Acadia Outfitters — Local services in Bar Harbor

My experience with Acadia Outfitters was so incredible that I had to take the time to leave them a (lengthy) positive review. My group of friends and I have made a trip up to Bar Harbor/Acadia for the past 4 years (it's become an annual tradition). Two months prior to our visit my group of friends stated that they reserved some scooters for the morning to tour Cadillac Mountain with Acadia Outfitters. My girlfriend and I held off on our reservation since we were in the midst of finding someone to look after her son while we were gone. Long story short we could not find anyone to watch her son but she is absolutely incredible, wanted me to go up and have fun, so she was kind enough to stay home this time. I called Acadia Outfitters the day after but was told all the scooters had been booked. Fast forward to the trip. We finally made it up and the weather was looking atrocious Friday through Sunday. One of our friends convinced the group to keep the reservations and wait to see how the weather was the next day. Well we lucked out! There were plenty of clouds but there was no rain after the first initial 10 minute burst of rain when we first picked them up. lol. I called Acadia Outfitters when they opened at 8am and asked if there were any cancelled reservations but was initially told they were still fully booked. I don't know what possessed me to do so, but I followed the group anyway while they got signed up to the rent motor scooters. As I was waiting and wandering the shop the woman behind the counter asked me what I was planning on doing while the other 6 people were out exploring. I stated that I had no Idea and said I might just wander Bar Harbor by myself. She looked at the other employee, pointed at me, and shrugged at him with a curious look on her face. He looked into the shop and nodded back at her with a smile. She then told me that they had a backup scooter that day in case one doesn't work and asked me if would like to use it so could join my friends. Working for a shop that repairs cars, this is not something I would EVER expect to happen on any given day but of course I accepted and ultimately had the most fun exploring Acadia than I have had the past four years I have visited! It's not every day (or most days) a business that sees THOUSANDS of visitors a year would go above and beyond like this, purely out of the goodness of their hearts to make a customer happy. Whether you're a potential customer that took the time to read this review, a person not sure of what to do during your visit to Acadia, or someone with a reservation with them in the near future. Just know you're in good hands. If you are one of the two employees that helped me the weekend of September 24th 2021, I genuinely want to thank you for the kindness and hospitality you showed a complete stranger such as myself. You better believe I will always recommend you to anyone looking to visit and I hope I will see you...

Tried renting kayaks from here. We are experienced sea kayakers from CT, and the lady there told us we needed to be "cold water rescue certified". I looked everywhere online and can't find this "certification". She literally made this up. From their website, "If you’re renting kayaks, we’ll help you load the boats onto the top of your vehicle using our convenient foam blocks and tie-down straps. We’ll also provide route information so you’ll have the best trip possible. If you’re renting, you will need to be able to have self-rescue skills." I explained to her we have taken 2 self rescue classes for sea kayaking, and she was very condescending, saying, "well in this water you only have 30 minutes to live", as if we had no idea what we were talking about. Ruined our plans for the day. If you don't want to rent kayaks to people, then don't advertise for it, and be specific about your "requirements" on your website, so you are not wasting our time on vacation. Also, don't be condescending to your customers. Will be going...

This was our first time kayaking, and I had my 8-year-old child as my partner. On the first day, we did biking, which was a fantastic experience — the staff were great, and everything felt well-organized and family-friendly.

Our kayaking guide, Justine, was friendly and funny at the beginning, which made us feel comfortable. However, once we started struggling to keep up with the group and needed help, his attitude changed. Although he did help us by towing us back — which we’re thankful for — his facial expressions and body language became very unwelcoming, and we felt uncomfortable for the rest of the trip.

We expected a more supportive and patient experience, especially since we booked this activity for its family-friendly description. As beginners with a young child, a little more understanding would have meant a lot.

We appreciate the hard work involved and hope this feedback helps improve the experience for future families who may be trying kayaking for...