From Bar Harbor

Day Trips to the
Bold Coast

You're 90 minutes from a completely different Maine. Most Bar Harbor visitors never make the drive. The ones who do never forget it.

Plan My Trip → See the Itineraries

90 min

Bar Harbor to Machias

3

Day Trip Itineraries

0

Crowds

Getting Here

Closer than you think.

The Bold Coast is a straight shot east on US-1. No ferries, no tolls, no complicated routing.

From Bar Harbor

1.5 hrs

to Machias

via US-1 East

From Bar Harbor

2 hrs

to Lubec

via US-1 East + Rte 189

From Bar Harbor

2.5 hrs

to Eastport

via US-1 East + Rte 190

Bar Harbor is spectacular — but it's also one of the most visited places in New England. In peak summer, Acadia fills up. Downtown fills up. The parking lots fill up. Most visitors are doing the same trails, eating at the same restaurants, and competing for the same ocean views.

Ninety minutes east, things are completely different. The Bold Coast — from Machias down through Lubec and Eastport — has the same wild Maine scenery without any of the crowds. The same dramatic rocky coastline, the same lobster, the same dark forests. But also: beaches you'll have to yourself, the most photographed lighthouse in Maine that you can actually park at, a volcanic stone beach that exists in only two places on Earth, and the most dramatic tidal change in the US.

The drive itself is worth it. US-1 through Downeast Maine is one of the most beautiful stretches of road in New England — blueberry barrens, salt marshes, tidal rivers, and nothing but spruce trees as far as you can see.

Bar Harbor vs. Bold Coast

Bar Harbor

Crowds at Thunder Hole

Bold Coast

Jasper Beach — just you

Bar Harbor

Lines for Jordan Pond

Bold Coast

Helen's Restaurant, no wait

Bar Harbor

$30+ parking at Acadia

Bold Coast

Free at every trailhead

Bar Harbor

Busy whale watch tours

Bold Coast

Whales from your campsite

Bar Harbor

Souvenir shops on Main St

Bold Coast

Genuine small-town Maine

Day Trip Itineraries

Three ways to spend
a Bold Coast day.

Pick the one that fits your group. All three leave Bar Harbor early and get you back by evening.

The Classic Bold Coast Day

Machias · Jasper Beach · Lubec · West Quoddy Head

Most Popular ~10 hrs

7:30 AM

Leave Bar Harbor

Head east on US-1. Stop for coffee in Ellsworth — once you're past there, options get limited. The drive through the blueberry barrens is genuinely beautiful.

9:00 AM

Jasper Beach, Machiasport

Start at the most unusual beach on the coast. Half a mile of polished volcanic stones that clatter like music when the tide rolls through. Arrive before 10am and you'll likely have it to yourself.

11:00 AM

Helen's Restaurant, Machias

Lunch at a Maine institution since 1950. Opens at 11am — get there early or expect a short wait. The pie alone is worth the detour from Bar Harbor.

12:30 PM

Drive to Lubec

45 minutes south on Route 191 — one of the most scenic drives in Maine, through blueberry fields and coastal forest.

1:15 PM

West Quoddy Head State Park

The iconic candy-striped lighthouse and the easternmost point in the United States. Walk the 4.5-mile coastal trail or just take in the view. The tidal range here is 20–28 feet — if you time it right, watch the tide come in.

3:30 PM

Lubec waterfront & Lubec Channel Lighthouse

Walk the waterfront, view the sparkplug lighthouse in the channel, and consider a quick drive over the FDR Bridge to Campobello Island if you have a passport.

5:00 PM

Head back to Bar Harbor

Back via US-1 West. Stop in Ellsworth for dinner if you need it — you'll be back in Bar Harbor by 7:30pm.

Pro tip: If the weather is good, swap the Lubec waterfront stop for Mowry Beach or Sand Cove near West Quoddy Head. Both are free, quiet, and beautiful in the afternoon light.

The Eastport Run

Roque Bluffs · Machias · Eastport

Best for Food & Town ~10 hrs

7:30 AM

Leave Bar Harbor

East on US-1. Grab coffee and a breakfast sandwich in Ellsworth before the open road.

9:15 AM

Roque Bluffs State Park

Maine's rarest beach — a glacial sand and pebble shore with a freshwater pond right behind it. Swim in the ocean, warm up in the pond. A small day-use fee applies. Bring towels.

11:00 AM

Machias — Helen's & Mason's

Lunch at Helen's (opens 11am) or Mason's Brewery if you prefer something more casual. Walk the Machias River trail after eating.

1:00 PM

Drive to Eastport

About 45 minutes northeast on US-1 to Route 190. The causeway crossing onto Moose Island is a moment — water on both sides.

2:00 PM

Explore Eastport

Walk Water Street, visit the Tides Institute, grab ice cream, watch the Old Sow whirlpool from the waterfront at the right tide. The most genuinely characterful small town on the Maine coast.

4:30 PM

Sunset at Gleason Cove

A short drive from downtown — rocky shore, tide pools, and views across Passamaquoddy Bay toward Canada. A quiet end to the day.

5:30 PM

Head back to Bar Harbor

Back via US-1 West, arriving around 8pm.

Consider staying: Eastport is worth an overnight. Seaside Suites on the waterfront puts you right in the middle of it, and you can catch Old Sow at peak tidal flow the next morning.

The Wilderness Day

Moosehorn · Bold Coast Trail · Cutler

Best for Hikers ~10 hrs

7:00 AM

Leave Bar Harbor early

Earlier start today — you want to hit Moosehorn before 9am for the best wildlife. Pack lunch; options are limited near Cutler.

8:45 AM

Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, Calais

Pull off on any of the refuge roads before 9am and wait. Bald eagles fly overhead within minutes most mornings. One of the best eagle habitats in the Northeast — and almost nobody knows about it. Free, open year-round.

11:00 AM

Drive to Cutler

South on US-1 to Machias, then Route 191 down the coast to Cutler. Stop in Machias for a quick lunch at Helen's or grab takeout.

1:00 PM

Bold Coast Trail, Cutler

The best coastal hike in Maine. The 8.8-mile loop traverses headlands 150 feet above the open Atlantic with views that stretch to the horizon. Even the first mile out-and-back is stunning if you don't have time for the full loop.

4:30 PM

Head back via Machias

Stop at Mason's Brewery in Machias for a post-hike beer before the drive back. Back in Bar Harbor by 8pm.

Trailhead note: The Bold Coast Trail trailhead is on Route 191 in Cutler, about 4.5 miles south of the village. Free parking, outhouses on site. No water at the trailhead — bring your own.

🛏️ Stay longer. Every one of these day trips is better as an overnight. Machias, Lubec, and Eastport all have lodging — and when the day-trippers leave, the Bold Coast gets even better. See where to stay →

Make It Your Own

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We'll build the day.

Our trip planner will build a custom Bold Coast itinerary around your interests, travel dates, and group — whether it's one day or one week.

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