Last Updated on May 21, 2026 by Adrienne
Acadia is one of the very best national parks in the US for families with young kids. Not only is much of the nicest scenery in the park accessible without doing any intense hiking, but there’s also so much family-friendly stuff to see and do in neighboring towns like Bar Harbor. I grew up visiting the Acadia/Bar Harbor area as a kid, and now bring my own daughter there every summer. I’ve put together this list of my favorite things to do in and around Acadia with kids 6 and under. Although this list is geared towards younger kids, many of the suggested activities are great for older kids – and adults! – too.
Drive to the Top of Cadillac Mountain
Acadia’s tallest mountain, Cadillac, is accessible by car. The views from the top are gorgeous and little kids will love running around and exploring the relatively flat summit area, which has many stroller-friendly paved paths. During the summer and fall high seasons, reservations are required to drive to the top of Cadillac and can be obtained on recreation.gov for $6. As of 2026, a small percentage of reservations go on sale 90 days in advance, and the remainder go on sale 2 days in advance. More details can be found here.
Look For Frogs On the Jordan Pond Path
The ~3 mile loop around Jordan Pond is one of my favorite trails to do with little kids in Acadia National Park (if they’re not feeling it, you don’t have to do the whole loop – the best views are near the beginning/end). Not only does this trail have beautiful views of Jordan Pond and the Bubble Mountains, but it’s a great place to spot frogs. Afterwards, you can reward yourselves with popovers and ice cream at Jordan Pond House, which has lovely views from its lawn.
Drive Along Ocean Drive
Acadia’s signature scenic drive is the Park Loop Road, the most spectacular part of which is the ~2 mile stretch between Sand Beach and Otter Point known as Ocean Drive. There are many places along the road to stop and explore.
Get Splashed at Thunder Hole
One of the best known stops along Ocean Drive is Thunder Hole, an inlet along the coast that periodically booms when waves rush into it. The extent to which it’s “thundering” depends on weather and tides and can be hard to predict, but kids will enjoy it even when it’s not at its most impressive.
Climb Beech Mountain, a Perfect “First Mountain” for Kids
My favorite easy climb in Acadia is Beech Mountain, which is one of the shortest summits in the park at about 350 feet of elevation gain. The views are very good, especially relative to the effort expended. My daughter did this hike for the first time at age 4. Make sure you take the gentle Beech Mountain Trail, not the Beech Cliffs Trail, which is much steeper and involves ladders.
Walk on the Stroller-Friendly Carriage Roads
One of the nicest things about Acadia for young families is the 45 miles of stroller-friendly (and car-free) carriage roads that wind through the park, so you can get out and explore on foot even with babies or toddlers. Some of my favorite routes include the Eagle Lake Loop and the Hadlock Loop, which features waterfalls and bridges.
Swim in One of Mount Desert Island’s Freshwater Lakes
While the ocean in Maine can be a little cold for all but the bravest folks, Mount Desert Island has several freshwater lakes that are great for swimming. My favorite spot for little kids is Echo Lake Beach, which has a nice beach and a roped off area for swimming. Another popular swimming area is Lake Wood Pond (pictured below), which my daughter likes because we often see tadpoles here, but leeches are also not an infrequent sighting, so you may want to avoid if you have squeamish kids. Note that several of Acadia’s major lakes including Jordan Pond and Eagle Lake are public water supplies and don’t allow swimming, although you can use canoes and kayaks on them.
Cool Off at Sand Beach
As the name suggests, Sand Beach is Acadia’s largest sandy beach. Although sustained swimming requires a very hot day (or a very high tolerance for cold water), young kids will enjoy splashing around and playing on the beach. There are also tidepools to explore at low tide. Sand Beach is one of the most popular spots in Acadia and parking can fill up; I recommend arriving early or taking the free Island Explorer bus.
Go Low-Tiding for Sea Creatures
My favorite spot for low-tiding, or tidepooling, is Bartlett’s Landing, which is a little off the beaten path at the end of Bartlett’s Landing Road on the western side of the island. Crabs and starfish are pretty easy to spot; if you get lucky with a spring low tide (more extreme low tides that happen twice a month) you may be able to spot scallops or sea cucumbers as well.
