Waterfront Cottage Rental on Union River Bay near Bar Harbor, Maine

This cottage rental is located in Ellsworth, Maine, where it is situated right on the shore of Union River Bay. At high tide, the cottage is only 75 feet from a private beach, which guests can access simply by walking down a short wooden staircase, obviating the need to cross roads or navigate ledges that comes with other rental properties in the area.

Here, guests can enjoy a peaceful, secluded getaway while at the same time being just 15 minutes from Acadia National Park and 30 minutes from Bar Harbor. Encompassing most of Mount Desert Island and having preserved its rugged natural splendor since 1919, Acadia National Park embraces 49,052 acres of granite mountains, coniferous forests, rocky coastlines, and pristine ponds and lakes. These environments provide habitats to an array of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, moose, beavers, porcupines, minks, foxes, and black bears, along with birds such as golden eagles, bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and a variety of owls. A range of whales can also be spotted in the coastal waters near the island, including humpback, right, minke, and finback whales.

Highlights of the park include the scenic Park Loop Road, which leads to the self-descriptive Sand Beach; the picturesque Jordan Pond, which is backdropped by the distinctively-shaped North and South Bubble Mountains; the spectacular Otter Cliff, which soars 110 feet over the sea; the magnificent Cadillac Mountain, which is one of the park's seven peaks that reach heights of more than 1,000 feet; and Sieur de Monts Spring, where guests will find the Sieur de Monts Nature Center and the Wild Gardens of Acadia. The latter is divided into a dozen sections representing all of the habitats of the park and boasting more than 400 native species of plants.

About five miles to the southwest, guests will find the Indian Point Blagden Preserve, which encompasses 110 acres of red spruce, white cedar, and balsam fir forests overlooking Western Bay. The preserve is home to white-tailed deer, porcupines, snowshoe hares, ruby-crowned kinglets, ospreys, 12 species of warblers, and six species of woodpeckers, including pileated and black-backed woodpeckers. Off the coast of the preserve, guests can also spot harbor seals sunning themselves on several offshore ledges.

In downtown Bar Harbor, guests will find a variety of boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, and tour operators, along with attractions such as the Abbe Museum and the Natural History Center. Guests will also find shopping and dining options in downtown Ellsworth, which is about 10 minutes to the north. The cottage is about 45 minutes from Bangor, Maine, where the nearest international airport is located.