle of bar harbor. Parked the car and walked everywhere for groceries/meals/activities, took the shuttle into the park, etc. Only used the car to get to the other side of the island a couple times.

[Anonymous]

No - avoid Bar Harbor at all costs. Its pure kitsch and loud.

Southwest Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Seal Harbor are all fantastic. Anywhere on the LLBean bus line so you don't have to drive.

[Anonymous]

https://www.hadleyspoint.com/cabins.html

I like the north side of the island. We stayed here, and you can easily get to all the different places around MDI.

[Anonymous]

NP. Do teens like MDI? For reference, mine liked the Grand Canyon for a day but that was it and then they were bored. They liked Sedona slightly better but definitely didn’t want to do a week of that, so I don’t know how MDI would go. WDYT?

[Anonymous]

We booked a very last-minute stay last summer at the Inn at Mt. Desert and it ended up being great. Walkable to Bar Harbor so we didn't have to worry about driving to dinner. Bonus that it had a pool table in the basement that our tweens loved.

https://www.staybarharbor.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. Do teens like MDI? For reference, mine liked the Grand Canyon for a day but that was it and then they were bored. They liked Sedona slightly better but definitely didn’t want to do a week of that, so I don’t know how MDI would go. WDYT?

My teens loved it, but we are outdoors/hiking people. Lots and lots of gorgeous, challenging hikes to do on MDI. They also enjoyed an Improv show in Bar Harbor, the Oceanarium, a lobster bake, kayaking and paddle boarding, and biking the carriage roads. It was an extended family trip, so we enjoyed playing cards and other board games, throwing the football/frisbee around, playing fetch and running around with the dog, biking around Bar Harbor and eating lots of ice cream and desserts.

[Anonymous]

Bar Harbor Motel is surprisingly nice, has family rooms in addition to regular rooms and very well priced. Not really in walking distance to downtown BH although on the shuttle route.

[Anonymous]

We’ve visited MDI many times. Probably our favorite place. Our kids (now young adults) love all the hiking.

If this is your first time, being near Bar Harbor will be most convenient. Grocery, restaurants and park shuttle are all in town. The town is busy, especially when cruise ships dock but clears out after.

If you are looking to stay out of town, just know the island is “small”. You can almost drive anywhere in about 30 minutes. Southwest Harbor is “quieter” and Northwest even “quieter”.

Places not to stay, purely my opinion:

Off RT 3 north of town between bridge to island and bar harbor town. This is the main thoroughfare and traffic is busy here

The far southwest of island. It’s very pretty and quiet, it’s also a far away from most things (like the park!) and inconvenient for first visit

My suggestion is that you look at the local real estate agencies for accommodations. I would not go AirBnB or VRBO for Acadia because for some reason prices come up exorbitant.

Some listings are available on multiple sites, a few come to mind:

LSRobinson
Knowlesco

There are several others. Do book early as they go fast as there are a lot of repeat clients.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. Do teens like MDI? For reference, mine liked the Grand Canyon for a day but that was it and then they were bored. They liked Sedona slightly better but definitely didn’t want to do a week of that, so I don’t know how MDI would go. WDYT?

MDI is different because it has a whole town, with people who actually live there. Grand Canyon is just tourist-ville.

So, MDI has a movie theater, lots of restaurants, places to be with lots of people, places to be almost alone. You can get your feet wet, throw rocks in the water, take a hike, go shopping. It can suit a lot of different kinds of people's needs.

[Anonymous]

We glamped at Terramor and it was nice but felt overpriced — we may have just been there at peak times.

It was a bit of a drive from some things, but not too bad. It was the right level of “camping” for my young kids