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A Hidden Gem

Photo gallery for A Hidden Gem

The house, shown with the front porch, sits atop a small knoll off the street.
AKA is bottom center. Somes Sound is across the street. No water views.
Front covered porch is great for morning coffee/tea!
We love to cook so the kitchen is fully equipped.
Dining area.

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Pet friendly
  • Free WiFi
  • Outdoor Space

Explore the area

View in a map
Mount Desert, ME
  • Place, Acadia Repertory Theater
    ‪15 min walk‬
  • Place, Bar Harbor Whale Watching
    ‪13 min drive‬
  • Place, Acadia National Park's Visitors Center
    ‪15 min drive‬
  • Airport, Bar Harbor, ME (BHB-Hancock County - Bar Harbor)
    ‪13 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Guest Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

Master Bedroom

1 King Bed

2 bathrooms

Guest Bath

Toilet · Shower only

Master Bath

+1
Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only · Jetted bathtub

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

A Hidden Gem

Located at the top of Somes Sound and midway between Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor, Azalea Knoll is a hidden gem - the perfect location for everything Mt. Desert Island has to offer. In 10 minutes, you can reach hiking trails, carriage roads, restaurants, and shopping.

A two bedroom house which can sleep up to 4, the home’s open floorplan, high ceilings and fully equipped custom kitchen reflect its quiet elegance. Two full bathrooms, including one with a jet tub. There are two decks, a porch and fire pit providing options for relaxation when not exploring the island.

Visitors who want to take advantage of the island’s bus system can pick up the Island Explorer right down the street (please check annual NP schedule).

Homeowners Karen & Colby began visiting MDI in the early 90’s. Their instant love of the island has led to a 25-year exploration of all things “Acadia”. They are eager to share their recommendations to help you build your own wonderful vacation memories!

Do note that we welcome multi-week stays but cap it at two weeks during the season.
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.

Add dates for prices

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17
The house does not have any baby-related items.
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 50 lbs per pet (limit one pet total)
Adult dogs only. Pet must be well house trained.
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
We prefer shoes to be left in the mudroom and not used in the house.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a first aid kit

About the neighborhood

Mount Desert

Somesville, a neighborhood in Mount Desert, is home to this vacation home. Bar Harbor Whale Watching is a popular attraction and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Acadia National Park and Acadia National Park's Visitors Center. Traveling with kids? Consider Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf and George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History.
View more Vacation Homes in Mount DesertOpens in a new window
Map
Mount Desert, ME

What's nearby

  • Acadia Repertory Theater - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
  • Acadia National Park - 3 min drive - 3.6 km
  • Bar Harbor Whale Watching - 13 min drive - 15.9 km
  • Acadia National Park's Visitors Center - 15 min drive - 12.6 km
  • Cadillac Mountain - 18 min drive - 16.5 km

Getting around

  • Bar Harbor, ME (BHB-Hancock County - Bar Harbor) - 11 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Jordan Pond House - ‬20 min drive
  • ‪Shell - ‬7 min walk
  • ‪Bar Harbor Lobster Pound - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪Island Take Out - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is A Hidden Gem pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 50 lbs per pet. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.

How much does it cost to stay at A Hidden Gem?

As of Mar 29, 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at A Hidden Gem on May 10, 2026 start from $266, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking?

Onsite parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at A Hidden Gem?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at A Hidden Gem?

Check-out is at 10:00 AM.

Where is A Hidden Gem located?

This family-friendly Mount Desert vacation home is located in Somesville, within 2 mi (3 km) of Acadia Repertory Theater and Acadia National Park. Maine Granite Industry Museum and Atlantic Brewing Company are also within 3 mi (5 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labeled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 30 out of 30 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 30 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 30 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 30 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 30 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Caleb M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Central location. 15-30 minutes from anything on MDI. Comfortable home with everything you may need, and the cleanest dog-friendly house I've rented.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Nicole H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Somesville

This place was absolutely adorable. It had everything we needed plus more. Great location.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mike C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Another great trip to MDI

Azalea Knoll is truly a hidden gem. The location is ideal! Peaceful yet perfectly situated between Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor, with quick access to trails, restaurants, and Acadia highlights. The home was spotless and thoughtfully designed, with high ceilings, a great kitchen, and multiple cozy spots to unwind after a day of exploring. We especially enjoyed relaxing on the deck and by the fire pit in the evenings. Karen and Colby were wonderful hosts. We’d absolutely return!
Stayed 14 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Judy R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect location for exploring Mount Desert Island!

