Hike Village Green to Sieur de Monts with Island Explorer Bus
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The Jesup Path boardwalk becomes slick when wet — more than it looks. After rain or on dewy mornings, slow down through this section, especially if you're with kids or using a wheelchair.
Trail Details
- 1
This route is designed as one-way — walk in from Bar Harbor and take the Island Explorer Bus (Route 3 or 5) back. The bus is free, runs frequently in summer, and stops at Sieur de Monts. You avoid backtracking and get a bonus window view of the park.
- 2
Hit the Great Meadow section before 8am in summer. White-tailed deer graze there at dawn, and the mist sitting in the meadow with the mountains behind it is one of the more quietly spectacular scenes in the park — with none of the crowds that pile up on Cadillac.
- 3
The Sieur de Monts area has two small but excellent stops worth your time: the Abbe Museum annex and the Wild Gardens of Acadia, a living catalog of native plants labeled by habitat zone. Budget an extra 20-30 minutes at the end if you have any curiosity about what you walked through to get there.
Photos
Photo courtesy of Maribeth Kambitsch. Used with permission.
