New England coast road trip: Boston to Bar Harbor
≈ 500 km driving in total · ~6 h · ideal in 7 days · 5 stops
Lobster shacks, lighthouses and clapboard towns all the way up the New England coast to Acadia — the only US national park where mountains meet the open Atlantic.
Photo: Unsplash
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The route at a glance
- Boston — 1 night
- Portsmouth — stop en route
- Portland — 1 night
- Camden — 1 night
- Bar Harbor — 3 nights
The stops
- 1
Boston
Walk the Freedom Trail and carb-load in the North End, then follow US-1 up the coast.
- 2
Portsmouth
New Hampshire's 17th-century port makes a perfect lunch stop — Strawbery Banke and a working waterfront.
- 3
Portland
Maine's food-obsessed little city: Old Port cobblestones, Portland Head Light, and more James Beard nods per capita than anywhere.
- 4
Camden
Where the mountains meet the sea in miniature — schooner harbour below, Mt Battie's view above.
- 5
Bar Harbor
Acadia base camp: Park Loop Road, Jordan Pond popovers, Thunder Hole at half-tide and Cadillac Mountain for dawn.
Good to know
Late September–mid October is foliage season: peak beauty, peak prices — book early. Acadia's Cadillac Mountain sunrise (first light in the US, October–March) now requires a timed vehicle reservation. Order lobster rolls at the shacks, not the restaurants — half the price, twice the lobster. Much of Acadia's Park Loop Road closes December–April.
New England coast road trip: Boston to Bar Harbor — FAQ
- How long does the New England coast road trip take?
- 7 days is comfortable — about 6 hours behind the wheel across 5 stops, ≈ 500 km of driving in total.
- How far is Bar Harbor from Boston?
- This itinerary covers ≈ 500 km (311 miles) of driving in total, via Portsmouth, Portland, Camden.
- What are the best stops between Boston and Bar Harbor?
- Portsmouth, Portland, Camden — each one is on the route below. Open the trip on the map to add, drop or reorder them.
- Where should you stay on the New England coast road trip?
- The itinerary sleeps in Boston, Portland, Camden, Bar Harbor. Open it on the map to see places to stay along the route and what the nights will cost.
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