Guide to Southwest Harbor: How to escape the crowds in Acadia National Park
Jordan Pond- one of Acadia’s busiest places!
Acadia National Park is one of America’s most popular national parks; in 2025, over 4 million people visited the park, which makes it one of the smallest and most crowded parks during summer and peak foliage season.
There’s a few reasons why Acadia so popular.
First, it is the only national park in the northeast, so it’s easily accessible by car or a short flight from major cities from Boston to Washington, DC.
Second, Acadia is also (mostly) set on an island, which means there’s little room to escape the plethora of cars once you are on the island.
And finally, it’s the only place on the East Coast where the mountains meet the sea. Hundreds of people flock here to watch the sunrise and sunset on top of Cadillac Mountain.
We always travel in the summer, because we have to work around school schedules, so when we visit, we know we will encounter cars parked all over the sides of the road, and we plan accordingly.
Other than waking up early, or staying out late, which is always your best option in the National Parks, we’ll review a few ways to escape the crowds in Bar Harbor and Acadia and share some areas of the park (and the trails) that will allow you to walk and explore more freely.
Hiking Southwest Harbor
Southwest Harbor is a town that is about 25 minutes away from downtown Bar Harbor, and brands itself as the quiet side. The town itself is quite small; there are a few shops, restaurants, and two grocery stores. However, there are many places to stay in Southwest Harbor AND more importantly, lots of great family-friendly hikes.
Light House:
Some of the most iconic photos of Acadia include Bass Harbor Head Light. If you are in Southwest Harbor and love lighthouses, then be sure to visit Bass Harbor.
Hikes near Southwest Harbor:
Ship Harbor Trail:
Distance 1.3 miles; the trail is a figure 8, so it’s easy to go out and back.
Location: Right off of Maine 102A, down the road from Seawall Campground and Wonderland Trail
Perfect for: Families with kids of all ages. You might want toddlers in the carrier just because there are some rocky areas.
Tips: Bring a change of clothes in case you get wet.
Parking: There is a small, designated parking area here with pit toilets.
Ship Harbor Trail- hiking with our 6-year-old
Wonderland Trail:
Distance: 1.4 miles round trip
Located between Seawall Campground and the Ship Harbor Trail on Maine Route 102A, Wonderland Trail is an old gravel fire road which leads to the ocean.
Terrain: gravel fire road, rocky sections, coastline
Wonderland Trail is a family-friendly coastal trail, popular for tidepooling.
Tip: Just like the Ship Harbor Trail, you will want to bring a change of clothes and shoes for your kiddos if they end up in the tide pools.
Parking: There is a small, designated parking area here with pit toilets.
Beech Mountain South Ridge Loop:
This moderate hike traverses a loop through the forest before ascending Beech Mountain, providing visitors with access to a fire tower and views of Long Pond and the west side of Mount Desert Island.
You will NOT have great views on the way up, so be prepared with snacks or games or songs to entertain your kiddo on this hike.
When I was a camp counselor, I took a group of 5 and 6 year olds on this trail. It was a little challenging, but totally worth it!
Distance: 2.1 miles round trip
Terrain: Forested path, rocky trails, granite stairs and slopes, wooden steps
Parking: We have never had an issue finding park here; most people do not drive this far out to hike- so it’s a great spot if you want some peace and quiet.
Beech Mountain, Fire Tower
Where to eat in Southwest Harbor
Breakfast and lunch:
Little Notch Bakery: Bakery serving sweets, breads, sandwiches, salads and coffee drinks. Take-out only.
Clark Point Cafe: Casual cafe dishing up breakfast and lunch, including sandwiches and pastries, plus espresso drinks.
St. Dreux's Coffee and Ice Cream Shop: A very small coffee shop that feels like it’s run with half of the kitchen supplies that they actually need. Food was good, do not come here expecting to leave quickly and looking for a large variety of food for picky eaters. We stopped in for coffee and scones before our boat tour, and we were waiting for a bit.
Beal's Lobster Pier: This is the iconic place to eat in Southwest Harbor, especially if you want a lobster roll; you might even see Martha Stewart on your trip, like we did. Fresh seafood is delivered all day. There are plenty of tables outside with umbrellas. If your kids do not eat seafood, then there are chicken fingers and fries, too. If it’s good enough for Martha Stewart (whom we saw here last year) then it’s good enough for you, too!
Beal’s Lobster Pier
Swimming near Southwest Harbor
Echo Lake Beach:
If you want a place for your kids to swim and play, then Echo Lake is a great alternative to Sand Beach, which is very busy.
There is a small, sandy beach and a roped off swimming area at one end of Echo Lake. There’s plenty of room to lay out a beach blanket, but the overall area is smaller than sand beach.
It will be a bit warmer than the ocean- and temperatures range from 64-73 degrees in summer.
Local camps will also swim here- so try to arrive early or stay late if you want to avoid the crowds.
Boat Cruises from Southwest Harbor
From Southwest Harbor, you have a few options for getting out on the water.
Cranberry Islands Ferry: This ferry leave from Southwest Harbor 3 times a day. The ride to Cranberry Islands gives you a great view of the harbor and Great Cranberry Island is home to a small community. Once your dock, you explore the small museum, get lunch, and walk or ride around the island.
Sail Acadia offers boat cruises around Southwest and Northeast Harbor. We went out on the Elizabeth T, which was a small boat with only 3 groups of people. The small nature of this allowed our daughter to interact with the captain and play with the crabs and lobsters. This is NOT a cruise where you keep the animals, so you’re not dressed head to toe in gloves and plastic overalls. (We've been on those.) This is a great way to spend a day off from hiking, and you can eat at Beal’s when you are done.
Learning about crabs and lobsters
Southwest Harbor Boat Cruise
Camping:
The NPS has two campgrounds in Acadia; the one near Bar Harbor is Blackwoods. (You can read all about why we love this location.)
The one near Southwest Harbor is called Seawall. The Seawall campsite is less woodsy and is across from the ocean. Reservations need to be made in advance on Recreation.gov.
