Town of Southwest Harbor, Maine

As one of four municipalities located on Mount Desert Island, Southwest Harbor is a picturesque, quintessentially Maine location. Mount Desert Island, or MDI as it is commonly known to Mainers, is the largest island off the coast of the state and is home to most of Acadia National Park. Like its name suggests, Southwest Harbor is located on the south end of MDI, an area referred to as “the quietside” of Acadia.

Southwest Harbor has just over 1,700 year-round residents, but with visitors to Acadia National Park, it gets much busier during the summer and fall as people from across the world head to MDI.

Stephen King fans may recognize Southwest Harbor as the site of some filming for Storm of the Century, and Judy Blume fans may know it as the place where the main character’s family vacationed in her book Fudge-A-Maineia.

Though hours away by car from large cities, Southwest Harbor offers much in the way of quiet enjoyment of nature and active community life. For visitors, it can provide the Maine getaway you’ve always envisioned. In fact, it has a historic past as an early area where visitors were welcomed as tourists to the island.

The first steamboat wharves and hotels on MDI were built in Southwest Harbor because of its proximity to Somes Sound. Today, you can stand on the coast and see Bear Island Lighthouse at the southern entrance to Somes Sound.

Southwest Harbor is also easier to get to than many other locales off the coast; Trenton Bridge connects Mount Desert Island and its municipalities to the mainland. You can drive right onto the island without worrying about having to follow a ferry schedule.

Exploring Southwest Harbor Maine

Shops & Dining

For a small town, Southwest Harbor offers many dining options, though, not surprisingly many are focused on lobster and seafood. Plus, most are only open during tourist season and closed during the colder months.

If you’re fortunate enough to be on MDI and in Southwest Harbor when all of the restaurants are open and operating, you’ll have your pick of places to go for literally fresh off the dock seafood. Check out Beal’s Lobster Pier, Charlotte’s Legendary Lobster Pound, or MDI Lobster Co.

If you’re on the island in the off-season, be sure to check if you can still buy fresh lobster even if the restaurants are closed.

Southwest Harbor also has plenty of dining options that aren’t focused on seafood, ranging from Bub’s Burritos to Joey’s Place Sports Lounge.

In the summer, The Common Good Soup Kitchen is a non-profit that serves up breakfast using a pay-as-you-can model. In the winter, the organization serves as a gathering place that provides soup and popovers free of charge.

Shoppers can browse small shops with unique gifts and locally crafted goods; Southwest Harbor Artisans and Acadia Quietside Shop are just two of the places you can head for such shopping.

For groceries and other necessities, head to the Southwest Food Mart IGA. To keep your picnic basket stocked with wine and cheese, visit Sawyer’s Specialties.

When you’re on Southwest Harbor, you’re both on an island off the coast of Maine and the one that’s home to Acadia National Park. This makes outdoors and boating supplies necessities, and the local stores are ready to get you what you need. For outdoor gear, head to Seawall Camping Supplies and for boating equipment, head to West Marine.

Many other shopping and dining options are available within a close distance in the other towns on Mount Desert Island, especially during the tourist season.

Much of Southwest Harbor’s other business and industry relies on Acadia National Park, tourism, and, of course, the ocean. Some of the most prominent businesses in the town are marine-related companies.

Hinckley Yachts has been operating in Southwest Harbor since 1928 and now has ten locations up and down the East Coast, including its flagship operation on Mount Desert Island.

Morris Yachts and the Ellis Boat Company are also located in Southwest Harbor.

Recreation & Other Attractions

In Southwest Harbor, Acadia National Park and the Atlantic Ocean are outside your door. According to the local Chamber of Commerce, nearly any part of Acadia National Park can be reached within 30 minutes from Southwest Harbor. This opens up recreational opportunities for hiking, biking, or simply gazing out on the rockbound cliffs of Maine’s coast.

If you’re up for a swim, you can try out the ocean at Sand Beach, but be warned it is always very cold. Other swimming options in Southwest Harbor that are usually slightly less cold and with less risk of a current are Echo Lake and the Bluffs.

Kayaking off the coast of Southwest Harbor also carries the danger of ocean currents⁠—instead, opt to launch your kayak at Echo Lake, Long Pond, or Seal Cove Pond. If you are in the mood for an ocean adventure on your kayak, consider booking a tour so you have safety in numbers and the expertise of an experienced guide.

For those looking to try something indoors and more slowly paced, the Wendell Gilley Museum is worth a visit. A Master Plumber who later became renowned for his bird carvings, Gilley’s legacy is cemented through this museum that is located in his hometown of Southwest Harbor.

The history of Southwest Harbor is also readily available at the Southwest Harbor Historical Society, or through a visit to the Claremont Hotel which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Education, Healthcare & Other Services

Students in Southwest Harbor attend the Pemetic K-8 school for their younger years and go to Mount Desert Island High School in nearby Bar Harbor for high school. Unlike many island kids in Maine, they don’t have to travel to the mainland for high school.

If you’re in Southwest Harbor, you also have access to a nearby hospital. Mount Desert Island Hospital isn’t in Southwest Harbor itself, but is on the island in Bar Harbor. A Community Health Center and Dental Center are associated with the hospital, as are numerous other specialty services.

Southwest Harbor also has its own fire department, police force, and a public library.

Related Posts