Seal Harbor Beach
A sandy village beach on a sheltered harbor, about a 15-minute walk from the house.
Explore Seal Harbor
A quiet harbor village on Mount Desert Island’s south shore, where the Rockefellers summered, Acadia’s carriage roads begin, and you can still walk to the beach.
The House in the Seal Harbor Woods, With the Harbor Beyond
A Storied Summer Retreat
For more than a century, Seal Harbor has welcomed families drawn to its sheltered harbor, wooded hills and the beauty of Mount Desert Island.
John D. Rockefeller Jr. first came to the island in 1908 and fell for it. Two years later, he and his wife, Abby, bought a summer home on the hill above Seal Harbor called the Eyrie. In 1913 he began building the carriage roads: 45 miles of car-free, crushed-stone roads through the park, with stone-faced bridges he paid for, each one different. He went on to give about 11,000 acres to the national park.
In 1922, Edsel Ford bought land next door. Rockefeller wrote to welcome his new neighbor, and the letter began a lifelong friendship and partnership in supporting the park. Edsel and Eleanor Ford built Skylands, named for its view from 350 feet above the sea, with grounds by the landscape architect Jens Jensen. Skylands later became Martha Stewart’s Maine home.
The Rockefeller family’s Seal Harbor land lives on in the Land & Garden Preserve, 1,400 acres of woods, gardens and carriage roads, free and open to everyone, a short walk from the house.
Seal Harbor Through the Years
From summer cottages to the carriage roads you can walk onto today.
- 1908Rockefeller first visits the island
- 1910The Rockefellers buy the Eyrie
- 1913Carriage road building begins
- 1922Edsel Ford buys land next door
- 1925Skylands is completed
- 1997Martha Stewart buys Skylands
- Today45 miles of carriage roads, 0.2 miles away
Why Stay in Seal Harbor
The Quiet Side of Acadia
A small residential village instead of a busy downtown, with quiet streets and dark skies at night.
The Park at Your Back Door
Walk or bike onto the carriage roads 0.2 miles from the house, and drive onto the Park Loop Road in about a minute.
A Real Village
A sandy beach, a working harbor, a restaurant, bike rentals and kayak tours, all a short walk away.
Bar Harbor When You Want It
Restaurants, shops, whale watches and Fourth of July fireworks are a 13-minute drive.
The Village Today
Everything here is a short walk from the house.
Bikes, Coffee and Ice Cream
Acadia Outdoor Center rents bikes and e-bikes, and serves coffee and ice cream for after the ride.
Kayak Tours
Paddling Beaches leads guided tours from Seal Harbor, from a family harbor paddle to moonlight bioluminescence trips.
Dinner in the Village
The Lighthouse Inn & Restaurant, family-run for more than 50 years, or a lobster boil at home with lobster from the Seal Harbor dock.
“Beautiful house and great location. Nice and quite neighborhood and easy drive to the park and restaurants. We recommend Abels. Would go back.”
Questions
Where is Seal Harbor?
Seal Harbor is a village in the town of Mount Desert, on the south shore of Mount Desert Island, between Northeast Harbor and Acadia’s Park Loop Road. Bar Harbor is a 13-minute drive.
Who built Acadia’s carriage roads?
John D. Rockefeller Jr., who summered in Seal Harbor from 1910. He began the carriage roads in 1913 and paid for their stone-faced bridges; 45 miles of them are in the national park today, starting 0.2 miles from the house.
Is Seal Harbor quieter than Bar Harbor?
Yes. Seal Harbor is a small residential village, so evenings are quiet, while Bar Harbor’s restaurants and shops are a 13-minute drive.
Can we walk to Seal Harbor Beach from the house?
Yes. It’s about a 15-minute walk.
Plan Your Stay
See live availability and the full price, including fees and taxes, and book online.
Questions? Call or text Jen at 207-801-8661.
More Ways to Stay
SummerBeach days, harbor paddles, popovers at Jordan Pond House and fireworks over Frenchman Bay.
FallFall color on the carriage roads and long evenings at the fire table.
WinterPlowed driveway, a warm house, and carriage roads for skiing and snowshoeing when there’s snow.- SpringWaterfalls running with snowmelt, spring birds, and the Park Loop Road by bike before it opens to cars.