Published in 1909 from survey work completed in 1904, the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Bar Harbor” captures Mount Desert Island and its surrounding Maine coast at a pivotal moment. Drawn at the detailed 1:62,500 scale, it presents the resort town of Bar Harbor before the formal creation of Acadia National Park, when the island’s granite heights, sheltered harbors, and island-dotted approaches were already attracting artists, naturalists, and summer visitors. The map’s disciplined topographic language—contour lines, hydrographic detail, roads, settlements, and coastal forms—reveals both a working landscape and a place on the verge of national recognition. It is a scientific document, but also a portrait of one of New England’s most celebrated shorelines.

The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the clarity and precision that made its early twentieth-century quadrangles indispensable. Founded in 1879, the USGS sought to create a systematic geographic understanding of the United States, and its maps became essential tools for engineers, conservationists, planners, and travelers. Here, the agency’s cartographic style gives the rugged landscape an elegant legibility: contours model the steep rise of Mount Desert Island, water features are crisply differentiated, and settlement names sit within a carefully ordered coastal world. Rather than decorative flourish, the beauty lies in accuracy—the measured sweep of shorelines, the rhythmic spacing of elevations, and the confidence of a survey that translates wilderness, village, and sea into a coherent visual system.

Mount Desert Island dominates the sheet, its dramatic terrain expressed through closely drawn contour lines that climb toward Cadillac Mountain, one of the defining summits of the Atlantic coast. Jordan Pond, Somes Sound, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Somesville, and Bar Harbor appear within a landscape shaped by glacial geology and maritime access. Somes Sound, often described as a fjard-like inlet, cuts deeply into the island, while the surrounding highlands show why this region inspired early conservation efforts. The map conveys the island’s rare combination of mountain and sea: ridges dropping toward coves, ponds nestled among hills, and roads threading through villages that would later become gateways to one of America’s most beloved national parks.

Beyond Mount Desert Island, the map opens onto the intricate archipelago and peninsulas of coastal Maine. The Cranberry Isles, including Little Cranberry Island and Great Cranberry Island, lie to the south, while Baker Island, Bald Porcupine Island, Turtle Island, and Egg Rock Light punctuate the surrounding waters. To the east, the Schoodic Peninsula and Winter Harbor suggest the broader maritime geography of Frenchman Bay and its approaches. Farther out, Swan’s Island and Isle au Haut hint at the extended island world beyond the immediate Bar Harbor coast. These names evoke fishing communities, lighthouse routes, sheltered anchorages, and the nautical complexity that made accurate coastal mapping so vital in the era before modern navigation systems.

Historically, this map is especially compelling because it records the Bar Harbor region just before large-scale preservation reshaped its identity. In 1904, the grand hotels, summer cottages, and carriage roads of Mount Desert Island were part of an evolving resort landscape, while philanthropic conservation was beginning to protect the island’s mountains, ponds, and shorelines. The future Acadia would emerge from these efforts, first as Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916, then Lafayette National Park in 1919, and later Acadia National Park. Seen in that light, the map becomes more than a topographical survey: it is a snapshot of transition, preserving the relationship between village, wilderness, and coastline at the dawn of modern American conservation.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Bar Harbor
• Mount Desert Island
• Winter Harbor
• Swan's Island
• Cranberry Isles, including Little Cranberry Island
• Great Cranberry Island
• Northeast Harbor
• Somes Sound
• Schoodic Peninsula
• Bald Porcupine Island
• Egg Rock Light
• Baker Island
• Isle au Haut
• Jordan Pond
• Seal Harbor
• Cadillac Mountain
• Turtle Island
• Little Harbour
• Somesville

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, this historical topographical map shows Bar Harbor, Maine, and the surrounding coastal area.
• Created in 1904 and published with a 1909 imprint.
• Drawn at a scale of 1:62,500.
• Shows Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, surrounding smaller islands, and coastal features of Maine.
• Bar Harbor was a popular resort location, known for its natural beauty and access to the area that would become associated with Acadia National Park.
• Features a clear representation of topographical elements, including elevation changes and water features.
• Uses contour lines to show the rugged terrain of Mount Desert Island and the intricate coastline of coastal Maine.
• Reflects early 20th-century development and geographic understanding of the region, before major tourism growth and park establishment.
• Offers insight into changes in land use, conservation, and urban development in Bar Harbor and the surrounding area over time.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.