Explore the Bar Island Path in Acadia National Park.
If you've ever visited Bar Harbor, but missed what it looks like at low tide, you may wonder how this town on the edge of Acadia National Park got its name. For a couple hours before and after low tide, the water gets low enough to reveal a sand bar that connects the town to Bar Island. This quick and easy hike is a great way to experience Bar Harbor and a small part of Acadia.
The Bar Island Path starts at the end of Bridge Street. As long as you time it right, you won't be able to miss the path. You'll likely see a lot of other visitors as well, waiting for the last of the water to retreat so they can hike out the the island.
The most important thing to remember about this trail is that you can only return to the mainland during low tide.While four hours is plenty of time to finish this hike and even have a picnic on Bar Island as well, if you start the hike as the tide is coming back in, you may actually get stranded on the island until the next low tide.
If you get there a little early, you should be comfortable either getting your feet wet, hopping along a lot of rocks, or just being patient and letting the rest of the tide go out.
As you cross the land bridge and get to Bar Island a half mile from the start, the path continues upward through the forest on an old road - so the terrain is fairly easy.
As you near the summit the forest opens up into grassy fields and the trail levels out. If you take your time here and keep your eyes out - there's a good chance you'll spot a deer.
As the path continues under tree cover, it takes a sharp right to the summit. The terrain gets a bit steeper here but is still very manageable. If you miss the turn, you'll notice the trail you're on starts to descend - turn back to the summit. At the time of my visit, the turn on the trail was not well marked which is why about 20 hikers headed down the wrong trail. There is nothing of note on the other side of the island. The trails split and aren't marked, making it incredibly easy to get lost and potentially stranded on the island.
Climb until you pass the stone pile marking the summit and you'll see the west face of the mountain open up and reveal the most beautiful view of Bar Harbor I've ever seen. There are a couple of different vistas at the summit so take some time to take it in.
The trip back follows the same route you took up. Again, there are other trails on the island but they are not well marked and don't have much to offer in terms of good views. So I strongly recommend staying on the Bar Island Path. This quick and easy hike is one of the best things to do in Bar Harbor so make sure you have time to take a trip at low tide during your next visit.
The trip back follows the same route you took up. Again, there are other trails on the island but they are not well marked and don't have much to offer in terms of good views. So I strongly recommend staying on the Bar Island Path. This quick and easy hike is one of the best things to do in Bar Harbor so make sure you have time to take a trip at low tide during your next visit.
As you approach the trail and all along it, you will see many signs warning you about the tides leaving you stranded on the island.
