For many New Englanders, reaching Mount Desert Island in Maine can be quite a trek: the nearest major airport, Bangor, is roughly a two-hour drive away, while Bar Harbor’s smaller airport is mainly serviced by regional flights from Logan Airport. Alternatively, road trips are an option: it’s about five hours from Boston, eight hours from New York City, and approximately five-and-a-half hours from Providence (not accounting for traffic).
This remoteness, however, serves as a hidden gem: unlike other East Coast summer spots like Nantucket and the Hamptons, which often suffer from heavy tourist crowds, Mount Desert Island presents a serene escape even during the peak of summer, with Bar Harbor—the entry point to Acadia National Park—being the only area that sees significant foot traffic. (In fact, mentioning Mount Desert Island in this piece is likely to provoke some disgruntled responses from its loyal visitors and locals who prefer to keep it a secret.)
I found myself on Mount Desert Island with little prior research: a close friend was tying the knot, and through his fiancée, who has been frequenting this area for years, it became a cherished destination for them both. A wedding website advised us to pack a coat (or faux fur), sturdy hiking boots, and reminded us that rideshares are scarce.
This isn’t to suggest I stumbled upon an undiscovered treasure. Mount Desert Island is, in fact, one of the oldest cherished vacation spots in America. Renowned figures from the Gilded Age, like Rockefeller and Vanderbilt, had estates here, and Martha Stewart is known to have a residence in Seal Harbor. However, while some elite summer spots flaunt their opulence, the allure of this island is subtle and understated.
“It has that summer rusticator feel of what people’s houses might have looked like when they were up here,” interior designer Mark Cotto shares with Vogue regarding the Asticou Inn.
Photo: Erin Little
