We went to Acadia this summer for a week and loved it. Our kids ages 7 and 10 are not huge hikers but had a great time - their favorite hike was Bubble Rock and they wanted to do it twice! Bubblie Rock was the most challenging hike we did - everything else was pretty flat. They also loved Sand Beach and did not seem to care that it was absolutely freezing. I preferred Echo Pond which was warm. Divers Ed was a ton of fun. We rented a comfortable place that we found online so down time was relaxing.

If you're staying in an ordinary motel I can see being ready to move on after 3 days.

If you're staying in a house in a beautiful setting and you can mix active days with days just lazing about, reading, games, puzzles...a week is not long enough for us.

Acadia is fantastic in the summer because of its proximity to Bar Harbor. Good food, ice cream, sailing, hiking...I'd go back again!

I think there are two climbing guide companies on the island that are both good. Should be easy to google.

Here’s my old post with a full report at the end. Lots of good info here!!

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/644562.page

My son's not a hiker at all (and he's only 5, so when we get him going, he doesn't last long). We were in Bar Harbor for a week last summer and it was the best vacation we've done in years.

Things we did:
--Stayed in a vrbo house (dog friendly) and walked to dinner/ice cream/the bus into the park every day
--candlepin bowling on the rainy day (perfect for little hands!)
--swimming in the lake at sand beach
--lighthouse exploration
--Off leash hiking/swimming at the Rockefeller gardens (THIS WAS MY FAVORITE! SO MANY HAPPY, FRIENDLY DOGS AND GORGEOUS SCENERY!)
--Walk to compass point for tide pools/throwing rocks in the water, gorgeous scenery
--High/low ropes course
--Concerts in the town square
--Popovers at Jordan Pond House (OMG so good)
--Diver Ed's Dive in Theater boat tour
--Puffin/whale watching tour
--Mini golf courses that put anything around here to shame
--Blueberry flavored everything. So much good food.

I don't think there was anything you couldn't find somewhere else, but having everything close by with no traffic, relaxed, friendly people, and beautiful weather in July was the most relaxing vacation. It's nothing like the mid atlantic--just another world, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We are already planning a return, and we never re-visit places. We only went into Acadia proper 2/7 days, but were happy and entertained on 7/7.

We found plenty to do in a week, but our kids are pretty decent hikers. Our kids were ages 8 and 10 when we were there. Here are the non-hiking things we all enjoyed:

Fishing trip was a highlight. https://acadianboattours.com/activities/fishing-trips/

Biking the carriage roads. We rented bikes and a bike rack from a place in Bar Harbor. We did this one day but would have been happy to do it on 2 separate days, exploring a different area on the second day.

Pirate's Cove mini golf with ice cream across the street. This was the nicest mini golf course I've ever seen.

Diver's Ed. This is best for younger kids though, but it is very well done. The little museum at the pick-up and drop-off spot was a pleasant surprise.

Beal's Lobster Pound.

Low tide walk to Bar Island, followed by ice cream in Bar Harbor.

Sand Beach. The water was too cold for an extended stay, but we spent a lot of time on the beach and climbing over rocks, enjoying the view.

The rock climbing at Otter Cliff looked very good. I wish that we had done that.

Also, on the rock climbing, would love recommendations. I have a teen that has been rock climbing a bit, and knows how to belay, etc. None of the rest of us know how to do and at least two of us are pretty terrified of heights so wouldn't be able to do it with her.

Thank you....anyone have a recommendation of someplace to stay? Ideally someplace with two connected bedrooms that allows dogs.

I think three days is about right for Acadia. Do that for three days plus three days somewhere else in New England, like Portland.

I wonder the same OP. It sounds fun for 3 days but I’m not sure if that justifies the distance from here.

Do they like tidepooling? Check out the sand bar at Bar Harbor at low tide. For boat trips, there are a number of lobster boats and other boat tours to choose from. Diver Ed’s boat tour is a must-do. There is one sandy ocean beach that is wonderful (water is cold though) and several lake / pond beaches that are very nice. Do they like to kayak? Lots of good opportunities to kayak. The carriage paths are great for car-free biking.

Agreed. If they like boats, there's lots to do.

They have everything you mention as well as climbing.

I always see people raving about Acadia NP. We like National Parks but my kids hate hiking and also hate driving around to see things. In a week, I can maybe get them on 2 hikes of 2-4 miles each. They tend to like other things, like Ranger programs, horseback, biking, boating, ice cream, etc. would there be enough at Acadia to keep them busy for a week? When I look online, it looks like a lot of nice hikes and pretty drives with views.