Acadia packs over 150 miles of hiking trails onto Mount Desert Island and the nearby coast. You can climb iron rungs up a cliff before lunch and stroll a flat lakeside path afterward without moving your car. These 12 trails cover the full range of Acadia National Park, from cliff climbs to easy shoreline walks. Several also appear in our statewide list of the best hikes in Maine, which reaches Katahdin and the western mountains.
Best Acadia hikes
Precipice to Jordan Pond Path
- Biggest thrill
- Precipice Trail, iron rungs and ladders on a 3.2-mile loop
- Best ridge walk
- Cadillac South Ridge, 7.1 miles round trip
- Best for families
- Jordan Pond Path, a flat 3.3-mile loop
- Permits
- Park pass only, $35 per vehicle for 7 days
Shopping for a Maine hiker? See our gifts from Maine guide.
Quick picks: Best adrenaline rush: Precipice | Best short scramble: Beehive | Best ridge walk: Cadillac South Ridge | Best sunset: Acadia Mountain | Most underrated: Pemetic | Best for families: Jordan Pond Path
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Elev. Gain | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precipice Trail | 3.2 mi loop | Strenuous | 1,000 ft | Thrill seekers |
| Beehive Trail | 1.4 mi RT | Strenuous | 450 ft | Short scramble |
| Cadillac South Ridge | 7.1 mi RT | Moderate | 1,350 ft | Ridge walking |
| Acadia Mountain | 2.8 mi loop | Moderate | 700 ft | Sunset views |
| Pemetic Mountain | 4 mi loop | Mod-Strenuous | 1,150 ft | Solitude + views |
| Gorham Mountain | 3.5 mi loop | Moderate | 525 ft | Sea caves |
| Champlain North Ridge | 2.2 mi RT | Mod-Strenuous | 1,000 ft | Bay views |
| Dorr Mountain | 3.6 mi RT | Mod-Strenuous | 1,270 ft | Avoiding crowds |
| Jordan Pond Path | 3.3 mi loop | Easy | Minimal | Families |
| Ocean Path | 4.4 mi OB | Easy | Minimal | Coastal scenery |
| Bubble Rock Trail | 1.0 mi RT | Easy-Mod | 300 ft | Quick summit |
| Great Head Trail | 1.9 mi loop | Easy-Mod | 200 ft | Often overlooked |
Most of the 12 cluster on the east side of Mount Desert Island, around Sand Beach, Cadillac and Jordan Pond. Champlain North Ridge shares a mountain with Precipice. Tap a pin for its photo and page.
1. Precipice Trail
There is no way to describe Precipice without sounding like you are exaggerating. Iron rungs hammered into vertical rock. Ladders bolted to cliff faces with 200-foot drops below your feet. Narrow ledges where you press your back to the wall and shuffle sideways. People fly across the country for this hike, and it earns the reputation.
The summit looks across Frenchman Bay to the Schoodic Peninsula, but the views on the way up are the real show. You will be focused on your next handhold, so the glimpses between moves are what stay with you.
- Distance
- 3.2-mile loop (NPS)
- Difficulty
- Strenuous Class 3 scramble, 1,000 ft gain
Precipice closes each spring so peregrine falcons can nest. In 2026 it closed March 1, and it reopens only when park staff say it is safe (NPS, March 2026). Check the NPS website for current status. This trail is not safe for anyone uncomfortable with heights or for young children.
2. The Beehive Trail
If Precipice is a full meal, the Beehive is the appetizer that still fills you up. Same iron rungs, ladders and exposed rock, packed into a shorter, slightly less intense climb. Sand Beach sits right below you. On a clear morning the water glows turquoise against pink granite, and you will stop on the rungs just to stare.
The whole climb takes about an hour, which leaves time to cool off at Sand Beach afterward. That is exactly what most people do.
- Distance
- 1.4 miles round trip
- Difficulty
- Strenuous exposed scramble, 450 ft gain
Get to the Sand Beach parking lot before 8:30 AM in summer. By 9:00 it is full and you will be circling for 20 minutes or riding the Island Explorer shuttle. The early start also means cooler rock on the iron rungs.
3. Cadillac South Ridge Trail
Most visitors drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain, walk 50 feet to the overlook, take a photo and leave. They miss the best way up.
The South Ridge crosses miles of open granite, and the views build as you climb. Earning the 360-degree summit view step by step makes it feel nothing like the parking lot. On clear days you can see Katahdin, over 100 miles north, and the long, bare ridge feels more like Scotland than the Maine coast. The park lists the trail at 7.1 miles round trip, starting just past Blackwoods Campground.
- Distance
- 7.1 miles round trip (NPS)
- Difficulty
- Moderate, 1,350 ft gain
4. Acadia Mountain Trail
Acadia Mountain sits on the quiet side of Mount Desert Island, and that matters. While crowds cluster around Sand Beach and Jordan Pond, this trail draws a fraction of the traffic. The summit ledges look east over Somes Sound, a narrow glacier-carved inlet, and at sunset the low western light falls across the water and the far ridge. For more evening options, see the sunset hikes below.
