Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The hike
The walk starts at the corner of West Street and Bridge Street in Bar Harbor. Walk down Bridge Street to the shore and out across the bar, a wide strip of gravel with tide pools. On the island the Bar Island Trail climbs gently through the woods on an old road. Where it forks, bear left for the high point, which has an open view of Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay. Return the same way.
It is 1.7 miles (2.7 km) round trip with 90 feet (26 m) of climbing; allow about an hour. The grade is Easy: a flat crossing and a gentle climb on an old road.
The bar is dry only for about an hour and a half either side of low tide. For the rest of the time it is under the sea. Check the tide table for Bar Harbor before you start and leave the island in good time: if you are caught there, it is about nine hours before you can walk back.
Park on West Street, where you must pay from May 15 to October 31. Parking is not allowed on Bridge Street or on the bar itself. The fare-free Island Explorer bus runs to downtown Bar Harbor in season. Dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet. A park entrance pass is needed.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Across a gravel bar to the island, uncovered only around low tide
- Cross within about 1.5 hours either side of low tide: check the tide table
- The rising tide covers the bar completely; cars left on it have been swamped
Getting there
Start: Bridge Street at West Street, Bar Harbor (street parking). 44.39050, -68.20972
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Bridge Street at West Street: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