Complete Acadia’s Junior Ranger Program
Like many US National Parks, Acadia has an excellent Junior Ranger program. You can pick up an activity booklet at one of the park’s visitor centers and kids complete the puzzles and games inside, along with hands-on activities like scavenger hunts and ranger interviews, to earn a really nice Junior Range pin.
Pick (and Eat) Wild Maine Blueberries
Aka little drops of heaven 🙂 If you’re visiting Acadia from late July to early September, wild Maine blueberries will be abundant all over the park, including on many trails like the Beech Mountain Trail mentioned above. Blueberries for Sal makes for some great pre-trip reading for little ones. (If you’re visiting outside this season, fear not, you can still get muffins, pancakes and pies made with wild Maine blueberries at many local restaurants.)
Touch Sea Critters at the Dorr Museum
The College of the Atlantic operates a small but excellent museum of natural history, the George B. Dorr Museum, on their campus just outside of downtown Bar Harbor. They have a large collection of taxidermied local wildlife, along with sea creature touch tanks with animals like lobsters, scallops, sea cucumbers and starfish. The staff is really friendly and engaging, and with a suggested donation of just $5 per person, it’s an affordable family outing.
Explore Bar Harbor’s Shore Path and Town Beach
Although the village of Bar Harbor is mainly a shopping and dining destination, there are opportunities to connect with nature right in town. The Shore Path is a flat, stroller-friendly gravel path that runs along Frenchman Bay with very nice views of the islands just off the coast. Bar Harbor’s Town Beach (next to the main pier) is small and rocky but still a lot of fun for kids, and we often find sea glass there.
Have a Picnic in Agamont Park
Bar Harbor’s Agamont Park is a fun place to let kids burn off energy while you soak up the views over Frenchman Bay. Eating in restaurants day after day can be tiring with little kids, so we like to grab some to-go food and have a picnic in the park once in a while. Some of our favorite picnic foods are pizza from Rosalie’s or Geddy’s, popovers and coffee from The Stadium and lobster rolls from one of the many seafood places around town. Much more info about Bar Harbor restaurants can be found here.
Play Mini Golf at Pirate’s Cove
Mini golf is synonymous with summer vacation for our family and many others, and our favorite spot to play on Mount Desert Island is Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf, which has two 18-hole courses of delightfully themed mini golf fun, complete with features like waterfalls, caves and pirate ships.
Walk to Bar Island at Low Tide
One of Bar Harbor’s most distinctive features is that it’s connected to the aptly named Bar Island by a large gravely bar for 1.5 hours on either side of low tide. This is a flat and easy walk from downtown, and you may see crabs and starfish. Just make sure you get back before the tide comes in 😉
Get Out on the Water
MDI has no shortage of boat excursions, including whale watching trips, kayaking adventures and sailings on the four-masted schooner Margaret Todd. With young kids, my favorite boat trips are the interactive ones where they send someone to dive the ocean floor or pull up a lobster trap and let the kids touch the sea creatures that are brought up. My family has gone on Diver Ed’s Dive-In Theater (which is closed for the 2026 season, due to the owners’ health issues, but will hopefully be back soon!). Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company’s lobster cruise is another good option where kids get to interact with sea critters.
Cozy Up with a Good Book at Jesup Memorial Library
I love to check out public libraries when traveling with kids, and Bar Harbor’s Jesup Memorial Library is an excellent one. They have a very nice children’s room for little ones, and regularly put on awesome programs for kids of all ages. They keep their Facebook page updated with information about upcoming events.
Learn about Local Animals at Acadia Wildlife Center
The Acadia Wildlife Center is a bit of a hidden gem on MDI; I don’t think too many tourists visit and it took me years to discover it. They do great work rehabilitating injured native wildlife like bats, owls, foxes and porcupines, and although they aren’t open to the public daily, they put on excellent, free educational programs on most summer weekends (details here; advance registration required).
Eat Ice Cream Next to a Giant Lobster
If your kids are anything like mine, no vacation is complete without near-daily ice cream runs. My favorite ice cream spot in Bar Harbor is Ben & Bill’s. Not only do they have excellent ice cream and hot fudge, but kids will love the giant lobster statue outside.
Looking for more Bar Harbor/Acadia info? Here’s my review of the Bar Harbor Inn, which is my family’s favorite place to stay, and my guide to the island’s best food. I also have posts about visiting Bar Harbor over the Fourth of July and in the fall.
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