Island Explorer

One of our cruise ports was Bar Harbor, Maine. We used the free Island Explorer bus service to go through Acadia National Park. The service had several different routes that were easy to navigate with the help of workers at the stops or the bus driver. All you needed to do was ask. The Village Green station was where we boarded, and it had maps. The station was about 0.4 mile from the Royal Caribbean cruise port. We never had a wait long for a bus and there was always room. We were there the last week of September, and it wasn't too busy. Not sure how it would be during the Summer. Acadia National Park is beautiful!

This is fantastic! Rif De a comfy bus that leaves the Free parking lot at Acadia Gateway of course several other stops and takes you over the bridge into downtown Bar harbor right in the green! No traffic to sit in wasting your fuel .. free did I say free? And beyond that super comfy.

Loved catching the bus and exploring the park. The downside is it is unreliable. If you have a later reservation, for dinner for example, you need to plan 1. Bus service can run early causing you to miss your bus or it can run late and 2. If the bus is full, you will have to catch a later bus and depending on where you are in the park, the next bus may not come for an hour or two or more!. You can arrive at the bus stop TEN MINUTES early only to discover the bus already came and went!! That is extremely inconvenient!! On one bus, when the driver was about to leave 5 minutes before it was scheduled to leave,another passenger called the driver out in front of everyone. The driver appeared angry, shut off the bus and left us there while she went to the restroom. I would just say, this is a great way to see the park but you have to plan for the bus service disrespecting your time.

I hate to give such a bad review, because the bus is great to avoid the hassle of trying to find parking during busy season. However, I have to warn everyone: DO NOT WAIT FOR THE LAST BUS OR THEY WILL LEAVE YOU STRANDED THERE!!! We were waiting at the Jordan Pond stop for the last bus of the day at 6:10 pm. The last bus driver showed up, and the first thing she said to everyone waiting at the bus stop was "I can't take you all". This caused a panic but instead of providing a solution, she took whoever she could and left the rest behind. Luckily, I made it on the bus, but about 10 people did not. I hope they made it back home, but that bus driver definitely did not care.

This bus service is amazing and free. If you stay anywhere in Bar Harbor and want a free way to get around, this is perfect. Otherwise you pay for parking almost everywhere you go. Leaving from the park visitor center, this bus is a great way to visit Acadia National Park. Just don't try to catch the last bus of the day to get out, because they are strict about the number of passengers and you might miss out if it's full from a previous stop. During the day and in the morning, this is the best way to get through the park, in my opinion. In Var Harbor, the main stop downtown is in the middle of all the restaurants and shops.

We used this free bus service while in Acadia. We got the schedule from the hills cove visitor center. There are several routes and you can switch between the lines at many points even in southwest , northeast and winter harbor. We just used it around park loop points and it was very convenient with parking being so limited when we went. What a nice service! The bus drivers are very helpful.

We planned to ride the island explorer in bar harbor but were refused boarding because we had two Brompton folding bicycles that were too small to fit in the bike rack. While I understand that it is the policy of the shuttle line to not allow bikes on board, these bikes fold to be about 16x16 inches, smaller than folding stroller (which are allowed). These bikes fit in a carry on bag, and if we had packed them in a carry-on bag, the shuttle service would have allowed us to bring them on board. Most public transportation services that restrict bikes on board the vehicle (I.e., municipal bus lines) exempt folding bikes from this restriction for the reasons I described. Applying this policy in this way is needlessly rigid and arbitrary.

The shuttle is great. Was able to hike from one side of the island to the other and take the shuttle back to the car and the drivers are so great. They drop you off right at your vehicle if it's along the way and pick you up if you flag them down. The schedules don't make much sense. You think you have it figured out but you don't. But you just ask the drivers and they tell you where to get on and off to make the shuttles work for your schedule.

So great! A free bus around the entire island. Hard to beat. So glad we chose to use this instead of paying for a private tour.

Easy, cheap, and convenient way to your your way through bar harbor village and the national park of Acadia. We picked up our first bus at the Village Green and road it up to the visitor center where we switched buses to Cadillac Mt, Sand Beach, Thunder Cove. The bus drivers were friendly and eager to assist. The maps provided were helpful as well. The timing of the buses though we were told we're never really on time, we found some to be on time, and others not so much. But we can't complain. Best of all it's free! But don't forget to tip to help keep it free.

Absolutely awesome! Several buses, several routes. The only downside we had today was it was so foggy could not see anything. Definitely do this when you're in Bar Harbor!!

This is our first time using the explorer. Will definitely use it again next year. Clean and efficient. Easy to cruise around the island with and save on gas money. Don't dress about traffic when you can sit back and read your book. Made our vacation much more enjoyable.

