Bangor to Bar Harbor
 

We will be staying in Bangor for a few days this summer. I would like to take a drive down to Bar Harbor. We would be leaving in the AM and returning to Bangor in the evening. Is there any special places to stop on the way down to Bar Harbor? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

hi i live just west of bangor and make this drive a couple times a year. there really is nothing worth taking time away from acadia for on the route.
my only exception would be for schoodic point - which is actually part of acadia.
after you see bar harbor, on your way back to bangor take a right/north on rte. 1 out of ellsworth towards prospect harbor and gouldsboro. you will drive just under 20 miles to west gouldsboro. immediately after town (it's tiny) you will see signs to rte. 186/schoodic point. this is a stunning loop drive (w/no stops it would take approx 30 mins to drive) with plenty of places to stop - no services except bathrooms. towards the end there is as large parking lot, near huge boulders with blow holes and crashing waves (see photo page on schoodic site). its beautiful and dramatic.
again do this after bar harbor. it is very very quiet by comparison and you might not like bar harbor if you go to schoodic first - it's the way our coast used to be...

Thank you so much for your response. It sounds wonderful. It sounds like you knew exactly what we were looking for. Thank you again.

here's a link to the schoodic site i mentioned for pics. http://www.acadia-schoodic.org/
i know you'll have a great day.

We enjoyed American Folk Fesitval last August in Bangor and also Acadia Nat'l Pk. Nice part of the country. As for Bar Harbor, pretty touristy. Good lunch at Lumpoc, dinner at Donahues.

Ozarkbill