Amazing ocean views of Frenchman Bay, minutes from Acadia and Bar Harbor

My parents started vacationing in Maine over 50 years ago. Back then, we’d drive up from New Jersey and spend two weeks here each summer. I have fond memories of deep-sea fishing, hiking, sightseeing, and all the classic tourist activities, but my favorite was skipping rocks into the sea—quite a challenge with the waves, wind, and seaweed!
In 1973, the property went up for sale and my dad immediately bought it. We began staying for a month at a time in the cottage, which wasn’t much larger than the cabins back then. One summer, we even brought all seven of our cats and a raccoon I was fostering! For more than 40 years, our family has been renting out the two cabins, and until 2019, my mom spent her summers here taking care of the cabins and our guests.

I grew up exploring Mount Desert Island during our summers—especially by bike. Over the years, I discovered the carriage roads and spent countless days riding through Acadia. Many days I’d ride from Baycliff to the park using quiet back roads, enter at Eagle Lake, ride most of the carriage road network, then exit near the visitor center and take a different set of back roads home. These were often “epic” three-hour (or longer) rides.

Even today, my favorite days are still spent on a great hike that leaves me wanting a beer and a burrito and needing a nap. Sharing this special place with guests and helping them enjoy Acadia the way my family always has is why I love being a host.

My parents first started vacationing at Baycliff over 50 years ago, driving up from New Jersey and spending two weeks here each summer. In 1973, this property came up for sale, and they were immediately swept away by its beauty—especially the incredible views and sunrises—and bought it without hesitation.

Baycliff is located on a very quiet side street on the north end of Mount Desert Island, offering a peaceful, rural setting away from traffic and crowds, yet just minutes from Acadia National Park and everything you may need. What makes this place so special is that it’s all about experiencing nature from the comfort of a beautiful home. A wall of windows across the front of the house gives you a front-row seat to Frenchman Bay as it changes throughout the day—brilliant sunrises and sunsets, clouds racing across a blue sky, or the dramatic approach of a coastal storm. It’s a landscape that is always changing and never gets old.

The shoreline below changes with the tides as well, revealing boulders and seaweed at low tide and creating what feels like a quiet, ocean-side meditation garden. There’s a balcony on the house and a deck right on the cliff with a picnic bench, perfect for soaking it all in.

Acadia National Park Headquarters is just 2.5 miles away, and Bar Harbor is only five miles away—close to everything, yet wonderfully peaceful.

What truly makes Baycliff unique is the feeling of being completely immersed in nature—both in the sweeping scenery and in the small, delightful details.

Perched high on a cliff overlooking Frenchman Bay, the house offers ever-changing views of the ocean, sky, sunrises, and passing storms through a wall of windows. The shoreline below changes with the tides, and between the balcony and the cliffside deck with a picnic bench, there’s always a perfect place to sit and take it all in. It’s peaceful, private, and feels wonderfully removed from the world—yet you’re only minutes from Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor.

And then there are the chipmunks.

We have just one request: please feed them! We supply the sunflower seeds, and with a little patience, some will even eat right out of your hand. Over the years, several have become part of the Baycliff family. You’ll likely meet Hoover, Dyson, and Eureka—our speedy little seed vacuums—and maybe even Messy Marvin, the quirky fox squirrel who earns his name from the impressive pile of husks he leaves behind. You may even witness a few “chipmunk wars” as they race each other to the food. We even provide a tiny chipmunk-sized picnic table for their meals.

Between the breathtaking setting and these charming daily visitors, Baycliff offers a kind of experience you simply won’t find anywhere else.