About Us

Hello, My name is Brad Jordan, and I am the owner/operator of Maine State Kayak & E-bike!  This is my life’s dream, and I welcome you to Mount Desert Island (MDI).

Since 1990, Maine State Kayak has been delighting adventurers with specialized kayak tours in Acadia National Park and along the coastlines of MDI.

In 2024, we opened our E-bike shop at 39 Cottage Street, Bar Harbor! We are proud to offer Bar Harbor’s best e-bikes from our Cottage Street shop- right near Acadia’s Carriage roads! We are the ONLY company that can accommodate children, and proud to do so!

Our team works diligently to choose the best routes for our participants, highlighting natural, historic, and cultural wonders of the Acadia region. Our routes allow us to respectfully paddle or bike through wildlife habitat, to feel solitude on our excursions, and to focus on providing more purposeful paddling opportunities!

Core values: We are driven by six core values: Build The Team, Be Safe, Share The Passion, Respect Wildlife, Promote Youth Exploration, and Be Environmental Stewards.

Why Choose Us?

• Wildlife- We are the only outfitter paddling the Western shores of Mount Desert Island. We don’t need to fabricate false claims about wildlife, because we take you where the crowds aren’t. We can you let you decide if you think wildlife prefers the hustle and bustle of the Bar Harbor side, or if maybe they prefer the undeveloped west side! We also have one of the largest seal breeding grounds on the eastern seaboard found on our routes, no other outfitter comes close! That’s why we offer Acadia’s only WILDLIFE GUARANTEE by way of kayak! (And have never had to use it!)
• Beginner friendly- A majority of our staff, including all of it’s owners over time, started paddling in Bar Harbor. After we paddled the West side, and became friends with the local wildlife, and realized our guests were happier not struggling by  being forced to fight the winds either out or back- we transitioned to the Quiet side. We put the wind at your back, and new exciting scenery ahead! That’s unmatched.
• Closest to Nature – This is our promise to you! If you wish to paddle the quiet-side, we are the only sea kayak company regularly paddling the western shores.
• Aqua-Safari’s – The name says it all! Our guide’s are master interpreters of their environment. They work diligently while with you to interpret the routes we paddle, to share knowledge of our surroundings, and foster love for nature and all that inhabits it. There is a reason Jeff Corwin chose us when he visited Acadia.
• Commitment to the Environment – We believe we are extremely blessed to have the opportunity to operate on Acadia’s quiet-side! We strive to give back, to reduce our footprint, to engage locals and visitors in beach clean-ups and initiatives aimed at preserving this beautiful island habitat.
  We are also Maine’s highest-rated sea kayak outfitter! We thank our team for this!

Safety

• Perfect safety record
• All guide’s required to demonstrate/maintain rescue and paddle skills beyond holding guide license
• Fresh, yet experienced ownership- A fresh set of eyes goes a long ways in terms of safety, program planning, and marketing. Procedures should continuously be reviewed/improved upon. It is difficult to do so without seeing the entire operation- Brad is actively involved on every level, seeking feedback from his peers and reaching out to industry leaders- because he is aware that stagnation is risky to business. He focuses on building teams, and allows the rest to occur naturally.