Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor’s peak season runs from May through September, and the northeast winter usually sets in in November and lasts through March. Bar Harbor and all of Mount Desert Island’s shoulder seasons are October through mid-November and April in spring.
“The beauty of the shoulder season is, scenically, it’s still so beautiful here, and the weather tends to be good unless you’re in the dead of winter,” said Nancy McKechnie, executive director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
Acadia National Park covers a big chunk of the island and surrounds Bar Harbor, which sits on the eastern shore. There, shoulder season visitors can enjoy all the same activities as peak season tourists but without the crowds. The park’s historic carriage-road system includes 17 stone bridges, and groups can use the carriage trail system for horse-and-buggy rides or bicycle treks.
Groups may be able to squeeze in a ranger-narrated boat tour as well as guided park tours, either aboard a bus or on Oli’s Trolley, which also offers guided tours of Bar Harbor. Groups can also rent kayaks and canoes, or take a hike on any of the trails, including the walking trail around Eagle Lake. The park is also popular for fall foliage, but peak fall colors usually last only through early October.
In town, shoulder season means visitors aren’t fighting traffic, either on the streets or in restaurants, and the city’s popular meeting venues are easier to book. The Harborside Hotel, Spa and Marina sits on the shores of the Mount Desert Narrows and has more than 4,000 square feet of event space that includes four banquet spaces and three oceanfront breakout rooms. The 153-room Atlantic Oceanside Hotel and Conference Center sits on Frenchman Bay and has 11,000 square feet of function space in eight meeting rooms located in two buildings.
