Info About Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, and More


Info About Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, and More from the Wonderview Acadia National Park Hotel

Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park

With so many amazing activities available, restaurants to eat at, and areas to explore on Mount Desert Island it can be hard to figure out exactly what to do! To save our guests some time we have made up lists to help you plan your trip from our Acadia National Park Hotel.

Entrance Pass Info – All vehicles, bikers, and hikers require an entrance pass to enter Acadia National Park. Passes can be bought in the park, online, or at our front desk.  Here is a link to purchase the pass online. Entrance passes must be displayed in cars at all times while within the park. 

Info About Cadillac Mountain Reservation System – Acadia National Park has introduced a new reservation system for Cadillac Mountain for the 2021 season to reduce overcrowding.

Starting April 1 at 10 am ET, vehicle reservations will be available for purchase online at Recreation.gov for Cadillac Summit Road between sunrise and sunset from May 26 through Oct 19.

  • Vehicle reservations are not required for any other areas of the park, or for visitors who enter the area by foot, bike, or taxi. Cadillac is not served by the Island Explorer bus system.
  • A park entrance pass is required for all locations in Acadia National Park in addition to the vehicle reservation for Cadillac Summit Road. Annual and weekly park entrance passes are available for purchase on Recreation.gov.
  • Please print, download, or screen capture your confirmation code to display since connectivity can be spotty approaching the check station.
  • While there is an entry time window for each vehicle reservation – two hours for sunrise and 30 minutes for daytime – there is no limit on the length of time visitors may remain parked in the reservation area.
  • For visitors who prefer to plan far in advance, 30 percent of available vehicle reservations are released 90 days ahead of each calendar date on a rolling basis. The remaining 70 percent are released at 10 am ET two days ahead of each date to allow visitors a bit more trip spontaneity.

Recommended Hikes – If you click on the link it will show a short list of some of our favorite hikes on Mount Desert Island. This list is not exhaustive and does not include many amazing hikes on the island. For more info on great hikes you can use Acadiamagic.com, Joe’s Guide to Acadia, and the Chimani App (paid service for full benefits).

Acadia’s Most Famous Landmarks – Acadia National Park has many amazing sights to see and places to visit, but these are some the most famous!

Activities on Mount Desert Island Besides Hiking or Sightseeing in AcadiaMost people when visiting Bar Harbor and Mount Dessert Island will hike and sightsee in Acadia National Park, but there is so much more to do! If you click on the link above you will see a list of a few of the many other activities to do on the Island.

Restaurant Recommendations – There are many great restaurants in Bar Harbor, but here is a short list of some of our favorites.

Lobster Recommendations – Lobster is one of the most popular and delicious foods in Maine. Here is a list of some of our employees favorites from around the Island.

Tide Charts – Click on this link to see the tide chart for Bar Harbor, Maine. Bar Island, located just off of Bar Harbor, has a sandbar that makes the Island accessible for 1.5 hours before and after low tide. Thunder Hole is best seen at about midway between low and high tide.

Best Places to see Sunrise and Sunset on Mount Desert Island – MDI and Acadia National Park have some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. We have made a list of some of our favorite places to go around the Island to enjoy the sunrise or sunset.

Day Trips off of Mount Dessert Island – Some guests are looking to explore more of Downeast and Mid Coast Maine and so we have made a list of some fun day trips off the island!

Rainy Day Activities – Many of Bar Harbor’s most popular activities are not available when it is raining so we have compiled a list of some of our favorite thing to do on a rainy day!

Kids Activities – Here is a list of some kid friendly activities to do in the area.

Area Church Services – Here is a list of church services in Bar Harbor and the surrounding communities.