The Joys of Parking in Downtown Bar Harbor
Updated! :)
BAR HARBOR—While vacations are supposed to be a time of fun and relaxation they can be accompanied by unplanned stressors, often due to not knowing the area that is being visited. One of the most common sources of unexpected stress in Bar Harbor is the ability to park a vehicle downtown on a busy summer day.
Acadia Adventures wants you to have the most carefree Acadia region adventure possible, so here is some information about parking in Bar Harbor.
Bar Harbor has parking regulations that are enforced from May 15 through October 30 and if you are not staying at a downtown residence, hotel, or other lodging that has off-street parking, or patronizing a business that has parking, there is no free parking in downtown Bar Harbor.
The times of parking enforcement, May 15 through October 30, are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and Noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Below is a map of the different parking zones in the downtown area. There are different fees for different areas and some areas that have time limited parking.
You can find all of the downtown parking information for Bar Harbor here. There is also a mobile app, ParkMobile, which allows you to pay from your phone and avoid any kiosk lines, add time to your parking clock, without returning to your vehicle, if you need to extend your visit, and find available parking areas. If you set up ParkMobile ahead of time, be sure that the vehicle information that you enter matches the vehicle that you will be driving in Bar Harbor.
ALTERNATIVES TO DRIVING INTO TOWN
If you are staying in Bar Harbor, or many locations on Mount Desert Island, the free Island Explorer bus system is a popular way to get to many of the island towns and attractions from mid-June through late October. Many times you can leave your vehicle where you are lodging and some routes have buses with bike racks if you would like to bring your bike to further expand your easy travel radius.
You can find all of the Island Explorer bus route information here.
Of course, walking or biking are always options if you are staying close enough to town. Walking provides the greatest opportunity to see things that are often overlooked when driving.
If biking, remember that traffic can get very heavy in town and riding is not allowed on the sidewalks, with two exceptions listed below. Also, please follow the rules of the road, traffic laws, and wear a helmet when biking.
The multi-use path on the east side of Eden Street from West Street to 131 Eden Street.
The sidewalk heading out of town to the south from Park Street to Schooner Head Road.
If you are not staying on Mount Desert Island, but want to visit and not hassle with parking, you can park your vehicle at the Acadia Gateway Center on Route 3’s west side in Trenton, which is on the way to Mount Desert Island from all points south if traveling Route 3. From there, you can ride an Island Explorer bus to Acadia National Park and surrounding towns. You can also purchase park entrance passes and get park information at the Gateway Center.
CURRENT BAR HARBOR PARKING FACTS:
The paid parking program in downtown Bar Harbor begins May 15.
It ends October 30.
It’s enforced 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
Free 15-minute spaces are available at Cottage Street (four spaces in front of the post office; two spaces between Ash Place and Holland Avenue, another near Kennebec Street); two spaces at the Municipal Building. On Mount Desert Street there are two spaces across from the Jesup Library. On West Street there are two bus spaces for loading and unloading at La Rochelle Mansion and Museum (Bar Harbor Historical Society).
Paid Parking Areas—Locations of areas for paid parking (meters and kiosks)
West Street - from Town Pier to Eden St.(except south side Eden to Holland)
Cottage Street - from Main St. to Eden St.
Mt. Desert Street – from Main St, to Ledgelawn Ave.
Main Street – from West St. to Park St. • Firefly Lane
Rodick Place
Bridge Street Parking Lot (Casino)
Backyard Parking Lot
East Municipal Building Parking Lot
Central Parking Lot (Old PD Lot)
Grants Park
Newport Drive Lot
Town Pier Parking Lot
Ballfield lot, except during events
Paid parking is $4 per hour and is restricted to one four-hour session for each vehicle in the following meter locations:
On Main St. from West St. to Hancock St.
On Cottage St. from Main St. to Bridge St.
On West St. from Main St. to Bridge St.
On Mt. Desert St. from Main St. to Kennebec St.
On Firefly Lane – all spaces
The fee of $4 per hour in the following parking lots:
Backyard, Central Parking, Grants Park, Newport Drive, Casino Lot and Town Pier.
The fee is $2 per hour for all metered areas not listed in 1 above and all remaining kiosk areas on the streets and parking lots.
Parking Permits are not required on the 4th of July holiday.
Parking enforcement on Sundays shall be from 12 pm to 9 pm.
On MDI Marathon Race Day parking on Lower Ledgelawn (Park Street south), Park Street, Glen Mary Road, and Shannon Road will be allowed without a permit.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
You can find out more about the current parking situation on the town’s website.
OTHER MOUNT DESERT ISLAND TOWN’S PARKING RESTRICTIONS
Southwest Harbor parking ordinance.
If you’d like to donate to help support us, you can, but no pressure! Just click here (a direct link).
Where can locals park to get errands done? Where are the handicapped parking places?