The couple, a 28-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, appeared to have fallen about 30 feet along ice-covered cliffs on Dorr Mountain, the NPS said.
According to the NPS, their bodies were recovered by rangers with help from the Mount Desert Island Search and Rescue and a helicopter from the Main Forest Service. NPS rangers and Maine State Police are investigating, with the help of the Bar Harbor Police Department.
The two hikers had arrived in Bar Harbor, Maine on Tuesday and were last heard about noon on Thursday. The woman had discussed with family members on a phone call that she was interested in climbing Cadillac Mountain, the NPS said.
The NPS said concerns about their whereabouts increased on Friday afternoon, when the couple did not check out of their hotel or return to their vehicle as scheduled. The search began Friday night after family members reported the couple were late to check-in.
The nighttime search involved a Coast Guard helicopter equipped with thermal imaging, which searched in vain for heat signatures near Dorr and Cadillac Mountains, the NPS said. Searchers on foot discovered the bodies late Saturday morning, authorities said.