Bar Harbor or Camden

We are planning our summer vacation and are trying to decide...2 nights in Bar Harbor or 2 nights in Camden? We are going to visit both, but are just trying to decide where to stay longer...

Bar Harbor or Camden

Stay longer in Bar Harbor. There%26#39;s lots to do and see here. In Camden, once you%26#39;ve looked in the shops and driven to the top of Mt. Battie, you%26#39;re done. In Bar Harbor you have all of Acadia National Park to explore.

Bar Harbor or Camden

We LOVE Acadia and have dear friends in Camden...check our GoList and see what looks good!

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i12151-New_Engl…

We are currently in Camden and have stayed for close to a week. We%26#39;ve also visited Bar Harbor on a day trip, spending most of the time in Acadia National Park. For us, Camden has provided the vacation we were looking for...small town, quaint shops, beautiful surroundings, 2 hour ride on a schooner, walks along the water. It%26#39;s also close to Rockland, which is a bigger town with an independent movie theatre, gallery night on Wednesdays, antique shops, and more restaurant choices.

Although our trip to Acadia National Park was memorable and beautiful, we found Bar Harbor to be largely commercial, with tons of trinket stores, tourists everywhere, and little peace and quiet. I%26#39;ve heard that there are other neighboring areas to Acadia that are smaller than Bar Harbor and will provide a serene experience...Northeast Harbor, I believe. I do have a recommendation for dinner in Bar Harbor. It%26#39;s called Eden Vegetarian Cafe. It%26#39;s a gourmet restaurant along the water and has an amazing menu.

Good luck!

I%26#39;ve just returned from both places and suggest you do both! If you enjoy hiking, there are more options at Acadia but there%26#39;s still great hiking and breathtaking views at Camden Hills. There are great sights to see and things to do in both places. However, in Camden, there%26#39;s Left Bank Books, which is one of the most unique bookstores you%26#39;ll ever visit. Be sure and stop off for a visit at one or more lighthouses along the way.

Ooops! I just remembered Left Bank is in Searsport. But it%26#39;s still pretty close by.

We just did a similar trip in June and I think it depends more on your interests. Acadia was beautiful and deserves AT LEAST a full day if you want do more than drive the loop road. I highly reccommend the carriage ride tour with Wildwood Stables. It%26#39;s an hour long ride for $16 per person and well worth it. We stayed in Bar Harbor 2 nights and Camden 1 night. We did Camden%26#39;s shops in town, took a windjammer cruise, headed to Mt. Battie and visited the Farnsworth museum all comfortably within 24 hours. One note if you are looking to do the touristy shops: Bar Harbor%26#39;s main street shops were bustling and busy until 9 or 10 pm while Camden%26#39;s pretty much rolled-up at 6 pm. Enjoy your trip, ours was fantastic!