Mount Desert Island is the crown jewel of the Maine coast — a 108-square-mile island that is home to Acadia National Park, the towns of Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Bass Harbor. Connected to the mainland by a short causeway, MDI offers some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in the eastern United States with granite peaks, fjord-like sounds, and crystal-clear lakes all within a compact and endlessly explorable island.
Getting Around Mount Desert Island
The Island Explorer bus system connects all major villages and Acadia trailheads from late June through Columbus Day — free, reliable, and highly recommended for avoiding summer parking headaches. The 27-mile Park Loop Road is the classic MDI driving tour hitting Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, Otter Cliffs, and the summit of Cadillac Mountain. The 45 miles of historic carriage roads built by John D. Rockefeller Jr. are open to hikers, cyclists, and equestrians and are among the finest car-free recreational paths in America.
Beyond Bar Harbor
Northeast Harbor is a refined yachting village with excellent galleries, a charming main street, and the stunning Thuya and Asticou Azalea Gardens. Southwest Harbor is quieter and more local in character with the Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carving and the famous Hinckley boatyard. Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse on the island’s southern tip is one of the most dramatically situated lighthouses in Maine and one of the most photographed in New England.
Things to Do on Mount Desert Island
Hiking in Acadia offers over 150 miles of trails ranging from easy shoreline walks to demanding ridge scrambles on the Precipice and Beehive trails with iron rung ladders up near-vertical granite faces. Sea kayaking around the island’s rocky shores is world-class with guided tours departing from multiple locations. The Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor tells the story of the Wabanaki people with outstanding collections and thoughtful programming. Whale watching cruises depart from Bar Harbor throughout the summer with reliable sightings of humpbacks, finbacks, and minkes.
Day Trips from Mount Desert Island
The Schoodic Peninsula — the only mainland section of Acadia National Park — is 45 minutes east by road or reachable by the seasonal passenger ferry from Bar Harbor. Deer Isle and Stonington are about 90 minutes west along the Blue Hill Peninsula for a scenic contrast to MDI’s busier summer scene. The ferry from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia offers an international day trip for those with passports and a spirit of adventure.
Looking for work on Mount Desert Island? Browse Jobs on MDI on JobsInMaine.com.