Bar Harbor is the gateway to Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, with rocky coastline, Cadillac Mountain and carriage roads for biking. Hotels near Acadia book up early in summer and fall, so cheap rooms often mean staying a little outside town.
Finding cheap rooms in Bar Harbor is easier when you know where to look. We compare live hotel rates across the top booking sites and point you to the neighborhoods where hotels are cheap but the location is still great.
Bar Harbor is a popular port of call on Canada & New England cruises; ships anchor offshore and tender passengers in, and the town now limits daily cruise visitor numbers.
Inns and hotels near the waterfront, Shore Path and restaurants.
Motels and hotels near Acadia’s main visitor center, a short drive from town.
The quieter side of Mount Desert Island, near Acadia’s western trails.
On the mainland, with chain hotels that are often the cheapest option.
Just before the bridge onto the island, with motels and cabins.
Zoom and pan the map to compare hotel prices by neighborhood; rates come live from the booking sites.
July–mid-October is the main season, with fall foliage making late September and early October very busy; many hotels close from late fall to spring.
Bar Harbor is the most convenient base; Ellsworth and Trenton are cheaper and a short drive away.
Vehicle reservations have been required for the summit road in the busy season — check the National Park Service site before you go.
Late spring and early summer, before the July peak; note that some hotels and parts of the park are closed in winter.