Acadia National Park Part II – 5 Easy (And Crazy Scenic) Hikes

October 2, 2017 by libertatemamo 14 Comments

We did a lot of hiking while we were in Acadia!

With 150 miles or so of trails to chose from we had a plethora of choice. And with a full range of levels from super easy to hair-rising (there’s a few trails where you have to climb ladders straight up rock faces!) there was literally something for every mood. Feeling lazy? Take a flat stroll by the water. Feeling crazy? Go straight up the rock face.

Given we were with family and wanted to bring the dog along everywhere we went we stuck exclusively with the shorter, easier options. But that doesn’t mean we chose boring hikes! Our goal was short (2-4 mile) trails with as much scenic bang-for-the-buck as we could get. We didn’t want to walk too far, but we wanted masses of natural beauty and darn it, we wanted to be impressed!

Not too much to ask right?

Most of in-land Acadia is heavily forested, but thanks to expansive sections of coast and several pretty impressive mountains it can totally deliver on those requirements. So, we went exploring, and we found some real gems.

For the sake of your reading sanity (and mine) I narrowed down our month of exploration to our TOP 5 absolute favorite easy hikes. Basically the places where we encountered the biggest “wow” factors for minimal effort. Plus I included two extra bonus hikes which are perhaps not quite as scenic, but unique and interesting in their own respect.

I’ll detail how we found them (including our fav resources for researching hikes), plus I’ll take you through the hikes themselves. Hopefully you’ll find this useful if you end up here yourselves.

Oh and ALL of the hikes we did were 100% dog-friendly, so definitely feel free to bring pooch along for your walks!

Hiking Resources

One of the great things about Acadia National Park is there are a TON of really good hiking resources.

The National Park itself has a very nice interactive hiking map that shows you literally every trail in the area. Plus they separate the hikes into levels from easy to hard. They also sell a very detailed hiking map (at the Visitors Center) which is a good for both planning & back-up while you’re out on the trail.

In addition there are several excellent websites that do a wonderful job of breaking down the various trails in the area. Our two fav resources were Joe’s Guide and Acadia Magic. Both have lots of details on the best hikes and where to find them. We used these guides quite a bit.

For those that prefer searching for trails via phone/pad apps there is ONE app to rule them all! AllTrails is my go-to resource for almost everywhere we go and I just love the details! The maps are interactive, and each trail is rated (easy, moderate, hard) and has detailed contour maps, pics, routes and even elevation tracks (which is something I particularly value). We pay for a Pro membership ($29.99/year) so that we can download and follow trail maps even when we don’t have any cellphone signal*. Did I mention how much I love it?

And lastly of course there are other bloggers! Our blogger friends Directions Of Our Dreams spent literally all summer hiking Acadia (I think they must have done just about every trail?) and detailed them in their blog. It’s an enormous resource. Plus Bill & Nancy commented in my last post that they hiked ALL 30 peaks in the park earlier this summer (wow!), and blogged about each of their outings. Another amazing resource!

* NOTE/ We found cell signal to be touch and go in the park. Some places were fine (especially near the towns), but some of the forest and more remote trails had no signal at all. So, definitely bring some kind of back-up (either downloaded map or paper map) when you hike here. 

Hike #1 -> Ocean Path Trail (2 miles each way, “popular” side)

This is maybe the single most popular trail in the park, but it has a good reason for being so!

It’s an easy ~2 mile out and back trail that follows the most spectacular part of the 27-mile Park Loop Road on the Eastern (“popular”) side of the Island. It runs right alongside the park road so it’s got traffic, and it’s easily accessible and well-known, so it’s got crowds. Plus all the bus tours stop here (= more crowds). But as far as scenic bang for the buck it’s HUGE!

Want to see cliffs? Watch the tides roll? Hear the waves crash in Thunder Hole? Photograph Boulder Beach? Enjoy open panoramas? Pose on the rocks? You’ll get it ALL here! There is practically not a step along this trail that doesn’t have some kind of natural eye candy, and since much of Acadia is heavily forested that’s a pretty special thing.

Seriously, if you only had a single day and could only do a single hike in Acadia THIS is the one I’d recommend.

