Directions: Stay on Route 3 all the way to Bar Harbor. As you enter the business section of Bar Harbor, look for West Street on your left. Turn left onto West Street. Look for Bridge Street on the left.
Caution: Though it is a beautiful area for kayaking, the bay near Bar Harbor often gets rough in the afternoon. The further out you you go amongst the Porcupine Islands, the rougher it tends to get. Early morning and late afternoon into evening tend to be calm. Novices paddling without a guide, should be particularly careful in this area. There is also a lot of boat traffic including larger whale watching boats, tour boats, and the high speed ferry which usually traverses the area three times a day during daylight hours.
Paddling Information: Bridge Street ends right at the ocean. In high tide, you will launch your boat at the end of the street. In low tide, you can drive right out onto the bar to unload your boat. Caution: Do not leave your car on the bar. The bar will be covered with about six feet of water during high tide. Do not leave your car on Bridge Street. It is narrow and carries a lot of traffic during low tide. After unloading your car, drive back up to West Street and find a parking place there. It is a short walk back to the bar. Before paddling, take note of where you enter the water or the bar. Things may look very different when you return. There will be a bar where there was none, or no bar where once there was a huge one with a lot of activity. If you return during high tide, paddle around Bar Island to the north side of the bar (the side away from the town pier). If you land on the south side during low tide, you'll have a good walk with your boat through yucky mud.
From Bridge Street or the bar, you can paddle out to the Porcupine Islands or follow the shore in either direction. Four of the islands in the harbor are oriented from west to east while one, Bald Porcupine, seems to be off to the side by itself. A breakwater runs between Bald Porcupine island and ends just before reaching the shore of Mt. Desert. If it is very calm, the scenery on the far side of Bald Porcupine is worth seeing. Swells and waves on the open ocean side of Bald Porcupine may surprise you even when the rest of the bay seems relatively calm.