Halloween in Bar Harbor: A Ghostly Guide to October Fun
From spine-chilling ghost tours to vibrant community celebrations, Bar Harbor in October offers a unique blend of eerie tales and festive gatherings.
Winter in Bar Harbor
The Best Time to Go to Acadia National Park Picture this: Acadia’s iconic Park Loop Road padded with a few inches of bright snow and patterned with cross country ski tracks and snowshoe prints. Freshly formed icicles glisten on the pink granite cliffs. A white-tailed deer steps carefully through the quiet forest among pine boughs weighed down under their white blankets. And the best part? You have it almost entirely to yourself. There’s something truly magical about winter in Acadia National Park and we invite you to join us and experience its quiet splendor. Read our suggestions for how to spend the off season on Mount Desert Island and you too might be convinced that winter is the best season to visit Acadia National Park. Just grab your puffy, mittens and Bean boots. Winter in Acadia National Park & Bar Harbor By the end of October, Bar Harbor’s riot of colorful fall foliage has faded, and Mount Desert Island returns to its true form: a small, waterfront town of only about 5,000 year-round residents who fiercely love their little slice of Maine’s coast. “It’s quieter, people are just more relaxed, and everything moves a little slower,” says Rebecca Brann, general manager of the Bar Harbor Villager Motel. “It really sets the tone for the season.” Winter in Bar Harbor gives visitors of glimpse of our town’s quirky traditions, access to Acadia’s sweeping views and winding carriage roads, and a chance to rest, relax and absorb the quiet beauty and slow pace of the season. Whether you’re looking for a winter workout, some holiday shopping, or a relaxing dip in a hot tub, we’ve got plenty of great suggestions for how to spend winter in Bar Harbor. Book Your Winter Lodging One of the few year-round lodgings in Bar Harbor, you couldn’t pick a better place to spend your winter nights than the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel. Each room boasts uninterrupted views of Frenchman Bay so every morning can be spent sipping hot coffee in front of your French doors, with a slow sunrise over the snow dotted beach. Our indoor pool and hot tub stay open throughout the year, where you might bump into locals using their pool passes to get in a few laps under the greenhouse style roof. The Bistro is a popular winter meeting spot for residents and visitors alike, where seasonal cocktails, craft beers and a locally inspired menu can be enjoyed beside floor to ceiling windows overlooking the water. “We have a fireplace. Come in, enjoy dinner, see the snow falling,” invites Dede Daigle, general manager of the Atlantic Oceanside. Plus, on special winter nights, The Bistro also hosts local music, open mics, and the occasional comedy set. You can always give us a ring to see what’s on deck. The Atlantic Oceanside is also home to an event center, Bar Harbor’s go-to spot for meetings, conferences, private celebrations and more. With options for full-service catering, presentation technology and anything else you might need to make your event perfect, we’re prepared to welcome your group to Bar Harbor any time of year. You can also follow the Atlantic Oceanside on Facebook or Instagram to see announcements about public events like lobster bakes and film screenings. With a cozy bed squared away, you’re ready for some winter adventures. First Sunrise in the US at Cadillac Mountain A sunrise hike up Cadillac Mountain is always a good idea, but it takes on a special quality between October and March of each year. Starting on October 7th, Cadillac Mountain is the first place in the United States that the sun touches so a hike to the summit during these months means you’ll be welcoming the day before anyone else in the country. You can take one of three routes up Acadia’s tallest peak or walk the curving summit road. In winter, it’s not uncommon to arrive at the trailhead and find the path ahead untouched by people, ready for you to make the first tracks through the snow. If you’re looking for a truly exceptional winter hiking experience, we suggest a full moon hike of Cadillac. The snowy path practically glows in the light of a winter moon, and patches of exposed granite sparkle along the way. You’ll be rewarded at the summit with a serene landscape of frozen lakes, islands like cupcakes frosted with snow, and the sense that you could reach up and touch the moon. There are a few opportunities throughout winter in Acadia National Park to experience this wonder but our favorite is the Wolf Moon on January 25th of 2024 which reaches peak brightness just past midnight. “I hike all winter,” says Dede. “There are so many trails that you can do, even if you don’t have ice grippers.” Thanks to the gravel carriage roads and wealth of granite on Mount Desert Island, many of the park’s trails remain manageable even in the winter months. And if you find yourself in need of winter hiking gear, Dede assures that Bar Harbor’s local outdoor gear stores stay open during the off season, ready to equip you with spikes, trekking poles, and more. Cross Country Skiing, Snowshoeing & More Winter in Acadia national park makes road access by car limited, but that doesn’t mean trails are closed! Just as the carriage roads are perfect for biking in the summer months, they make ideal cross country ski and snowshoe trails when snow coats the ground. Volunteers set tracks and groom sections of the carriage roads to make these 45 miles of scenic trails even more perfect for winter recreation. Spend early mornings gliding around Eagle Lake alongside residents or bring the whole family for afternoons passing under stone bridges or pausing for a snowball fight in the amphitheater. You can bring your own equipment or rent from a local shop like Cadillac Mountain Sports or Alpenglow Adventure Sports. Some of Acadia’s lakes and ponds also freeze during the winter and, for savvy skaters, can make beautiful
