Best Trails in Acadia National Park

So my 19 year-old boys did this and loved it, calling it their most challenging (more than the Mist up to Vernal Falls at Yosemite). We’re fairly novice hikers, so my wife and daughter took the back route up to the Beehive Summit to meet them. Together, we then went to the beautiful Bowl and then descended. 2 hours and ten minutes.

Several options for the loop - trailhead to right goes up a steep trail with great views of Somes Sound from several points at top, then down to a stunning rocky beach. Trailhead to left goes to the rocky beach via a flat fire road.

Wonderful experience! During the loop, take the Cadillac Cliffs trail, which merges back after a stretch, for little caves and a small scramble. Lots of interesting geology and great views. Kids loved it. Would do again.

GreTa trail. surprisingly not to busy. The views!!!

very easy. great scenery.

Really nice trail with amazing views along the ridge going towards the summit. Only downside was its proximity to the cars driving on the summit road... you could hear them much of the way up and at points the trail runs near the road. Did this as a sunrise hike because we got up too late to hike the south ridge. However, the views were still great, and we sat to watch the sunrise along the ridge to avoid the massive crowds on the summit.

Fantastic trail! The ascent up Champlain offered nice views, followed by an awesome view of the coast from the summit. On the the way down to The Bowl there were plenty of delicious wild blueberries. Once we got past The Bowl and to The Beehive, there were huge crowds of slow-moving flip-flop wearing people trying to get up the Beehive for the photo op. I ascended and got down as soon I could and found a nice spot for a swim in The Bowl to cool down. Back up Champlain and to the car was easy, although it was quite hot and there’s a lot of hiking in the sun! Overall was great.

Super easy walk. We were here about 2 hours before high tide and the tide pools had lots of fascinating things to see. Enough rocky coastline to walk down and get away from the crowds by the sandy part of the beach. Would love to bring our kids here next time.

Drove unpaved road to Gilley Field parking area and hiked up Razorback. Steep climb at times but especially fun once you got to the part with all the boulders. Heights/drop offs not too scary! Beautiful views both to the north and south. Came back down Great Notch which was pleasant and easy walk through the woods. Super quiet and peaceful trail even in peak season.

Very easy path...nice views at the end! We saw Double Crested Cormorants and a juvenile Bald Eagle in the cove!

Great hike, great views! Definitely more highly trafficked, but still great.

We hike only 5 or so times a year, max, so this was a good workout. Steep with lots of rock scrambling for the top 2/3. Lots of false peaks, as mentioned previously. View is lost when the fog rolls in, obviously. Our 2 step trackers both said this was in excess of 3 Miles, btw, so info on here may not be accurate.

Kid friendly, dog friendly, incredible views! Crowded, but not unreasonably so for a weekend, and everyone was friendly. A few spots where lifting my dog was necessary, but probably could have navigated differently.

Views! A bit crowded. Definitely plenty of kids, and we brought our dogs who navigated just fine.

Our first All Trails hike and review. This was challenging for this family of five, but no regrets. I would not recommend for anyone who is in very bad shape or with heart or severe back issues. We took 2.5 hours but I’m sure fitness hikers could do it in half that time. We parked on Route 102 and parked along the road near the small Echo Lake lot (toilet shack right there!). Trailhead lot is on east side of road. Beautiful views of Somes Sound. Even though you might be loathe to climb down to the waterside, take the well marked down and back trail just after the Man O War creek. We missed the MOW waterfall into the water, so research this so you don’t follow suit. The fire road trail back to the road was dull, but welcomingly easy.

Wonderful views that you can only find along the coast of Maine!

The main path is a mostly flat, boring gravel path alongside a road. Every 100 ft or so there are small capillary paths that lead to magnificent cliffside views, each with its own magic. It’s worth taking each diversion.

Chose this route from the summit of Cadillac mountain, after taking the Gorge path to the top. Nice route that somewhat follows the summit road. We had parked near the Gorge path entrance from the park loop road, which was about 1/2 mile walk back to our vehicle on exiting this trail.

1st significant hiking trip, previous trips had been much less elevation. Nice hike.

Great trail for boulder scrambles. There are definitely a few sections that aren’t for the faint of heart. If you fear heights, take the Orange & Black path to Champlain Ridge Trail

great trail and a good swim opportunity on the fjord side, no beach but a boulder entry.

Great trail for views and young families. Wide short trail to the water.

This hike was great! I went with my family of 6 with my husband and kids ages 12, 10, 7, and 4 months old. We hiked along the beach starting at the sand beach parking lot. We climbed on the cliffs. Then we went up the gorham mountain trail. We took the cliff path and loved it! The top of the gorham mountain is beautiful.

I always enjoy this hike! A challenge for someone afraid of heights for sure but so so rewarding. Please be wary if you are very afraid of heights or unsteady on your feet. Also make sure to wear shoes with great traction - you're going to need it. Awesome!!!

Nice walk. Easy for all ages and great for dogs!

great work out. went up north dorr mountain and down Ladder trail.

Beautiful scenery! Add on the bubbles for extra fun!

Not long but pay attention, as it is challenging with many metal rungs and hand holds

Great hike, but be sure to come early (~9:00AM) or it is a zoo. The Directions (GPS coordinates) take you to the Sand Beach P lot, from where you take the Ocean Trail (pleasant stroll) past Thunderhole (a zoo) to the Gorham trail P lot (small, no bathrooms) and trailhead. The hike up is moderately strenuous with a few mini rock climbs and ‘gorges’ that are good fun for older kids (e.g., young teens). The terrain is pretty rocky overall, we found our hiking boots and poles helpful. Great views across the top of the mountain. The descend (or climb, depending which way you come) on the other end of the mountain, closer to Bowl trail, is less steep and offers a few trail extensions or shortcuts depending on your interests and stamina. The Bowl trail end was very crowded, lots of ppl getting started, by the time we got there and finished our hike (12:00 PM).

Absolutely beautiful and so worth it. The views are AMAZING. I recommend packing a lunch and taking your time to enjoy the scenery.
Make sure you wear good shoes! Some rocks were slick.