Having never visited Maine before, I began looking for pet friendly places near Bar Harbor and Acadia and The Lyons Den popped up in my search. What a fabulous find! The house is situated on a beautiful piece of land with great water views combined with a lovely garden landscape. Plus the views could be enjoyed from nearly every room in the house. My dog and I loved the trails through the woods leading us down to the ocean and Thurston’s lobster pound. While this property is a solid 30 minute drive to Acadia and nearly 20 minutes to town, I am so glad we got to experience the “Quiet Side”. Sitting on the porch with a fire in the fireplace watching the stars made for a perfect night. The house had everything we needed. One consideration for renters is due to the remoteness of the house, meals may require some planning. This should in no way deter anyone from selecting this house for a vacation spot. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay!

The contrast between this location, and the frantic, tourist laden Bar Harbor side of the island could not be more dramatic. The quiet, beautiful gardens and the breezes afforded by the many screened windows suited our familiy perfectly.

The contrast between this location, and the frantic, tourist laden Bar Harbor side of the island could not be more dramatic. The quiet, beautiful gardens and the breezes afforded by the many screened windows suited our familiy perfectly.

Our stay at Lyons Den was perfect. The house is beautiful, clean, well stocked with everything we needed. The area is so peaceful and beautiful. We enjoyed walking to the nearby beach and to Thurston's Lobsters, both very close. The walk through the woods is fairytale like with all the mosses and pine trees! I couldn't believe how beautiful the gardens around the house are. Everything is so well maintained. The house is very secluded. Once you pull in the driveway you are in your own little world, not a house in sight. The floor to ceiling windows let you enjoy beautiful views no matter which way you look.

Our stay at Lyons Den was perfect. The house is beautiful, clean, well stocked with everything we needed. The area is so peaceful and beautiful. We enjoyed walking to the nearby beach and to Thurston's Lobsters, both very close. The walk through the woods is fairytale like with all the mosses and pine trees! I couldn't believe how beautiful the gardens around the house are. Everything is so well maintained. The house is very secluded. Once you pull in the driveway you are in your own little world, not a house in sight. The floor to ceiling windows let you enjoy beautiful views no matter which way you look.

We loved staying on the quiet side of the island. The house was everything we needed - with an especially beautiful view. Would stay again!

We keep coming back here for good reason, great house, great property, great location.... Looking forward to our next trip.

Out of all the properties we have rented at, this has been by far been our favorite. The house overloooks the water and has 2 different routes to a stone beach both only taking about 5 minutes. We were able to completely relax at this location being completely immersed in nature by both the surroundings and the beautiful landscaping. Boasting 2 amazing decks, it was quite nice to sit out and relax smelling the breeze off the water filled with sea roses. Taking a warm shower in the outside shower was such a treat. Our dogs loved the house and location as well- there were just a few stairs which was helpful for our older dogs and they loved laying on the cool deck from the breezes coming off of the water. Would rent again in a heart beat. All the amenities we could need were provided. A true gem set by the water surrounded by a peaceful fragrant evergreen forest.

Marty is the ultimate host.

Beautiful, serene location. Quiet neighborhood easily accessible to Acadia and all that it offers. Had an incredible week hiking, biking the carriage trails and kayaking. Thurstons Lobster pound was a hit (especially the whoppie pies and blueberry ice cream) and we thoroughly enjoyed breakfasts in SWH! Thank you for sharing your beautiful retreat!

We had a fabulous time at Lyons' Den in Bass Harbor. The property is beautiful (the pictures online do not do it justice). The view is breathless and the grounds/gardens are well maintained with native plants and flowers. The home and kitchen are very well appointed. You will not need to bring a thing!! Marty was available to answer all are questions throughout the booking process, weeks leading up to our vacation and he even stopped by to see if we needed anything! Awesome experience to work with someone who was so kind and helpful. Wish we could give this home more than 5 stars!! Hope to come back soon!

