Bar harbor/acadia national park with fam
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Anonymous
| We have 4 tweens/teens and would like to visit Acadia national park this July. Looking into accommodations for the family. Bar Harbor looks like a fun area that would also keep teens interested in seeing people/going out for ice cream etc. However the homes on Airbnb appear to be dated; no pools etc. Any recommendations for a family of 6? We definitely want to go hiking in the park. Would love to bring the dog but understand we may not be able to. Any insight greatly appreciated! |
Anonymous
| It's not really the kind of place where people go to the pool as part of that vacation. They point is the weather is cooler than DC too. There's the park, hiking, rock beaches, etc. |
Anonymous
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running out of the house now, will post back if you have questions , but there is glamping nearby. I would not do more than 2-3 nights then go to somewhere else, but great fun
https://www.undercanvas.com/camps/acadia/ |
Anonymous
| We stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn with our tweens and had a great time. |
Anonymous
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Most of the rentals and hotels there are dated. It’s kind of a Maine thing.
Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn, are farther from the park and shops as are the cottages you’ll see as you head into MDI. New luxury is that one hotel that’s near Geddys with the adult only pool. I can’t think of the name right now. |
Anonymous
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My family stayed in this Acadia Sunrise motel about 15 minutes drive away from the town of Bar Harbor. The motel has a pool and is pet-friendly.
https://www.acadiasunrisemotel.com/ Our visit was about 15 years ago but I thought the motel was perfectly fine as a base to drive into the town and into the park for day sightseeing. It is not in Bar Harbor. We spent time at the Bar looking at the sands at low tide, went whale watching, shopped in the town, drove into the park and up Cadillac Mountain, did some other things more for little kids. |
Anonymous
| It’s Bar Harbor. I don’t think I’ve seen a single pool there. That’s not the kind of place it is. There are nice hotels in town right by the harbor but a lot of the amenities are more rustic because it’s … Maine. In any case you spend so much time outdoors there that the lodging really is beside the point. Also it’s going to be heavily booked already as that’s peak season so you’re going to have to go with what’s left. |
Anonymous
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Acadia is the most dog friendly national park I've been to - bring the dog. Swimming isn't much of a thing, although there are 2 places, Sand Beach (if you're lucky the water might be in the upper 50s) and Eagle Lake, where it could be a touch higher. It's a place to hike:
Around Jordan Pond Up to Bubble Rock Shorter walks, that are typical Maine, like Ship Harbor and Wonderland Flying Moutain is a good one too, great views and blueberries to eat along the way Visit Asticou Inn for better popovers than Jordan Pond House these days, and walk/hike up to the gardens for something different The Ocean Path is along the ocean and has gorgeous views Beehive is a bit tougher, and the only one I'd say don't take the dog - there's a rung ladder to climb at one point And there's so much more |
Anonymous
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We stayed at an airbnb in Trenton just outside the park that was on the water— could kayak or swim if you wanted but water was cold and sand was pebbly.
If you want a pool you could look at the Bluenose Inn but you sacrifice some convenience. Bar harbor inn would be an option if price is acceptable. |
Anonymous
The bar harbor inn has a great outdoor pool. |
Anonymous
| Ma’am, it is New England, not Florida. |
Anonymous
| If you don’t care about being directly in town, we stayed at the Hampton Inn which is just outside downtown Bar Harbor. It was clean and has both indoor and outdoor pools. |
Anonymous
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You won’t miss a pool! There are lakes if you want to swim.
Bring the dog! Little long pond (I think that’s the name) was a (legal!) off leash hiking dream for my dog when we went a few years ago. We also brought her to Jordan pond for popovers and hiked bubble rock with her. Every restaurant had a dog friendly patio and lots of stores let her inside. We walked along the cliff side trail every morning through town and it was so joyful. |
Anonymous
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For Acadia, don’t look at Airbnb or VRBO. For some reason some prices are ridiculously expensive. Look at one of the local realty companies:
https://lsrobinson.com/ https://www.daagy.com/ https://knowlesco.com/ There are more… |
Anonymous
| I'm going to add to the "You want houses in Maine to have pools" incredulity. Have you been to Bar Harbor?Even in August it's typically not terribly hot. |