Had a great experience with this transportation system. Easy and inexpensive way to travel around the area and the drivers were always friendly and helpful. However, I was relying on the bus to take me from SW harbor to bar harbor during the last scheduled trip that was listed on their map, app, and website. Waited 30 extra minutes in the rain and the bus never came. Tried to call the company and got directed to voicemail informing me that no one was working phones. Had to take a $50 cab to get back to bar harbor. Don't rely on the bus if you need to get somewhere late!

I was working last two summers in Northeast Harbor, ME, and if there wasn't this bus my summer would be much more complicated and pricier. This bus covers pretty much whole island, its completely free, schedule is mostly accurate. I think it would be great thing to invent some night bus also, at least one bus from Bar Harbor to Northeast and Southwest harbor at 1 AM, cuz thats when most of bars and restaurants close, because most of the people want to stay in the city longer than 9 PM when the most buses have last departure. It doesn't have to be free, even couple dollars fee would be good, but it would solve troubles for most of the people, especially students, since taxi is not very cheap option especially for single person. Also if there could be better connection between Northeast and Southwest harbor I'm sure a lot of people would be happy. Don't get me wrong, you are very helpful, you are doing great job, but if I would have magic wand, and make you do two additional things, I would do what I advised you in my post. :) Thank you for your service!

When I learned that we were going to need to take a bus around Acaida (parking is too much of a problem in the high season) I was bummed. But this bus was actually really nice because we got to see the park while we were on it and some of the drivers would give you info about the area. LL bean sponsors it and it's free. Mostly you'll be taking the number 4 bus.

Very convenient. Buses were clean. Drivers were friendly. It was nice to go to downtown bar harbor without having to deal with the hassle of driving and parking.

The free Island Explorer Bus system is perhaps one of the best features of Acadia National Park, though as you will see, they are not only within the National Park. Locals often use the free bus system to connect to other villages on Mount Desert Island. For instance, the Northeast Harbor bus leaves the Bar Harbor Village Green and passes through the villages of Seal Harbor and Northeast Harbor, making stops at Bubble Pond, Jordan Pond and the Jordan Pond House, Seal Harbor Beach, and finally the Northeast Harbor town pier. At any point along the way you can get off the bus by simply pulling the cord, or get onto the bus by waving it down. One of the most popular bus runs is the Sand Beach Buses, which depart from the Bar Harbor Village Green, stopping at the Sieur de Monts Spring and Wild Gardens area before continuing on along the Park Loop Road. The bus passes the Bear Brook Picnic Area, a popular spot with the locals, before passing by the Champlain North Ridge Trail, to stop here you must let the bus driver know in advance or pull the cord. The bus than makes its way past the Precipice trail, this is a stop by request area, but the bus announcement system does let you know when it is approaching the Precipice trail. The bus than passes through the entrance fee station, if you don't have a park pass on you, don't worry, it's on the honor system if your riding the bus. Next stop, the ever popular Sand Beach. Directly across from the Sand Beach parking lot are several popular hiking trails, including The Bowl trail, the Beehive, and the Gorham mountain Trail, as well as the Champlain Mountain trail, all can be accessed here. The next bus stop is Thunder Hole, very popular and very crowded in summertime, the bus is your best option to avoid major parking problems in this area of the park. Here is a piece of advice if you want to hear real thunder at Thunder Hole, go there as the tide is coming in, or better yet, during a storm or in late fall, the rougher the sea, the more louder Thunder Hole is. The bus than passes the official Gorham Mountain Parking Lot, stops there are by request. The next area the bus stops in is Otter Cliffs with its very popular hiking trail which follows the edge of the sea all the way down to Thunder Hole and Sand Beach. The Sand Beach bus than passes through the tiny village of Otter Creek, making its last stop at Blackwoods Campground before heading back toward the Bar Harbor Village Green. The other popular bus is the Southwest Harbor buses, which depart the Bar Harbor village Green every hour, passing through the villages of Town Hill, somesville, Southwest Harbor, Manset, Seawall, Bass Harbor and finally Bernard before turning around and repeating their stops in reverse. Many peoiple who ride this bus do so in the hopes of catching a view of the Bass Harbor Lighthouse, but end up disappointed. To visit the famous Bass Harbor Lighthouse, get off the bus at the Bass Harbor Campground stop, right where you get off the bus you will see a sharp curve in the road, the main road goes right, to the left is a narrow road marked The Lighthouse Road. It's about a ten to fifteen minute walk down to the Lighthouse. A path to the right of the Lighthouse takes you right up next to it, a path to the far left of the parking lot leads to a long narrow stairway which leads down to the rocky shore below the lighthouse. You will often find artists down there painting, or a photography class teaching folks how to get great sunset photos. You can also get some really nice photos of the Lighthouse perched up on the cliff above. The best way to use the Free Island Explorer buses is to either bring your bike or rent a bike from one of the three bike rental shops on Cottage street in Bar Harbor. All buses are equipped to carry bikes. Get off at one village, ride around and explore the shops, than catch the next bus to the next village, and so on. Once Fall arrives, all bus schedules revert to the shaded stops only. The buses still make their daily runs, but in most cases they don't run late into the evening as the summer bus runs do. Another option is to simply hop on any of the buses and ride its entire route, it's relaxing and allows to to see things you might not of seen hopping on and off the bus. You can do this with any of the free Island Explorer Buses. I would suggest if you have any questions about trails or villages the buses pass through, to take a few minutes before the bus departs and talk to the bus drivers, they are very informative and helpful.

