Visiting Bar Harbor Maine in Late Fall

A Complete Guide to Bar Harbor Maine in the Fall (2023)

11/9/2022

Bar Harbor is a coastal town next to Acadia National Park, in Maine. It has just about 5,200 year round residents - with the population skyrocketing in summer months due to the over 3 million annual visitors Acadia National Park receives. It is actually considered one of the top 10 U.S. destinations during the summer months because of this! Both Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park are actually located on Mount Desert Island - and the most shocking fact? Bar Harbor visitors consume over 5 million lobsters a year! Read on for tips to avoid the crowds, and our favorite recommendations for late fall (including the bed races)!

Our Essential Travel Resources :
There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are our favorite websites and resources to help you plan an incredible trip.

For flights, we recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to your destination.

Car rentals comparisons are best through Discover Cars - just make sure to bring your international driver's permit with you if you're heading somewhere international!

We always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.

To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, we always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required), and always use NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifi connections.

For fun things to do, we always recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick, especially for tours in Asia.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my packing list for your international or domestic travels.

Why Fall is the Best Time to Visit (And Where to Stay)

Bar Harbor sees seasonal changes throughout the year, similar to most states in the Northern half of the United States. In the winter, Bar Harbor averages about 68 inches of snow a year with hardly any visitors and lots of ice, and a majority of stores and restaurants close down. In the spring, stores and restaurants begin opening up and tourists begin trickling in, and in the summer...well, tourists and visitors come in large masses. Similar to in the fall, tourism seems to peak thanks to all the stunning fall foliage and beautiful views. And in the late fall? Well, there aren't too many visitors around, some stores and restaurants begin closing in preparation for the upcoming winter season, and many trails and drives throughout Acadia are left empty.

We have to be honest here, we had a pretty difficult time finding lodging to stay at that fit under our $100 a day budget. However, a bit out of town near Hancock we found an adorable little Airbnb cabin called the Sweet Fern Cabin. We also put together a short list of lodging you can find in Bar Harbor to the left! Just make sure to call ahead before your visit to make sure they are still open during your dates!

Best Places to Eat in Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor has a seemingly endless list of places to eat, drink, and dine at! We've gathered a list of our favorite stops, where to get LOBSTAH ;) and where to simply have some drinks! Our ultimate favorites were Thirsty Whale Tavern for their lobster roll, Choco-Latte Cafe for their coffees & teas, Ben & Bill's for their fudge, and Fogtown Brewing for their drinks and sardines and toast!

For Restaurants & Food :

Thirsty Whale Tavern
Choco-Latte Cafe
Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium
Steman's Lobster Pound
Geddy's
Galyn's

For Breweries & Drinks :

Fogtown Brewing
Atlantic Brewing Company
Bar Harbor Beer Works
Finback Alehouse

Our Favorite Tours near Bar Harbor :
- Acadia National Park Bus Tour
- Bar Harbor Culinary Walking Tour
- Safari Kayak Tour

Best Bar Harbor Activities in the Fall

Forever our favorite part of traveling, the adventures! (Although food is a close second.) Although it might seem like the only thing to do is explore the nearby Acadia National Park, there are plenty of options and excursions that we highly recommend looking into while you're in the area! We've also listed some other things to do in the area below, just make sure to call ahead to see if they're still open during your visit!

Check out our full guide to Acadia National Park here!

Acadia GEM Tour - We had a blast driving this bad boy around the park loop! With a max of 25 mph, and the option to take the doors off with nice weather, we loved this adventure!
Thunder Hole - We weren't able to align our visits with the high tide, but it's supposed to be pretty epic!
Bass Harbor Head Light Station - A short walk to a beautiful lighthouse!
Food Tour, Brewery Hopping, Shopping - Downtown Bar Harbor has plenty of options for any of these, and many local shops too!
Cadillac Mountain - This spot inside Acadia National Park is said to be the first place in the entire United States where the sun hits each morning! Just be prepared to get up VERY early.
Hiking - There are SO MANY hikes in the area, especially in Acadia National Park. Our favorite was the Beehive Loop, but you can read our full list of hikes in our guide to Acadia National Park linked above!

However, our all time favorite thing was the Bar Harbor Bed Races & Early Bird Pajama Sales - this is a MUST. Held in mid November, participants create groups of 5, with 4 pushing and 1 riding their "homemade bed on wheels" down Cottage Street. Seriously the most fun we've had in a while! Plus, dress up in pajamas and join the festivities to get a percentage off when shopping local!