Trenton

That is a mistake for two reasons: the lobster is genuinely good, and staying here costs substantially less than staying on the island.

Where the lobster is

Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound (4.4 across nearly 1,700 reviews) has been boiling over wood fires beside the causeway since 1956, and the queue at the window moves faster than it looks. Gateway Lunts Lobster Pound (4.1 from close to 1,300 reviews) is the other long-running option. Both are seasonal, cash-friendly, and served at picnic tables: this is the unglamorous version, which is the good version.

Practical value

The Hancock County–Bar Harbor Airport is in Trenton, with seasonal service, and it is the closest airport to the park by a wide margin. Several large campgrounds sit along Route 3. Wild Acadia (4.5 from 484 reviews) and Timberland Acres RV Park (4.5 from 435 reviews) among them, and they fill less far ahead than the in-park campgrounds do.

The Island Explorer shuttle runs from the Bar Harbor Gateway Center here in season, so it is genuinely possible to park on the mainland and ride into the park, which sidesteps the island's parking problem entirely.

Getting here and when to go

Route 3 from Ellsworth, about fifteen minutes. Traffic on this stretch backs up badly on summer weekends in both directions. The causeway is the bottleneck, and there is no alternative route.

The season runs late May to mid-October. Outside it the pounds close and the strip is very quiet.

Common questions

Where is the airport for Bar Harbor?

In Trenton, not on the island. Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport sits beside Route 3 on the mainland before the bridge, handling a small amount of regional airline service along with charters and scenic flights over Acadia. The terminal is very small, and many visitors flying in still choose Bangor and drive the last stretch from there.

Is Trenton cheaper to stay in than Bar Harbor?

Generally yes. Trenton is the run of motels, cottages and campgrounds along Route 3 just short of the bridge, including Wild Acadia Camping Resort at 4.5 from 484 reviews and Timberland Acres RV Park at 4.5 from 435 reviews. What you give up is walkability, because there is no village center here and you will drive to everything, the park included.

Where can you swim near Trenton?

In neighboring Lamoine. Lamoine Beach Park, rated 4.7 from 468 reviews, and Lamoine State Park, rated 4.6 from 486 reviews, sit on Frenchman Bay a short drive away and give the easiest shoreline access with parking. The water is cold, as it is along this whole coast, so most people wade and look rather than swim properly.

Do you have to drive through Trenton to reach Acadia?

Yes, if you are heading for Mount Desert Island. Route 3 through Trenton is the only road onto the island, so every car bound for Bar Harbor and the main part of Acadia passes along it. In July and August that means slow traffic in both directions, especially late in the afternoon. Crossing early saves real time.