An under-the-radar island once cherished by Gilded Age titans like the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers is quietly emerging as the new Nantucket.

For generations, Nantucket has epitomized the New England summer, synonymous with cedar‑shingled houses and hydrangea‑lined properties, with a reputation as a playground for billionaires.

But travelers seeking beauty without the spectacle are increasingly looking north toward a place Vogue recently described as so fiercely protected by loyalists that even writing about it can spark backlash.

Mount Desert Island, in Maine, referred to as MDI by the locals, is home to Acadia National Park, offering deep‑blue harbors, pine forests, rocky coves, world‑class hiking and long stretches of pristine coastline - all with the quaint charm of a cozy New England beach town.

While its remoteness is part of the appeal, it also presents real logistical hurdles.

The nearest major airport, Bangor, is roughly a two‑hour drive away, while the tiny Bar Harbor Airport is served mainly by short hops from Boston's Logan Airport.

Driving is the other option, but it's no quick trip: about five hours from Boston, eight from New York City and roughly five-and-a-half from Providence, traffic pending.

For descendants of Gilded Age families and modern‑day A‑listers, however, the beauty and calm of the island far outweigh the effort required to reach it.

Local realtor Mariya Doncheva told the Daily Mail the draw is simple: 'People want privacy, people want their time, and they want peace - and that's exactly what MDI gives them.'

While comparisons to Nantucket or the Hamptons are common, Doncheva emphasizes that MDI's ethos is different: the island shares their popularity and second‑home demand but lacks the overt 'trophy and celebrity‑level activity' of the more famous aforementioned destinations, Doncheva said.

Despite its low profile, Mount Desert Island has been a prestigious retreat for more than a century, with families like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts maintaining summer homes there and celebrities such as Martha Stewart now owning a 63-acre estate there. 

Stewart's property sits in Seal Harbor - an area Doncheva says is 'full of little hidden towns on this beautiful island that most people don't even know exist.'

Bar Harbor, the island's main town, has absorbed most of the visitor foot traffic as it's the gateway to Acadia.

A centerpiece of the island's hospitality scene is the Asticou Inn. The hotel's roots can be traced to the 1870s, when the Savage family began welcoming travelers to their Maine compound after nearby Bar Harbor grew overcrowded.

Nearly 150 years later, it has evolved into one of the island's most distinguished hotels - and one that, according to Doncheva, reflects MDI's understated appeal. 

'Bar Harbor can produce - and does have - some estates like this,' she said.

For travelers seeking less flash and more local flavor, the island is full of laid‑back favorites, from Abel's Lobster, known for its warm and cold Maine lobster rolls, to cozy coffee shops and no‑frills, family‑run restaurants.

For a special night out, visitors can book a water taxi to Islesford Dock, a former working pier turned fine‑dining destination that sources nearly all its ingredients from Maine, with seafood pulled straight from the surrounding waters.

Mount Desert Island's rise as a Gilded Age sanctuary was shaped largely by the Rockefeller and Vanderbilt families.

The former became the island's great conservationists. John D Rockefeller Jr donated nearly 10,000 acres that helped form the backbone of Acadia National Park and financed about 57 miles of automobile‑free carriage roads, complete with sweeping vistas and stone bridges.

Their Seal Harbor estate, the 100‑room Eyrie, featured a celebrated Chinese‑inspired garden by Beatrix Farrand.

The Vanderbilts, meanwhile, brought a quieter brand of opulence, helping establish Bar Harbor as a more refined counterpart to Newport. 

Their sprawling summer cottage, The Bayview, embodied Gilded Age grandeur, even as many family members favored MDI for its tranquility over the high‑gloss social scenes elsewhere.

The era eventually waned under the financial pressures of the Great Depression and World War II. It ended decisively with the Great Fire of 1947, which swept through Bar Harbor and destroyed many of the island's most iconic estates.

But despite the loss, the tradition of legacy ownership remains.

As Doncheva noted: 'Usually when people secure a good price there, they don't want to sell. The estates there roll into their families.'

And while demand is growing, the island's character keeps it grounded.

Doncheva says interest has stayed strong: 'In the past three years, interest has almost been the same, but inventory is tight, and prices are much higher than the average for the area.'

Mount Desert had a median home price of $1,037,500 as of December last year, according to Realtor.com.

It added that the median sale price increased 5.12 percent year-over-year, 'signaling ongoing appreciation and potential strength for sellers.'

Doncheva summed up the island's main draw very simply: 'It's not that well known - and that's exactly why people want to be here.'