Marty is the ultimate host.

Beautiful views, beautiful houses in beautiful Acadia.

This is a beautiful place to stay - the view from every window in the house is fantastic! The property is well maintained and manicured. The photos do not do this justice. We were impressed as soon as we pulled into the driveway! The woodland surroundings make this very private, but still there's views of the ocean. The house was exactly what we needed, and lacked nothing. We are already planning our next stay this fall!

Fantastic deck and views out every window, and the house is well-stocked. The gardens on the property were lovely, and we loved the quiet sound of the waves as we went to sleep each night.

Absolutely beautiful, secluded home with gorgeous views of either Blue Hill Bay or the surrounding gardens from every window. The kitchen is well-stocked, beds are extremely comfortable, and Marty (the owner) was a joy to work with. Everything that the area has to offer is within walking distance - the library, post office, Bass Harbor, Thurston's Lobster Pound, and Back Beach are all minutes away. The quiet side was definitely the right side for our family. We can't wait to return next year!

We stayed for one week in early May 2017. Cut into a thick pine forest, this quiet, secluded house was very comfortable and wonderfully equipped with everything we needed. The family room had big windows that offered picturesque views of the incoming and outgoing ocean tides. The freshwater marsh in front added interest and attracted a diverse variety of wildlife The same view could be experienced from the spacious and very nicely done master bedroom or outside from the large deck which was appointed with six cushioned chairs, table, gas grill and outdoor fireplace. Pine trees and other native plants blended perfectly with the beautifully landscaped grounds. Our contact, Marty, was the most pleasant man and just a pleasure to work with. He was very responsive to emails, and offered helpful suggestions for experiencing the island. Marty was personally attentive to all the details and was genuinely interested in making sure we enjoyed our stay. This is a great place to stay. We had a marvelous time and would love to return some day.

Perfect Maine experience! Beautiful home with awe inspiring views! Marty was a fantastic host and he must be a master gardener! Staying on the quiet side was great! Acadia and of course all the yummy seafood made for a memorable vacations!

What an amazing house and location! It had all I was looking for... views, comfortable furniture, outdoor fireplace, well stocked kitchen,quality bed linens and towels. Being on the "quiet side" was the right side for us. The house was even better than I expected. Quintessential Maine.

My husband and I have just returned from a week's stay at the Lyon's Den. The views of Blue Hill Bay from the house were captivating. The house was clean, roomy and tastefully decorated. The bed was comfortable. and the kitchen was well-equipped. The landscaping surrounding the house was beautiful and added to the serenity of the property. The house was easy to find. Both Thurston's and the beach were within easy walking distance. Although Bar Harbor was about a 30-minute drive, we enjoyed being on the quiet side of the island. All the restaurants we tried were good, but we especially enjoyed the bacon-wrapped scallops at Fish House Grill in Bar Harbor. We would highly recommend this property and would stay there again.

We loved our stay at the Lyon's Den. The house is beautifully laid out to maximize water views and furnished with everything you could need, including a fully equipped kitchen and grill just outside the kitchen door. We made use of the outdoor fireplace nearly every night of our stay and found it perfectly situated for viewing the ocean during daylight and the stars at night. The neighborhood is quiet and we enjoyed walking around and exploring the beach. The southwest harbor area has a few specialty food stores and some good restaurants - definitely on the quiet side compared to Bar Harbor, which we felt was a positive! We took full advantage of fresh lobster - Thurston's was closed for the season during our visit but there were several options for obtaining fresh local seafood closer to the mainland. October is a beautiful time to see Maine - the fall colors were amazing, temperatures very comfortable, and Acadia did not disappoint. Great vacation - highly recommend this house & working with Marty was an absolute pleasure!

