Droolin’ Over the Views at Bar Harbor, Maine
- Luie Boone
- Apr 3
- 5 min read
This vacation destination is a part of our first series of blog posts titled Pooches Polite.
There's nothing quite like exploring a beautiful coastal town with your best furry friend by your side—unless, of course, your furry friend is a cat, in which case they’d probably prefer to stay home and judge your life choices (apologies to our cat, Tobi).
But if you’ve got a dog, Bar Harbor, Maine, is the perfect destination for a tail-wagging adventure! Your pup's nose will twitch at the scent of the salty ocean air. You both will be able to see seals bobbing up-and-down in the nearby water. Keep an eye on the skies above and you might even catch some bald eagles soaring overhead.
One of the biggest perks of visiting Bar Harbor with your pup is the proximity to Acadia National Park—said to be one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the country. This park is located on the rugged coast of Maine. It is not only one of the most scenic national parks in the United States, but it also is the perfect destination for dog owners looking to explore the great outdoors with their four-legged companions.
Bar Harbor—with its pooch-friendly trails, welcoming town, and stunning coastal views—offers everything you could hope for and more. Whether you have an adventure-loving pup or just want to relax with your buddy by the sea, Bar Harbor is a must-visit spot!
Just remember, if your dog starts barking at the seals, it’s likely because they believe those sea creatures are simply big, wet dogs that are in desperate need of a swimming companion.
Paws Rest Here
Luie Boone paw-selected this perfect vacation rental for your stay at Bar Harbor, Maine. Check it out below!
Rental Name: Sunset Haven By-The-Sea
This rental has 5 bedrooms with 7 beds and 3 baths.
Photos courtesy of Bar Harbor/Acadia Cottage Rentals
It features the following amenities:
Oceanfront cottage on three acres of private and wooded property
Two decks off the main floor
Outdoor fire pit and BBQ
Ledges on the shore to sit
Beachy areas for sea shell searches (Instead of sniffing out pepperoni, Luie Boone will take his expert snout to the beach to sniff out some pretty sea shells)
Great swimming spots for your pup
What does Luie Boone think of this rental? He woofed:
This rental cottage is super close to the ocean. I heard that there are huge windows, which I can plop my big booty down by, get comfy, and stare out at the crashing waves all day long! We’ll get to go on many strolls—hopefully, along the shore! There are cool rocky spots for us to climb up on, sandy places where I can get my paws dirty, and the best part of all—that big ocean that I can go swimming in! I’ll splash and dash, chase waves, and hope that I'll find some salty sticks to gnaw on! Maybe we’ll even see one of those giant, flap-flap birds high up in the sky. My humans call them eagles, and apparently, they’re always around here. I’ll bark a friendly hello if I see one! After all of our fun by the water, we’ll go back to the shore, where my humans will make yummy-smelling dishes on the grill. I’ll sit by their feet (very patiently, of course), while they eat at those big tables by the water. I'll be hoping someone drops something, either on accident or on purpose... I don't mind. Bar Harbor, here we come!
Paws Venture Here
Acadia National Park
This has been a popular destination for dog owners to visit for generations. Whatever you love to do in the great outdoors, you'll find an opportunity do it here at this stunning, pup-friendly park.
Acadian Nature Cruises
Bring your best buddy along for a two-hour, narrated cruise of Frenchman Bay. Luie Boone's not sure how he'll keep his tooshie in the boat for that long, because he LOVES to swim. But, hey, he'll do it because he wants to see a seal.
Island Explorer
Explore all Acadia has to offer aboard this free pooch-friendly shuttle. It can bring you all over the island, so if your pup is feeling a little lazy (or, maybe, you are), this is the way to go.
Conners Nubble Trail
On this trail, you can take a nice walk alongside the shores of Eagle Lake. The pathway will lead you and your canine companion to the base of Conners Nubble.
Thunder Hole
Witness the power of ocean tides at Thunder Hole, with wave sprays that have been said to reach over 40 feet in height! "Watch out," says Luie Boone, "you don't want to get swept to sea, unless... you're trying to meet the seals."
Eagle Lake
You and rover can walk completely around Eagle Lake, which is a 436 acre fresh water lake. Luie Boone reckons he could swim across it.
Gorham Mountain Loop
A wonderful hike that will take you and your best friend over mountain ledges, along the shore of the Atlantic, and across the sandy beaches of the iconic Sand Beach.
Stewman's Lobster Pound
This eatery loves dogs. It will gladly serve your pup a burger from the dog menu, while you all dine at a table on their outdoor patio. There's always plenty of lobster for the humans. Luie Boone wants you to remember that lobster—cooked, unseasoned, and without any shells or bones—is okay in moderation for your pup to enjoy!
Luie Boone's Pet Peeve about
Bar Harbor, Maine
There's just so much to love about this vacation destination, but there's one thing that's got Luie Boone's leash in a twist. He woofed:
My humans and I get to run across a big, wet, sandy path to to an uninhabited tidal island—Bar Island! Here, there are trails to sniff, spots to dig at, and high places where I can see all of Bar Harbor across the water. But, wait, there’s a catch. The crossing is only walkable 90 minutes before and after something called “low tide.” So, if we don’t get the timing right, the water comes zooming back in and will trap us! That means we’d have to stay on the island for possibly hours. This might sound like an adventure, but my humans would probably worry (and I'd probably get hungry). So, before we go, my humans will have to check the "tide charts." I don’t know what those are, but if they help us get there and back safely, then I’m all for it!
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