Acadia National Park Trolley Tour from Bar Harbor
See Acadia's top sights on a narrated 2.5-hour trolley tour with photo stops
From$69/ personincl. taxes and fees
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Discover what we've curated for you
See Acadia's top sights on a narrated 2.5-hour trolley tour with photo stops
Discover what we've curated for you
2.5 Hours
Narrated trolley tour, Photo stops
See the highlights of Acadia National Park from the comfort of a classic red and green trolley on this fully narrated 2.5-hour tour departing from downtown Bar Harbor. Your guide brings the park's history, geology, and wildlife to life as the trolley follows the scenic 27-mile Park Loop Road, with three stops for short walks and photos at the most celebrated viewpoints in the park.
This trolley tour is the easiest way to experience Acadia National Park without driving, parking, or navigating the one-way roads on your own.
Check in at Oli's Trolley Station 30 minutes before departure; boarding begins 15 minutes prior. Seating is first come, first served. Dress in layers, as temperatures at the summit of Cadillac Mountain can be significantly cooler and windier than in Bar Harbor. All stops inside Acadia National Park are subject to parking availability. Routes and stops may change due to weather, construction, or congestion. Tours may be cancelled if minimum passenger numbers are not met.
This is a typical itinerary for this trolley tour. The order of stops may vary based on parking availability, congestion, and weather conditions inside the park.
Your tour departs from Oli's Trolley Station at the Boardwalk at the Harborside Hotel, 55 West Street in downtown Bar Harbor. Check in 30 minutes before departure; boarding begins 15 minutes prior. The trolley departs promptly, and your guide begins the narration as you leave town.
As the trolley heads toward Acadia National Park, your guide shares the history of Bar Harbor, from its roots as a fishing village to its transformation into a summer retreat for wealthy families like the Rockefellers, Morgans, and Fords in the late 1800s. You pass the historic mansions that survived the devastating fire of 1947, which destroyed more than 60 of the grand "cottages" and reshaped the island's character. The narration covers the founding of the park, beginning with George B. Dorr's decades-long effort to preserve Mount Desert Island, President Woodrow Wilson's designation of the area as a national monument in 1916, and its eventual establishment as Acadia National Park in 1929.
The trolley climbs the 3.5-mile summit road to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest point in Acadia National Park at 1,530 feet. Cadillac Mountain is the tallest peak on the entire U.S. Atlantic coast and, from October through March, the first place in the United States to see the sunrise each morning. At the summit, sweeping 360-degree views stretch across Frenchman Bay, the Porcupine Islands, Bar Harbor, and the forested interior of Mount Desert Island. On clear days, you can see well into the distance in every direction. You have approximately 15 minutes to walk the summit path, take photos, and take in the panoramic views of Acadia National Park from above.
The trolley continues along Ocean Drive to Thunder Hole, one of the most famous natural features in Acadia National Park. Here, ocean waves funnel into a narrow rock crevasse carved by centuries of erosion, and when conditions are right, the water compresses and explodes upward with a deep, thundering boom. A short path with stone steps leads down to the viewing area above the chasm. Even on calm days, the rugged rocky coastline and open Atlantic views make this a memorable stop. Your guide explains the geology behind the formation and the best tidal conditions for hearing the "thunder." You have approximately 15 minutes at this stop.
The final stop brings you to the Jordan Pond area, one of the most photographed landscapes in Acadia National Park. The crystal-clear pond sits at the base of two rounded peaks known as the Bubbles, with dense forest surrounding the shoreline. Jordan Pond is the deepest lake on Mount Desert Island at 150 feet, and its clarity is the result of the glacial forces that carved the basin thousands of years ago. A short walk from the parking area takes you to views of the pond and mountains. The Jordan Pond House, famous for its tradition of serving popovers with jam, is located nearby. You have approximately 15 minutes to walk and photograph this stop.
After the third stop, the trolley returns along the Park Loop Road and back through Bar Harbor to Oli's Trolley Station, completing the 2.5-hour loop.
Pass-by highlights include: Paradise Hill, Frenchman Bay, Bubble Mountain, Sand Beach, Otter Cliffs, and the historic mansions of Bar Harbor
Full refund with 24 hours' notice and your booking number. Cruise ship passengers receive a full refund if the ship does not come into port. Provide your booking number within 7 days of the tour date. Stops may change due to congestion, construction, or weather.
Oli's Trolley Station, the Boardwalk at the Harborside Hotel, 55 West Street, downtown Bar Harbor, Maine.
Acadia National Park covers nearly 50,000 acres on Mount Desert Island and the surrounding coastline of midcoast Maine, making it the only national park in the Northeastern United States. The park protects a landscape shaped by glaciers, with exposed granite domes, cobblestone beaches, deep glacial ponds, and 26 mountain summits rising directly from the edge of the Atlantic. More than 4 million visitors come to Acadia National Park each year, drawn by the scenery, the hiking trails, the historic carriage roads built by John D. Rockefeller Jr., and the dramatic stretch of coastline that runs along the 27-mile Park Loop Road.
This trolley tour covers the Park Loop Road's most celebrated stops in 2.5 hours, with a guide who connects the views to the stories behind them. At Cadillac Mountain, you learn why the summit road was built in the 1920s and how the Civilian Conservation Corps shaped the park's trails during the Great Depression. At Thunder Hole, your guide explains the wave mechanics that create the booming sound and the volcanic geology of the coastline. At Jordan Pond, the narration turns to the glaciers that carved the basin and the Rockefeller family's role in building the carriage roads that still wind through the surrounding forest. The trolley format means you can sit back and absorb the narration without worrying about navigating Acadia National Park's one-way roads, finding parking at busy viewpoints, or watching the clock.
This Acadia National Park trolley tour is ideal for first-time visitors who want a comprehensive introduction to the park, cruise ship passengers with limited time in Bar Harbor, families with children, and anyone who prefers a narrated, low-stress way to see the highlights before returning to explore specific areas on their own.