Azalea Knoll was ideal for easy access to Acadia National Park and the surrounding area. It was clean, comfortable, spacious, nicely decorated, had a well-equipped kitchen, games and more! We highly recommend it.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sveta I.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Loved our stay !

very nice , clean property, very comfortable. everything is thought of. we loved the location, close to park and Bar Harbot , but outside of the hassle of Bar Harbor traffic. we will definitely come back
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Marcus V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice property minutes away from some of the best places in Acadia

This was a great property right off one of the main roads going into Acadia. A 5 minute walk to the convenience store, 5 minute drive to a good brewery (Atlantic), and 20 minutes from most places in the park this was an ideal location. Everything was clean, kitchen was fully stocked, and the owners were very responsive.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jason R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic all around

This is a fantastic property in an ideal location. Extras of everything you need, clearly organized space, very comfortable beds, well-appointed kitchen. No need to search any further, get this one.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Joanne S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A perfect getaway

Karen's place was absolutely what we needed! The place was spacious, clean and updated. We were even greeted with a welcome message and some local treats. We look forward to returning next year~
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sandy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfy property in Somesville Maine

Sweet, clean, and quiet property. Loved the home, it's decorated so cute. The owners thought of everything...the kitchen has everything you need and the laundry room too! Convenient location to all the sites, hiking, restaurants, etc. The owners gave us plenty of awesome suggestions of where to hike, eat, drink and even the best bakery!
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

tim f.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic!

Azalea Knoll was a wonderful place to stay. Everything was perfect! I really cannot say enough about it. Beautiful, clean, organized, and wonderful location. The owners were so kind and offered many suggestions on places to visit in Acadia. They went above and beyond for us and made our trip very special. We cannot wait to go back and stay at Azalea Knoll again.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Anthony T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Dream Location in Maine

We had an excellent time in the National Park and enjoying the local fare. Very clean location. Bar Harbor was a little to touristy for us so enjoyed the more local towns and lobster houses along the coast. The National Park is definitely worth the hikes and scenic views. The house was immaculate and I would rate the owner and property a 10 plus. Plus the deer that showed up at dusk.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Property

My husband and I got married at Acadia National Park during our stay here and were even able to walk to our first look at the Somesville bridge. It really was the perfect home base for our week. This property gives you everything you could ask for in terms of space and amenities. Other reviews are spot on that the pictures really don't do it justice. The entire house was very clean and ready for our arrival. Would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Carol E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication

Wonderful Home , Well decorated. Quiet

It is a wonderful home in Maine. The hosts have it well decorated. The kitchen is up to date and the bathrooms are great. The outdoor space is really nice. The only disadvantage is that you need to drive to SW Harbor ,NE Harbor, Bar Harbor and the Acadia Park. It is really close to SW and NE Harbors . I would definitely spend more time at SW Harbor shopping and eating if I went again.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Bob H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A GREAT PLACE TO STAY

We loved the house. We have stayed in a number of different properties in different states. This was the best. The kitchen had everything you would ever need, include a cabinet full of spices. The house is beautiful, the living room area has high ceilings, and the game room and the outdoor patio with firepit are great. The proximity to Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor make the location special. We highly recommend this property.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

James M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Clean, beautiful, comfortable and Relaxing

My wife and I spent our 50th wedding anniversary vacation at Azalea Knoll along with our 2 year old Mini Goldendoodle Molly. The house exceeded our already high expectations. And Molly gives it 4 paws up! It is clean, beautiful, comfortable and relaxing. It is centrally located on Mt Desert Island with easy short distances to Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park and the quiet side of the island. Our thanks to Karen for checking in periodically to make sure we had everything we needed.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Carol D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Terrific Location and Everything You Need (and Want!)

