Island Explorer Shuttle Bus services Acadia National Park

To help offset road congestion and a lack of parking spaces at Acadia National Park during the summer tourist season, a system of free shuttle buses called the Island Explorer is available to visitors at Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula. On Mount Desert Island the buses cover the north and east side of the island quite extensively (using Somes Sound as the east-west dividing point), but on the west side only the coastal areas along Somes Sound down to Bass Harbor are serviced. There are twelve different routes in all, and you can ask to get off anywhere along the route. You can also flag down a bus at locations other than the official bus stops as long as the spot is safe for the bus to stop. Furthermore, the buses service the Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport and most major hotels and private campgrounds. If one does not stop where you are staying, drive to the Hulls Cove Visitor Center and catch the bus from there. The Visitor Center has a large parking lot.

Island Explorer bus stop at Acadia National Park’s Hulls Cove Visitor Center

The Island Explorer also services the Schoodic Peninsula, though there is no route that runs between Mount Desert Island and Schoodic. If you are camping at Schoodic Woods Campground, staying in Winter Harbor, Birch Harbor, or Prospect Harbor, or took the ferry from Bar Harbor to Winter Harbor, the bus is an alternate way to get around the park without bothering with your car (it’s the only option for ferry passengers). Day trippers are certainly welcome to take the bus as well (park at the campground), but in truth, Schoodic Loop Road isn’t nearly as congested as the roads on Mount Desert Island, so driving your own car makes the most sense. I drove around the peninsula for a day in late August and rarely encountered vehicles, let alone traffic jams.

Entrance passes are supposed to be purchased by everyone, even those walking or biking into Acadia National Park. However, many people pick up the bus outside the park and enter without one. Keep in mind that park Rangers can ask to see your pass, and if you don’t have one, you are subject to a fine. Will this happen? Doubtful. Rangers tend to focus on parked vehicles that are not displaying a pass, not people walking around. With tens of thousands of visitors at the park each day, catching a pedestrian without a pass would be like trying to catch an illegal immigrant.

The Island Explorer operates on Mount Desert Island from late June through Columbus Day, and actually starts in late May at Schoodic Peninsula. The bus system is just like any other city bus system. You may have to get off at one stop and transfer to another bus to reach your destination. If you must be somewhere at a certain time—a tour for instance—be sure you understand how the system works prior to making the trip. For a schedule, visit the Island Explorer website. You can also pick up a printed schedule at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, and there are usually large signs with a schedule at each bus stop.

If all you are doing is sightseeing, I highly recommend the bus. It may take a while to get from place to place, but the benefit of not having to deal with parking outweighs the extra travel time. I visited the week before Labor Day, and while I never experienced congested traffic, it doesn’t take many cars to fill up the parking lots, and that’s where trouble comes to paradise. Your choice at most attractions is to circle the parking lot ad infinitum or park up to a half mile away along the road and walk back.

I can say without hesitation that the bus is the way to go for those stopping at Sand Beach, the Jordan Pond House, or anywhere in downtown Bar Harbor. I can’t tell you how many times I passed Sand Beach and found the cars lined up for a half mile along the road in either direction from the official parking lot, and I missed a boat cruise that I paid $40 for because I could not find parking in Bar Harbor after driving around in circles for a half hour. On top of that, most public parking spaces in Bar Harbor have a 2-hour limit, and most tours and cruises take much longer.

The bus is also great for those hiking a one-way trail that begins and ends near a bus stop. For example, you can walk the 2.3-mile Ocean Path starting at Sand Beach and pick up the bus at the end near Otter Point. No need to walk all the way back to your car. However, the bus is not nearly as convenient if you plan to go hiking all day on multiple trails because there simply is no way to carry your gear and get fresh supplies of food and water without a vehicle. When I hike two or more trails in a day, I need fresh shirts, more water from my cooler, and perhaps a change of clothes if the weather is cold in the morning and warm during the day. Parking along the road and walking back to the trailhead is just a fact of life at Acadia National Park during the summer if you plan to drive.

Cyclists can also use the Island Explorer. Each bus has room for four to six bikes (no e-bikes, tag-alongs, tandem bikes, or bikes with fat tires), plus there is a special bus with a large bike trailer—The Bicycle Express—that runs exclusively between the Bar Harbor Village Green and Eagle Lake, an access point for the carriage road system. The route operates from late June through the end of September. (The Bike Express can take tag-alongs, but all other bike restrictions still apply.)

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