We did the trail several times while we were here both with my father, Paul’s dad & stepmom, and Polly, and we enjoyed it every single time. The trail officially starts at Sand Beach and ends at Otter Point, but there are several parking lots along the trail length so if you don’t want to do it all, you can just park a little further down and do part of it. Plus it’s out and back so just do as much or as little as you’d like.

It’s a truly beautiful trail that’s not to be missed.

Pro tip? GO EARLY!! When I went with my dad we got on the trail at 8AM and literally had it to ourselves most of the way. By 10AM it was starting to build up and by 11AM it was crowded. Also remember that the Park Loop Road is one-way (clockwise) on this side of MDI so if you accidentally drive past Otter Point (the official end of the trail) you won’t be able to back-track in your car to get to it.

Directions & Trail Details: Click HERE

Hike #2 -> Cadillac Mountain Summit Trail (0.4 mile loop, “popular” side)

This is a super short, super scenic (and super popular) trail on the top of the biggest mountain in Acadia, and since it’s located at the end of the Park Loop Road it’s a fine hike to tag onto #1 and end your sightseeing day with.

Simply take the twisty, steep road up to the top of 1,530 ft Cadillac Mountain, park in the lot and then find the short 0.4 mile paved summit trail that goes around the top. It’s super easy, can be done by anyone (it’s wheelchair accessible too) and offers stunning views in LITERALLY all directions.

It’s great on its own, but if you want to extend the hike and do something more strenuous there are tons of side-trails that go all over the mountain here (you could literally hike for days just around Cadillac Mountain). Also because of the wide-open 360-degree views (literally the only place in Acadia you get this expansive a view) lots of folks come here for sunset and sunrise photography too.

Pro tip? Cadillac Mountain is a popular spot and there is often a backed-up queue of cars waiting to park at the summit lot, so look for open sites on the opposite side of the road right as you near the very top (few hundred feet from the summit). If you’re able to grab one of these you’ll avoid the summit queues completely.

Directions & Trail Details: Click HERE

 Hike #3 -> Ship Harbor Trail (1.4 mile loop, “quiet” side)

You’ll have to go to the very tip of the “quiet” side of Acadia for this one,  but believe me when I say it’s worth it.

This is a fairly short 1.4 mile loop trail that starts in deep forest and then follows some spectacular coastline before going back through the woods. It’s got a few slightly steeper and uneven rocky bits (especially around the coastal section), but it is pretty much do-able for all levels. And since it’s on the quieter side of MDI you’re not likely to meet many people!

We brought Polly along for this hike and she absolutely loved it! For a short walk it has HUGE scenic bang-for-the-buck and so many great coastal photo ops (the cliff pic of Paul and Polly in my last post was taken here). Such a stunning and pleasant hike!

Pro Tip? This is very close to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, so definitely go see that before (or after) you do the hike. I’ll be posting pics of the lighthouse (and possibly a few others tee hee) in my next post.

Directions & Trail Details: Click HERE

Hike #4 -> Wonderland Trail (1.6 mile loop, “quiet” side)

This is just a hop and a skip down from Ship Harbor Trail (literally just down the road) on the “quiet” side of Acadia and it’s a very similar hike with a very similar feel.

Wonderland Trail is an easy 1.6 mile walk through a thick evergreen forest out to a beautiful coastline with panoramic water views. So you’ll get woods, coast and water all-in-one (big scenic bang-for-the-buck). This trail is flatter than Ship Harbor so if you’re worried about uneven ground, chose this one instead. Of course if you’re feeling energetic you can easily do this one right after hike #3 too!. Again we bought Polly along for this one and she loved it.

Pro Tip? On the way back from this hike, make sure to stop at super cute Milagro Coffee Shop in Southwest Harbor for a superb cuppa joe and some outstanding bakery items (They have both regular and TONS of Gluten-Free options here!). They have an outdoor dog-friendly sitting area too.

Directions & Trail Details: Click HERE

Hike #5 -> Beech Mountain Loop Trail (1.2 mile loop, “quiet” side)

So this isn’t exactly an easy hike. In fact I’ll call it the higher side of moderate with some rock scrambling and steeper sections, (especially on one side), but it’s the “easiest” scenic bang-for-the-buck mountain hike we did in Acadia, so I just HAD to include it. Plus there is an option to do an easy hike* in this same area, if you so chose.