Excellent free shuttle will take you almost anywhere around Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park. Polite & helpful drivers. Easy to find bus stops.

The best and most convenient way to get around with kids, pets and even bikes. The schedule can have u waiting a bit for the next bus but who doesn't have time to wait and take in the views in Acadia on vacation? Also they drive ride through local campgrounds... Doesn't get easier!

Wow, I can't believe there are no reviews on this company. My parents and I took this shuttle service all over Acadia National Park to avoid having to find parking and to be able to concentrate on the scenery instead of the road. This was the best service. You can get all over the island on it and they even stop for passengers that wave them down on the side of the road. Oh, and did I mention it is free?!

Why would you drive and fight for a parking space? Free and convenient. What more could you ask for? BTW, this is on Mt Desert Island ME.

This is a fantastic service that can really enhance your enjoyment of Acadia national park (and it's also good for the Park itself, since it cuts down on vehicle congestion). It is a network of free buses (I repeat: they are completely free of charge) that run various routes throughout the park. Most of the routes leave from the Village Green in Bar Harbor; one or two leave from the Visitor Center (easily accessed by several routes from the Village Green). One route even goes as far as the nearby town of Trenton, which is perfect for me because when I visit Maine with my wife we stay at her family's house in Trenton; she takes the car to go sailing whenever possible, so the bus service gives me a way of exploring the park: you can visit Jordan Pond, NE Harbor, SW Harbor, Ocean Drive, Eagle Lake, Bubble Pond, etc. The most popular routes generally run every half hour; some run hourly or less frequently. When we were just in Maine last week, the number of people in Acadia was unbelievable; this might be because Acadia was celebrating its hundred-year anniversary. The buses would occasionally get filled up midway, but the drivers would then call the base and get a supplemental bus to come out. Because of high traffic congestion and lots of riders (many of them with bikes: you can latch them onto the front of the bus) the buses would occasionally run five or ten minutes late, so I wouldn't rely on the times for absolutely precise scheduling, but this was a very, very minor inconvenience and so far outweighed by the wonderful service provided by this system that it's hardly worth mentioning. I really can't emphasize enough how wonderful this bus service is. Everybody benefits: the riders, other park users, the park itself. One of the drivers told me that LL Bean donates more than three million dollars a year to finance this service. This is just one reason why LL Bean is one of my favorite companies; it deserves everybody's thanks.

This came in very handy for our first trip to Bar Harbor. We stayed at one of the hotels on the bus route. They gave us the bus schedule so we knew when to be outside and it was very punctual. We would get off at The Village Green, and could pick up a shuttle to other parts of the area. The buses are clean and the drivers were all very nice, friendly and helpful. A wonderful free service.

I've been coming to to the Mount Desert Island area since I was a baby. These free shuttles around the Island and Acadia National Park started running when I was in high school, and noticeably lessened traffic and parking problems on the tiny island, which were getting worse every year. The service is absolutely free, and is a great way to get around the island without being tied to a car. There are 10 or so different routes so you can see the island quite thoroughly on the bus routes alone. They even have a bicycle route that you can take bikes on, if you want to go biking on the carriage roads but don't want to bike all the way from Bar Harbor. On our most recent trip, Acadia was shut to cars, so the buses were unable to run into the park, but they were still running the routes that don't go into the park, and modified versions of the routes that do. Even better - the buses are 'green' and burn propane fuel, so by riding them instead of using your car you are protecting the environment of the beautiful place you're visiting. The buses run from mid-June through Columbus Day.

My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Bar Harbor/Acadia in June 2012. Thanks to the Island Explorer, we did it without renting a car! The shuttle was very reliable and the drivers were extremely friendly and accommodating. Also super clean, and completely free! What an excellent service!!!