Best Trails in Acadia National Park

This was a great place to start for our first trip to Acadia. We came off season, so there were no crowds. Walking instead of driving the route allowed for many photo ops and for us to enjoy every bit of the scenery. However, I would not do this trail again on another trip back to Acadia.

Lots of fun if you don’t mind climbing some steep sections with the help of iron rungs, and a couple of precarious sections along a cliff face. Great views all around.

Short trail. Crowded at sunset but worth it to catch an iconic glimpse of Acadia.

Great easy trail with a beautiful ocean beach to explore at the end.

My first hike!!! Amazing trail with breathtaking views. Wife and I had great fun.

Just did this yesterday, and over to Parkman Mountain from Bald Peak. was a great hike! some areas wet and slippery, and snow below the tree line so take it slow!

A fairly challenging climb, I thought it was more difficult than The Beehive. Lots of short vertical climbs between horizontal ledges. Once you get to the top, the view is awesome, and there are a couple ledges you can have your picture taken sitting on that makes it look like you're dangling your legs over the edge.

Misrepresented by the name. This should be called the Stairs Trail. 2 or 3 iron ladders, with a little bit of vertical climbing at the beginning, followed by 30-45 minutes plus of stairs depending on your speed and endurance. A great trail but don't expect a bunch of ladders.

Less of a hike and more of a climb. Lots of iron rungs with short horizontal ledges between. Lots of fun, but not one to do if you have a fear of heights.

the hike up was crazy, I can't say I've seen anything like it. a few moments had me pause and realize the vertical drop off the trail might be deadly but all the more excitement. the view at the top can not be beat! also the hike back is a lot easier.

Such a fun trail! Despite the short mileage, the “hard” rating is fair, as this hike is truly “nearly vertical.” Would not recommend this one on a wet or windy day. With that being said, the views are incredible, and the hike is awesome. Just did this one yesterday (4/3/18) and there was no snow or ice on the climb up, just a little snow in the woods on the way back down. Highly recommend!

Went with a large group that included kids age 6-16 and Grandparents age 71 & 76... so this hike can be done by all ages, hiking poles came in handy for the grandparents when we got to some areas of the trail, just used for balance more than anything. We had fog the day we went, so we couldn't even see across the lake the whole time we were there. We ended up going back another day just to be able to see the lake without the fog.

We did this hike with our 6 year old last October and loved it! Beautiful views and not too difficult for him. The hike back down has some fairly large rocks so I would definitely recommend hiking shoes!

This hike was SO much fun! Loved the scramble at some points.

Very easy relaxing trail. It's pretty all the way around. Loved it.

Loved this trail. Mostly pretty easy with just a bit if challenge at the beginning. The ocean views at the top are gorgeous. Was a great hike and one if my favs.

Super easy trail, probably perfect for trail running. Amazing views. Doable for any skill level.

Great trail with fantastic views. We did this one in the winter, and it was a lot of fun. Our pup loved it, too. We didn’t use spikes at all. Enjoy!

If you are looking for impressive views or good exercise, Acadia has dozens of hikes that are better. If you have limited mobility and do not mind being surrounded by huge crowds, the walk is enjoyable, but to be clear, you can get the same views from so many other hikes in this gorgeous park.

A good, but not great, hike. Good workout, but the overall views are better on other hikes like Bubble Rock or Pemetic Mountain or Beehive. An enjoyable day, but if you only have a couple days days in Acadia, I would recommend Beehive and the other hikes, and just drive up to the top of Cadillac for the view.

One of my very favorite trails on mdi. This is not an easy trail especially if you are scared of heights. But let me tell you the views are worth every step.

It is not advised to hike down this trail, only up because of the iron rungs , then you can go down around the bowl, even connect to the beehive if your feeling real froggy and walk the mile back to your car on the tar or catch the bus back to the parking area.

One of my favorite hikes in Acadia. If hiking in the busy summer season I encourage you to go early in the day to avoid the crowds. If you are afraid of heights your going to want to take your time and not feel rushed. The views of sand beach are spectacular.

Great hike, but start before 8 or go on a weekday if you start from the north as the parking lot can fill quickly. We combined this with a hike down to Jordan Pond, around the pond and up to Bubble Rock. You more than double the distance and increase the altitude gain by an extra 1000 feet. Did the loop clockwise, which was good for photos as the sun stayed to our backs. The lodge at Jordan Pond is great for popovers halfway through for a break so bring a wallet.

Great hike and had a beautiful day to do it. The hike is very flat then up to the top requires some moderate scramble. I gave this a five but would have rated it only as moderate or a "4 star" had I not combined it with a hike up and over Pemetic Mountain. It doubles the miles and height. I did it clockwise meaning the sun was to my back as I climbed up Bubble Rock, which made the pictures back to the ocean less ideal by midday. If you start in the north you can make the Jordan Lake House a midway point which is a great place to get popovers and then continue.

We took this down after ascending on Precipice Trail. Nice mellow hike compared to Precipice! (August)

Amazing views and worth it. Metal bars as holds in the steeper traverses and a well marked path guiding you to the summit are very helpful.

Fun hike - includes a lot of steep climbs using metal bars fixed in the rocks. About 30 minutes each way

I highly recommend doing this trail it has amazing views and is by far worth it.

Great off leash place for your dog! Beautiful views, and great trails!

Went on this trail a few years ago.
Had a great time and can't wait to do it again :)