Acadia Towns & Villages

Acadia National Park is surrounded by numerous towns and villages, each offering its own unique character and attractions for visitors. These communities should be viewed as integral parts of a larger interconnected area. They range from quaint fishing villages like Bass Harbor and Corea to larger, more renowned resort towns such as Bar Harbor. To explore and familiarize yourself with these areas, maps are the best resource. On larger screens, you can click on different locations to access detailed information and photos.

The Mount Desert Island or Acadia Map covers the main section of the park on Mount Desert Island and its neighboring villages. Meanwhile, the Schoodic Map highlights the portion of Acadia National Park on the mainland, along with its surrounding communities. Another way to experience the joy of discovery is by exploring various links, which may lead you to learn about places you have never heard of before. As with the aforementioned maps, the following information about the towns and villages is categorized into these two distinct regions.

Towns & Villages MDI Area

Towns & Villages Schoodic Area

Winter Harbor

Little About Schoodic

Schoodic Peninsula is an approximate 35-45 minute drive from Mount Desert Island but well worth the trip if you can fit it in. There are fewer crowds and there is a long shoreline on the eastern, western, and southern sides making it ideal for sunrise and sunset type photography. Take along food and beverage for a picnic as there are not very many eating options over there. The mid-point in the journey is Ellsworth, the main commercial center for Hancock County and Down East Maine. There are some larger box stores there and a wide variety of other business options so you may want to plan around that as well.

Some Interesting Stats & Facts

The first settlement on MDI was in present day Somesville.
There are only four townships on MDI: Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Mount Desert, and Tremont.
The current municipality of Bar Harbor was once called Eden.
Native Americans were here as far back as 4,000 B.C.
In 1604, the famous French Explorer Samuel de Champlain had to winter in Otter Cove after damaging the hull of his ship near Otter Cliff.
The first non-Native American settler on the Schoodic Peninsula was Thomas Frazer, an African American who established and operated a Salt Works company in 1790. At the time, the land was part of Gouldsboro. It later was named Frazer Point in his honor.
In 1791, Schoodic area land was being sold for 10 cents per acre.

Accept the Challenge!

I would estimate that most visitors to Acadia National Park are primarily familiar with two Bar Harbor and Acadia. Far fewer are aware of towns or villages such as Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor. The number diminishes even further when considering how many have heard of East Sullivan, Winter Harbor, Prospect Harbor, or, especially, the small fishing village of Corea. However, each of these places is significant in its own unique way, boasting rich histories, distinct locations, and breathtaking landscapes and seascapes. Having explored all of them, I have gained a unique perspective on the entire area, which I refer to as the Acadia Region, also known as "Down East Maine." I suggest that any visitor limits their experience by not venturing further into surrounding areas to discover the whole region. Go ahead—take the challenge!