Acadia National Park, as New England’s only national park, is one of the Northeast’s star attractions. Its stunning landscapes are incredibly varied, ranging from boulder-dotted beaches to bare coastal mountains to woodlands. A hugely popular way to explore these natural features, along with cycling on the typical carriages roads, is by going for hikes in Acadia National Park. Below, I’ve compiled a short list of excellent Acadia National Park hiking trails based on my own experiences and visits to this magnificent national park.
5 Recommended Acadia National Park Hiking Trails
South Ridge Trail
This 7-mile (11.3-kilometer) roundtrip hike can be considered to be strenuous. It takes hikers up to the summit of Cadillac Mountains, the highest mountain on the east coast of the United States. This is the longest hike in the entire park, ascending the south ridge of this granite mountain and offering spectacular views of Frenchman Bay and Bar Harbor, where most of the accommodations near Acadia National Park are located. This hike takes approximately four hours to complete.
Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay, seen from Cadillac MountainPrecipice Trail
The Precipice Trail is no more than 0.9 miles (1.5 kilometers) long, it is one of the most difficult Acadia National Park hiking trails. It ascends Champlain Mountain on its eastern flank, which happens to be nearly vertical. Climbing 1,000 feet (305 meters) in such a short distance makes this an incredibly strenuous, challenging hike. In fact, during much of its length, hikers have to use iron rungs, ladders and ropes to climb onto ridges and ascend rock walls. Not for the faint-hearted.
Precipice Trail on Champlain MountainGreat Head Trail
A 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) loop hike, the Great Head Trail traverses the edge of the Great Head peninsula, which lies just east of beautiful Sand Beach. This is an easy hike, running scenically along the typical rocky coastline that characterizes Acadia National Park. This makes for a wonderful hike in the morning, after which you can spend some time on the beach.
View of Sand Beach from the Great Head TrailBubbles Divide Trail
The Bubbles Divide Trail is only 1 mile (1.6 kilometer) long, but is absolutely worth it because of the spectacular views it offers. The trail provides access to both summits of Bubbles—the views take in iconic Bubble Rock, Jordan Pond and forest-covered mountains and hills.
Bubble RockJordan Pond Path
Arguably one of the easiest hikes in the national park, Jordan Pond Path loops around stunning Jordan Pond for 3.2 miles (5.1 kilometers). It runs through forests, along the pond’s shoreline and offers beautiful views of Bubbles.
Bubbles seen from the shore of Jordan PondClick here to access the Acadia National Park hiking trails map.