This house has everything you need for relaxing after a long day on the water or on the trails. The kitchen has all kinds of cooking equipment, and stocks the basics for most meals that you can envision, including most spices, oils, etc. There's even a big pot for steaming up that fresh "lobstah" and the tools needed to eat it! The game room has ping-pong, corn-hole, and other fun things for active folks, with board games, books and TVs for others. We hated to leave, but Hurricane Lee had us out of there a day early. Excellent communication with the host made this one of our best VRBO experiences!
Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jan S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Week 3 Acadia

Plenty of room for us. Fully equipped kitchen great. Right in the middle of everything we wanted to do. Karen easy to reach & her instructions were clear & easy to follow. This was a 1 time trip. Only dislike was the road noise. The picture looked like the house was in the woods. Hard to see around foliage to get onto state route road.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jan S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The Perfect Place for all thing Acadia

This house is exactly as described, but even better. It is immaculate! The amenities are top notch and the owner has provided a host of little things, such as make-up towels, shampoo, conditioner, extra towels (soft and absorbent), kitchen spices, food wraps (foil, plastic wrap) and all kinds of indoor games and puzzles that are in working order. We baked the popover mix, enjoying the blueberry jam along with the popovers for breakfast. There was plenty of space for us, all inviting and comfortable. We enjoyed the extra decorations, under-cabinet lighting and lighting above the fireplace. This house is well maintained and the decor is high quality. Loved the easy window treatments to raise and lower in the eating and living area. My husband appreciated the jacuzzi tub after a long day of hiking/biking. I could go on and on about the quality of everything. And did I mention clean? We enjoyed the view and quiet of Some Sound from benches across the road. We were so busy that we didn't have time to enjoy the variety of games in the garage but they looked very inviting. I would highly recommend staying at this property and will definately stay here again when we return to Mt. Desert Island.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Linda C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Place

We couldn’t have asked for more at this home. This place felt like home. Everything we might need. The house was beautiful and so comfortable. The location is great for exploring the island, minutes from all the sights. I highly recommend this home!
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

tim f.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent

Great property and communication. Could not have asked for more. 5 Stars!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

sabine c.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location, privacy and easy access

The perfect getaway with all the comforts of home in a beautiful spot of MDI. The house was sparkling clean, beds were comfy, the bathrooms were well supplied, even the towels were lovely!! We were happy to have a fully set up kitchen that allowed us to cook several meals at the house to help keep the costs down. Of course we still enjoyed the nearby bakeries and lobster pounds! Our adventures on the island were so varied, interesting and fun with always something new to try. Azalea Knoll is a comfy home base to hang out in and easy to launch a new adventure from everyday.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Nick M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay!

Karen was a great host and the house was perfect for our trip to Acadia!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Heather E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Property to explore all Acadia has to offer.

We absolutely loved this home. Everything that we could have needed was there. It felt like home. Everything was lovely with many personal touches throughout the home. Everyone had space to spread out. The kids loved the game room and playing in the outside space. The location was perfect for exploring everything MDI has to offer.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mary D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect home for our trip to Acadia National Park

This home was a perfect place for our trip to Acadia, very close to the park as well as other harbor towns. Karen is the consummate hostess, she and Colby have gone beyond to make their guests comfortable! The home was well appointed, all that you need for a comfortable stay, it was clean and well maintained. They have information pamphlets, maps and books available to study prior to visiting the park… just perfect. Thank you for help making our first trip to Maine a memorable one. We will be back….Be well Mary & Gene Donnelly
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ken K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location for family visit to Mount Desert Island

We had a great stay. Very conveniently located in the middle of the island. Plenty of room for the five of us. Would definitely love to stay again.
Stayed 13 nights in Aug 2021

About the host

Hosted by Karen Tuttle

Host profile image
We began our love affair with MDI and Acadia National Park in 1991. We were engaged on the island and our girls grew up camping and hiking here every summer. Before buying Azalea Knoll we spent our vacations experiencing almost every area of the island. Over several plus decades we have discovered so many unique -- and sometimes little know -- treasures that this place has to offer. We view ourselves as people who aren't just renting a house -- but sharing what we know of a place we love with everyone who stay here.

Why they chose this property

We looked for a long time before buying on the island. Azalea Knoll is exactly as described - a hidden gem of a place that is centrally located on the island but not in the downtown areas, which can get busy in the summer.

What makes this property unique

The outside spaces are pretty unique. There is a front porch and two different deck areas so you can utilize the outside as well as inside to spread out and relax.

Languages:

English
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