Again, this is on the “quiet” side of Acadia, so you shouldn’t find it very crowded. The loop around Beech Mountain is steep, but fairly short and ends at a fire tower with simply spectacular views all around. The parking lot is located at a dead end with trails all around so you can chose to do just the loop or tag on other trails for a longer hike. This particular hike was a little much for Polly (specifically the rocky side), but it’s do-able for energetic dogs (and kids). Gorgeous mountain hike on a good day!

Pro Tip? If you’re doing the full loop, definitely hike the trail in a clockwise direction. That way you’ll tackle the steepest/rockiest section of the trail going up (rather than going down). If you want to avoid scrambling on rocks altogether then simply hike the trail out-and-back starting in a counter-clockwise direction. It’s a slightly longer walk to get to the top this way, but the trail is WAY more gradual on that side.

*Easy Option? If you’re not enthused by the idea of a steep hike, Beech Cliff Trail is right next to Beech Mountain Loop (literally right across the way from the parking lot) and rates as an easy hike with very good views.

Directions & Trail Details: Click HERE

Bonus Hike 1 -> Jessup Trail (2.2 miles each way, “popular” side)

This is a total forest hike (so no panoramic “wow” type views here), but it has one of the prettiest boardwalks we’ve ever seen and it’s got such a special and intimate forest feel that it’s really quite unique.

It’s a super easy, completely flat out-and-back hike with the possibility to tag on longer side-trails (up the mountain) if you so wish. It’s accessible for all levels (including wheelchair access) and it’s just a lovely, peaceful stroll through the woods with lots of green, birds and shade. Great as a cool walk in summer or for those grey days when the coast and mountains are fogged in. Plus in fall I expect it just explodes with colors!

Pro tip? You can make a loop of this hike by going via the the Carriage Road which runs more or less parallel to Jessup on the way back. Extra bonus is that no-one walks this way (everyone takes the boardwalk), so you’ll have it all to yourself.

Directions & Trail Details: Click HERE

Bonus Hike/Bike 2 -> Eagle Lake Carriage Trail (6.1 mile loop, “popular” side)

Once again this is a mostly forested trail (so no panoramic “wow” cliff-type views), but it is just so pleasant that it’s well worth considering if you have extra time in the area. Plus it makes use of the historic and fascinating Carriage Trails!

The Carriage Trails (PDF map HERE) were financed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr between 1913 and 1940 and offer 57 miles of wide, flat, graded roads for the use of hikers, bikers, horse riders, and horse-drawn carriages. They’re all located on the “popular” side of Acadia and you can actually still take a horse-drawn carriage on them today (looks like a ton of fun). You can also hike them of course (they’re accessible for anyone, including wheelchairs), but for those that prefer to see a bit more I think by far the most interesting option it to bike them!

For our outing we chose the loop trail around Eagle Lake and (as usual) got there early so that we didn’t have to fight for parking. Then we simply biked the carriage road (wide and super easy for any level of biker) around the lake. There is one bigger hill on the western side of the lake that gets your heart-rate up, but otherwise the trail is mostly flat and easy. Lots of pleasant tree views with a few scenic overlooks of the lake on the north side. Such a pleasant little ride and we truly enjoyed it!

Pro tips? If you are biking the entire loop I recommend doing the ride counter-clockwise. The slope up the hill on the western side of the lake is much more gradual (WAY easier to bike) if you take it in that direction. On the other hand if you just want to do a short out-and-back hike (not the whole trail), then I recommend starting clockwise down the eastern side of the lake since that’s where most of the prettiest/open lake views are.

Directions & Trail Details: Click HERE.

Phew! That’s the lot. There are plenty of trails we missed (of course) and plenty of other scenic trails I didn’t mention, but these particular lot were our favs of the month. Maybe next time we’ll try some of the harder trails? Or maybe not. When you get this much scenery for this little effort it’s hard to want to do anything else 🙂

Useful External Links:

• Acadia National Park Hiking Trails -> Official website HERE
• Acadia Carriage Trails -> Download PDF map HERE
• Acadia Hiking Guides -> Great guide HERE (Joe’s Guide) and HERE (Acadia Magic)