This was our first time to Maine. When we were researching places to stay, we wanted a "quintessential Maine experience." Well, the Lyon's Den was just that!! We were so glad that we decided to stay on the Quiet Side of MDI - it was so quaint, beautiful and, yes, QUIET. The views from the house were gorgeous - water, boats, trees, flowers, rock beaches. There are plenty of great little eateries close by in SW Harbor, Bass Harbor and, of course, THURSTON'S!! The house itself was just perfect - we had everything we needed and it was a very comfortable and well-appointed home base for all of our daily activities (which involved a lot of lobster!!). The living room was comfy and inviting with great views (and a great couch on which to watch Red Sox games!). Both bedrooms were comfortable and roomy with great linens. The bathroom was gigantic and the towels were so soft and fluffy. The kitchen has pretty much any kind of gadget, utensil, cookware, etc. that you might need for your stay. We were so excited about the outdoor fireplace, too, but alas, we never got to use it......but a great perk for chilly summer nights! We hit the jackpot on this one and enjoyed every minute of our stay. Thank you, Marty, for sharing your wonderful home with us AND our dogs (who enjoyed their stay as well).

Beautiful house with breathtaking views from the windows and the back porch. Bought lobster, clams and mussels from the local lobster pound everyday for dinner. the kitchen is beautiful and has everything you could possibly need to cook meals. We ate breakfast and dinner everyday in the house. The owner was very hospitable and accommodating. We walked around the back and my boyfriend went fishing while I collected seashells. He actually caught a fish and we had it for dinner! Great way to end our first vacation in Maine and it couldn't have been more perfect.

You always wonder if the pictures will match up with the actual property, right? The price just seems too good to be true. I can tell you that this property was a delight. The pictures really do not show you the beauty of the property. Everything was clean, well maintained and fully equiped. There are floor to ceiling windows that let the light flow in, even on a foggy day. There are two bedrooms, each about the same size, with the bathroom more or less in between them. There is a great deck that sits in the middle of the house that you can see from either the living room or the the back bedroom. We bought plenty of "camp wood" to use in the outdoor fireplace, which was so relaxing after a long day. I hate to admit this but I am pretty picky. I have been known to call and request that a property be recleaned or at least cleaned before I unpack. On a trip my husband does not upack until I've checked the room and bathroom. I just really feel you should get what you think you are paying for. I had no such issues with this house, even the furniture is comfy and clean. It feels like you are visiting friends and they just left you the keys to their house. It takes you just a couple of minutes to walk to the ocean if your so inclined but I bet you'll just sit on the deck and watch the boats go by. We had a couple of foggy days and could hear the fog horns but not see the boats so when it cleared it was amazing to see the Ferry turning past the point. The location of the house REALLY is on the quite side of the island which we really enjoyed but the drive to Bar Harbor is 15 to 20 minutes and only because of the speed limit and narrow roads. There are plenty of places to eat or shop if your so inclinded, within a 5 minute drive of the house, including Bass Harbor which has a grocery store and a very nice specialty market. The owner Marty even contacted us to make sure everything was as expected and that we didn't need anything, which I thought was considerate. I could tell you a lot more but your just going to have to experience it yourself. I only have one negative thing to say and that is, we just did not have enough time to enjoy the house to its fulliest because we were always out exploring Acadia National Park. I would love to come back and just stay at the house. Hopefully we will be able to do that in the near future.

We loved the Lyon's Den. It was exactly as described and a GREAT place to relax after exploring Acadia and surrounding areas.The home is beautiful, Beds are comfy, View is breath taking. Thank You!

The Lyons Den was beautiful! It was everything we could have hoped for and more. Amazing views from the house and lots of privacy. We brought our children (ages 14, 12, and 9) and they really enjoyed walking to back beach and catching snails in the yard. The house is equipped with everything you need, and it was so much fun to walk to Thurstons Lobster Pound and pick up live lobsters to cook at the house. The owner Marty was extremely helpful and even stopped in once to make sure we didn't need anything else! Our stay was so relaxing that my husband is sold on the idea of retiring to "the quiet side" of Mount Desert Island!