How to Get the Family to Acadia National Park
- jakeconklin9
- Apr 13
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 13
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Acadia National Park is indeed a fantastic choice for a family vacation, offering a mix of scenic beauty, outdoor adventures, and family-friendly activities, making it a memorable experience for all ages.
How to Get to Acadia National Park
Where to Fly
Flying into the Northeast is a great way to experience Acadia National Park, and the options for travel there are various, with different risks and rewards.
Option #1: The Backyard - Flying into Bar Harbor
Is it possible just to fly right into Bar Harbor, literally 10 minutes away from park perfection? The answer is YES, but the options are limited. Hancock County – Bar Harbor Airport (BHB) is by far the closest airport to Acadia, but it is a smaller airport with limited direct flights. There is specifically one commercial operation that flies there, Cape Air, which flies directly from Boston and partners with JetBlue to make travel seamless from locations that connect to Boston.
Jet Blue Flights domestic to/from Boston include: Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Orlando (MCO), Fort Myers (RSW), West Palm Beach (PBI), New York (JFK/LGA), Newark (EWR), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Washington (DCA), Chicago (ORD), San Juan (SJU), Tampa (TPA), Buffalo (BUF), Denver (DEN).
Jet Blue also has international flights to/from Boston including: Dublin (DUB), London Heathrow (LHR), Edinburgh (EDI), Madrid (MAD)
It is important to mention that the Cape Air flight is a tiny 8-passenger Cessna, so you really get to (ahem) “experience” more of the flight. That could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your enjoyment of flying.
Option #2: Around the Block - Flying into Bangor (our personal choice)
We did the math, and it appears the best options for the lowest rates come with flying into Bangor, which is only 37 miles away (about an hour scenic drive) from Acadia National Park, making it a good option for family travel at optimal costs without tons of effort on the back end. In fact, if you live in the right places, this can be a super cheap option for travel.
For example Allegiant flies from/to Orlando (MCO), Tampa/St. Pete (TPA), Punta Gorda (PGD), and Fort Lauderdale (FLL). Breeze Airways also does Orlando (MCO), Tampa (TPA), and Fort Myers (RSW)
Unlike the Bar Harbor airport, most of the major airlines also fly into Bangor (if you’re racking up the miles) – including Delta, United, and American. There are multiple shuttle services that can transport you to Acadia if you decide against renting a car and you can easily add a trip to Stephen King’s house with this choice (more side stops between Bangor and Acadia here). Prices can vary, but flying to Bangor is actually typically cheaper than flying to Portland or Boston.
Option #3: Portland (PWM)...the Scenic Route?
If Acadia is your ONLY destination in Maine, then flying into Portland does not make the most sense. However, Portland is a great city with lots of fun things for parents and kids to do. It is a must for any itinerary of Maine in general and can add a lot to the overall Maine experience for your family.
That being said, Maine is about a 3 hour drive to Acadia on the fastest route (up I-95), which takes you right through Bangor, making that a more reasonable place to fly for your Acadia adventure. If you're thinking of making US-1 a "coastal" adventure between Maine and Acadia, be prepared for a long drive. Looks like it makes sense on a map, but it involves slow going in a lot of small towns. Again, if your goal is to explore the coast in general, it makes sense. Otherwise skip it.
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