6 Days in Acadia National Park with Kids

Are you considering Acadia National Park with kids? You should be! It is one of the best national parks to visit with kids. Located in Maine, near Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park allows families to relax, seek outdoor adventure, and connect as a family. Here, I will share our 6 day itinerary for Acadia National Park with kids.

Also, Read: Amazing Things to Do in Bar Harbor with Kids

Two young boys run through playful waves on the Atlantic Ocean in Maine.
Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Rotem

First, we drove to Acadia National Park from Northern Virginia. It’s a long drive – that’s all I’ll say! But the LL Bean flagship is a good rest stop. Once we arrived in Maine, we rented a house in Bar Harbor, which was suitable for our family. It was nice to have a full house instead of having five people in one hotel room. I know it’s nice not to cook on vacation, but I was happy to do half and half, especially since it meant not having to take my kids to restaurants three times a day.

Three kids look into a fresh lobster tank with their backs to the camera, while dozens of live lobsters fill the open air tank.
Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Rotem

Our house rental was from Saturday to Saturday. We left on a Friday and stayed overnight with friends in Boston. There, we went to a Massachusetts beach with them on Saturday morning. Then, we arrived in Bar Harbor pretty late on Saturday night. Finally, we stopped at a lobster pound on the way in, and the kids liked seeing the live lobsters and crabs!

Day 1: Sunday

On the first day, we relaxed and settled into the house. This is a great way to get your bearings when starting your adventure in Acadia National Park with kids. We went to the Visitor’s Center and got Jr Ranger packets for the kids (I think many people arrive on Saturday. The Visitor Center was swamped. To illustrate – I saw someone in there I hadn’t seen since college, having graduated 14 years earlier!) Then we checked out downtown Bar Harbor and went to the waterfront area with the rocky beach a bit. We began our Acadia National Park adventure after a rest back at the house.

Two boys stand together looking out across the water.
Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Rotem

At Acadia National Park, we parked on the road near Sand Beach and walked Ocean Path to Thunderhole. You’re supposed to get to Thunderhole two hours before high tide. We got there a little after high tide but still thought it was cool. Afterward, we walked back to Sand Beach and hung out there for an hour. 

Day 2: Monday

A father and his two sons throw rocks into the water at Acadia National Park.
Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Rotem

On day 2, we went to Jordan Pond and hiked one mile out and back. We ate at Jordan Pond Restaurant for lunch. I made an advanced reservation for the restaurant, which I was glad I had done. My first popover was awesome. Then, I overdid it by having two. After breakfast, we drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain. After a rest, we ended up doing the Compass Harbor trail. While hiking, we looked for a sandy beach we had heard was around there, but we only found a rocky beach. Finally, per kids’ request, we returned to Sand Beach for 45 minutes.

Day 3: Tuesday

A man and two young boys walk along a beach toward Bar Island, one of the best things you can do in Acadia National Park with kids.
Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Rotem

We did tide-pooling on the way to Bar Island and hiked to the top. You have 1.5 hours before and after low tide to go to and from Bar Island before the ocean covers the trail. After a quick rest, we did Diver Ed’s Dive in Theater, which is great for both parents and kids. Dinner was out in Bar Harbor and included Mount Desert Island Ice Cream. Later in the week, we went back to Mount Desert Island Ice Cream two more times – particularly enjoying the butterbeer ice cream!

Day 4: Wednesday

On the left, a young boy stands among the waves on a sandy beach. On the right, three children enjoy ice cream cones.
Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Rotem

We had breakfast at Jordan Pond House. My oldest child’s birthday was that day, so we let him pick. We spent 4 hours at Sand Beach. That night, my husband took the older two on a three-hour fishing trip, which they all liked. They caught a lot of fish (mostly pollock). This is the only thing the 2-year-old couldn’t do during the week. Side note: we wore her on most hikes, though she did walk some, too. At the end of day four, we enjoyed some ice cream. Can you think of a better way to end a day exploring Acadia National Park with kids?

RELATED: 10 Best Places to Visit in Maine with Kids this Summer

Day 5: Thursday

Three young kids stand holding hands in the water. Going to the beach is one of the best things to do while exploring Acadia National Park with kids.
Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Rotem

We enjoyed a one-hour horse-drawn carriage ride on the Carriage Roads. I booked this one week before we left. There was only one slot left for the whole week, which I took! Be advised that booking in advance is necessary. Then we went to Echo Lake. After a rest, we did souvenir shopping in downtown Bar Harbor and walked along the Shore Path. We did Stars Over Sand Beach that night and saw the Milky Way! This is a really excellent ranger program – it may be the best I’ve ever done! The laser the rangers used to point out the stars was cool. I highly recommend doing this ranger program while in Acadia National Park with kids.

Day 5: Friday

A family of five stands on top of the rocks with an expansive view of Acadia National Park behind them.
Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Rotem

We had breakfast at Two Cats. After breakfast, we went to the Acadia National Park Visitor Center. This is when the older two turned in their packets and became Jr Rangers. We had beautiful weather all week, but this day was rainy. We tried to hike Ship Harbor in the rain, but we only did half of the figure-8 hike with kids who weren’t in the rain. Finally, we quickly stopped by the lighthouse and made our last ice cream stop before getting ready to pack up. 

We hope this itinerary helps you plan your fantastic family adventure in Acadia National Park with kids!

Have you been to Acadia National Park with kids? What was your favorite thing to do? Share your recommendations for Acadia National Park with kids in the comments!

By Families Love Travel Contributor, Rebecca Rotem. Find more from Rebecca by visiting her contributor bio.

Did you know 4th graders get a free national park pass for themselves and their families? Read more.

Next, discover our Top 10 National Parks for Familes (U.S.).

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Rebecca Rotem

Hi! I’m Becky. I am the mother of 3 kids (two boys, ages 10 and 8, and a girl, age 5), attorney, and hobby travel writer! I grew up in New Jersey, and have lived in Northern Virginia, outside of Washington DC, since 2013. I love to travel with my family! Being in a dual working parent household, vacations really give us time away to connect, explore, make memories, and have fun together. My travel with kids motto is: less is more. Keep your expectations low. It’s gonna be an adventure!