U.S. News Insider Tip: If you're planning a day in the park or want to maximize your exploration time, get a boxed lunch from Downeast Deli & Boxed Lunch Co. Order the night before and skip the lines the following morning to grab your food. – Hilary Nangle

A big reason visitors come to Bar Harbor in the first place is that the town is the gateway to Acadia National Park. The park wraps around Bar Harbor, and even some of its smaller offshore islands are part of the park. More than 30,000 of Acadia's nearly 50,000 acres of land are located on Mount Desert Island, where Bar Harbor also sits. The 27-mile Park Loop Road takes in the best of Acadia on this island, including stunning coastline, enchanting forests and shimmering ponds and lakes.

The best introduction to Bar Harbor and its beautiful scenery is the town's 1.4-mile (round-trip) Shore Path. The Shore Path isn't necessarily a hiking trail, but more a leisurely level pathway edging the harbor and Frenchman Bay. Start your journey at the beautiful Agamont Park, located right next to the town pier, where whale watching tours typically depart. Meander down and you'll bump into the Town Beach, a small shoreline perfect for those who want to quickly dip their toes in Maine's rich blue waters. Continue farther along and you'll be treated to beautiful views of Bar Island, Sheep Porcupine Island and Bald Porcupine Island, all part of Acadia National Park, as well as craggy coastline and forested landscapes. Along the way are benches and tide pools to explore and lovely Grant Park. There are also scattered signs that educate visitors on the history of the path (it's more than a century old). The Shore Path ends at Wayman Lane. You may either return the same way or walk just one block inland, and you'll hit the town's Main Street.

Recent travelers loved the Shore Path and highly recommend that everyone who visits Bar Harbor enjoy it, even more than once. Some found it peaceful, a few enjoyed peeking at mansions along the way, and many raved about the views. Others enjoyed sitting on the rocks and watching the lobster and sailboats.  

U.S. News Insider Tip: Before or after a tour with Diver Ed, tour the College of the Atlantic's gardens. Nationally renowned garden designer Beatrix Farrand created her namesake garden, a series of rock-walled rooms, in 1928. Also worth viewing are Turrets Seaside Garden and the Sunken Garden. – Hilary Nangle

One of the best ways to take in the region is on the water. Bar Harbor offers a bevy of boat tour options that will cater to all kinds of interests.

Considering Bar Harbor's small size, chances are you'll be hanging out in downtown Bar Harbor pretty often. And that certainly isn't a bad thing. Main Street and the thoroughfares surrounding it are downright charming thanks to the bevy of colorful, clapboard storefronts that house local restaurants and shops. Independent shops and galleries combined with the Bar Harbor's proximity to the water and the darling city parks that dot the area make for a romantic atmosphere. Start your tour of Bar Harbor at Agamont Park, where you can kick back and enjoy the views of Bar Island and Frenchman Bay.

Sure, you'll find plenty of T-shirt and trinket souvenir shops, but you'll also find some intriguing stores and excellent galleries. If you need to ramp up your outdoor activity apparel and gear, Cadillac Mountain Sports has you covered. Part store, part museum, the fun and funky Rock and Art Shop delivers on its name with natural-history-related merchandise and curiosities. Island Artisans shows a curated selection of Maine-made fine crafts. You'll find a huge selection of Acadia-related gifts, goodies, and souvenirs at the Acadia Shop.

In addition to a stunning setting, visitors to Bar Harbor also get a chance to behold the region's spectacular wildlife. Whales of all kinds can be found in the Gulf of Maine and are easily spotted on a whale watching cruise. The most popular tour operator is Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company.

Located downtown, Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company offers whale watching tours from late May until mid-October and a high accuracy rate in spotting marine life on any given day. Plus, the company's high-speed catamarans make it easy for the boat to catch up to whales that are spotted from a distance. Tours, which are approximately three to five hours long, typically head 30 to 50 miles offshore where whales are known to congregate. Tours depart at the northern end of the Shore Path adjacent to the Town Pier.

U.S. News Insider Tip: Pair touring the Abbe Museum with viewing 10 Tiffany stained-glass windows inside St. Saviour's Episcopal Church across the street. You can pick up a brochure in the back detailing these and 43 memorial windows created between 1886 and 1992. – Hilary Nangle

History lovers will enjoy a trip to the Abbe Museum, the first Smithsonian-affiliated organization in Maine. The Abbe Museum earns this distinction for its focus on the Wabanaki Nations, Maine's Native American population. Dr. Robert Abbe, an amateur archeologist and seasonal resident, founded the museum to protect the Wabanaki artifacts he found. He encouraged others with similar collections to come together to create a museum about Maine's Native Americans to help educate the public. Over time, more artifacts were excavated. The museum eventually grew to include ethnographic materials from the 17th to 20th centuries, contemporary works from the Wabanaki people and the country's largest Maine Indian basketry collection.

On a peak summer day, when it seems the town and park are bursting at the seams, Compass Harbor awaits. This pocket-sized parcel of the park is an easy milelong walk southward along Main Street from downtown Bar Harbor. Since it's not well marked and has a small parking lot, most visitors skip this gem. George Dorr, considered the Father of Acadia, lived here on what was known as Old Farm. You can still see the ruins of his estate on the easy 0.8-mile, Compass Harbor Trail, which loops through forested site and edges a scenic stretch of shoreline fronting Frenchman Bay. You can follow spur trails to the waterfront. While exploring the cottage foundation, the stone steps leading to the water and what's left of what once was a saltwater pool, try to imagine what Dorr's estate must have looked like in its heyday.

Recent visitors enjoyed this easy hike, exploring the tide pools, clambering over rocks and taking in the shoreline views. They appreciated the site's seclusion as well as its history. Although there's some interpretive signage, previous visitors recommended watching park videos about Old Farm and downloading the informative app before coming here.

Travelers and locals alike love this small island that's part of Acadia National Park. Although you can see it from the Town Pier end of the Shore Path, access is from West Street. And it's the access that makes it unique. At low tide, the water recedes far enough to expose the bay's floor, creating a temporary walkable pathway from Bar Harbor to Bar Island. 

If you happen to be around when the tide is out, know that time is limited. According to Acadia National Park, the half-mile-long sandbar is accessible from roughly 1.5 hours before to 1.5 hours after low tide, allowing three hours to explore the sandbar and island. Keep in mind that the sandbar terrain will vary depending on the time you go. Once you reach Bar Island, you'll find a gentle trail that gradually ascends to the top of the island's summit, which affords lovely views of Bar Harbor and the mountains that back it, including Cadillac Mountain. Including the sandbar, the hike totals 1.9 miles roundtrip. 

Delve into Bar Harbor's rich history and get a sense of what it was like to spend the summer in a seaside mansion during the Gilded Age. The Bar Harbor Historical Society's downtown museum, located in the West Street Historic District, fronts on Frenchman Bay. The views alone are reason enough to visit, but touring here provides answers to almost any question you have about the town and the island.

The 1903 mansion, called La Rochelle, was home to the Bowdoin family. It has 41 rooms, including 20 bedrooms and 10 full bathrooms. Some of those rooms are now house offices and the excellent gift shop, but many are open to the public and filled with intriguing exhibits. Rooms highlight different exhibits showcasing topics such as garden designer Beatrix Farrand, working lives of locals, children's entertainment, a map collection and rooms sharing the life of the Bowdoin family. Venture up to the third floor to see the minimalistic household staff's quarters. In addition, exhibits highlight and interpret Bar Harbor's history, from the Wabanaki Nations to the Great Fire and beyond.

If you're interested in learning more about Maine wildlife, pencil in a visit to the George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History. Run by the College of the Atlantic, this little museum is dedicated to educating visitors about the creatures above and below Maine's waters. The museum is filled with dioramas that depict taxidermies of local wildlife in their natural habitats. You'll see Atlantic puffins, North American beavers constructing their environment and both foxes and great horned owls eyeing prey. The museum also houses touch tanks where visitors can get up close to marine life, such as sea stars, snails and hermit crabs, to name a few.

Recent visitors said this is an excellent place to take the kids. Those with little ones in tow said children were fascinated with the exhibits and loved interacting with the critters in the touch tanks. Adults were also impressed with the offerings, especially since it is a student-led museum. Travelers do remark that the museum is pretty small, so you don't need to reserve more than an hour or two to tour it.

Whether you don't know a robin from a red-winged blackbird or are an experienced ornithologist looking to add a new species to your life list, Registered Maine Guide Michael J. Good is your man. Good's two-hour Wetland Ecology tour is geared to families and delves into the flora and fauna residing in Three Pines Bird Sanctuary. The four-hour Discover the Native Birds of Mt. Desert Island and Down East Maine teaches beginners to recognize East Coast species, how to identify them by listening to their songs and to observe them in the wild. Among the birds often sighted are osprey, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, pileated woodpeckers, woodland warblers and shore birds. Personalized tours are available for those seeking to take their birding to the next level or aiming to find a specific species. Good supplies a spotting scope but advises bringing binoculars. Prices begin at $135, including transportation from your lodging; kids are half-price.

Recent travelers have called it a highlight and a must-do for birders or those desiring to learn more about local ecology. They found Good to be a knowledgeable, patient and excellent guide who could answer questions ranging from geology and history to animal, bird and plant life. They also appreciated that he personalizes the trip to guests' desires and preferences. Visit the company's website for more information and to book a tour.