- Distance
- 2.8-mile loop (NPS)
- Difficulty
- Moderate, 700 ft gain
Connect to St. Sauveur Mountain via the linking trail for a longer loop. You will add about a mile and gain real solitude, since most hikers turn around at Acadia Mountain’s summit.
5. Pemetic Mountain
Here is the thing about Pemetic: it has better views than Cadillac. From Pemetic you can see Cadillac, Jordan Pond, the ocean, Eagle Lake and nearly every other landmark in the park. From Cadillac, you cannot see Cadillac.
Pemetic also gets roughly one-tenth the foot traffic. The trail from the Bubble Rock parking area crosses open granite slabs lined with wild blueberry bushes that fruit in late July and August. Time it right and you will snack your way to the summit.
- Distance
- 4-mile loop from Jordan Pond (NPS)
- Difficulty
- Moderate to strenuous, 1,150 ft gain
6. Gorham Mountain Trail
Take the Cadillac Cliffs variant on the way up. You will squeeze through narrow crevices, duck under overhangs and pass sea caves carved by waves when the ocean was higher thousands of years ago. It adds maybe 15 minutes and turns a pleasant walk into one you will remember.
The summit has wide-open coastal views, and the loop connects back to Sand Beach. Pair it with a swim on a hot afternoon for one of the best half-days in the park.
- Distance
- 3.5-mile loop with Ocean Path (NPS)
- Difficulty
- Moderate, 525 ft gain
7. Champlain North Ridge Trail
Same mountain as Precipice and the Beehive, completely different hike. No rungs, no ladders, no exposure: just a wide-open granite ridge with nearly nonstop views of Frenchman Bay all the way up. The steady grade works up a sweat without ever feeling dangerous.
This is the pick for anyone who says, “I want big views, but I do not want to climb iron rungs.”
- Distance
- 2.2 miles round trip
- Difficulty
- Moderate to strenuous, 1,000 ft gain
8. Dorr Mountain
Dorr is the forgotten sibling. It stands right next to Cadillac, reaches nearly the same height and sees maybe 5% of the traffic. The north ridge route climbs through birch forest that glows gold in October before breaking onto open ledge near the summit.
For a longer day, cross from Dorr to Cadillac on the A. Murray Young Path. You get two summits, varied terrain and bragging rights at dinner.
- Distance
- 3.6 miles round trip via North Ridge
- Difficulty
- Moderate to strenuous, 1,270 ft gain
Acadia’s Ladder Trails
The Civilian Conservation Corps built many of Acadia’s iron rung and ladder trails in the 1930s. Precipice and the Beehive get the attention, but others use the same techniques:
- Jordan Cliffs Trail follows the west face of Penobscot Mountain above Jordan Pond, with iron rungs and wooden bridges and the best views of the Bubbles reflected below.
- Dorr Ladder Trail climbs the east side of Dorr Mountain on stone steps and iron rungs. Less exposed than Precipice, but still a real scramble.
Precipice, Jordan Cliffs and Valley Cove close each spring for nesting peregrine falcons (NPS, March 2026). Check the NPS alerts page before planning your route.
Ice on the rungs and granite makes Precipice and the Beehive dangerous, so skip both in winter. The park points winter visitors to easier walks like Ocean Path and the carriage roads, and says to carry microspikes or other traction on icy trails (NPS winter guide).
9. Jordan Pond Path
A flat gravel loop around one of the clearest lakes in Maine, with the Bubbles reflected in the water like a postcard. The north end has a short boardwalk over rocky ground, but the rest is smooth. Kids in sneakers, grandparents with walking sticks and people in wheelchairs on the gravel sections all manage it. Hiking with younger kids? Our kid-friendly hikes in Acadia guide sorts trails by age.
End at the Jordan Pond House for its famous popovers with butter and jam. The wait can top an hour in peak summer, but the lawn seating with pond views makes it worthwhile.
- Distance
- 3.3-mile loop
- Difficulty
- Easy, minimal gain
10. Ocean Path
Ocean Path is the hike that makes people fall in love with Acadia. It follows the rocky coast from Sand Beach to Otter Point, passing Thunder Hole, Monument Cove and Boulder Beach. From Sand Beach to Thunder Hole it is concrete and packed gravel and accessible; past Thunder Hole it turns rocky and uneven, with granite stairs around Otter Cliffs.
The geology makes it special: pink granite meeting the Atlantic, spray shooting through rock channels, cobblestones polished round by centuries of surf. Every hundred yards brings a new view, and photographers could spend all day here.
- Distance
- 4.4 miles out and back
- Difficulty
- Easy, minimal gain
Best Sunset Hikes in Acadia
Not every great Acadia moment happens at sunrise on Cadillac. Some of the best light hits the western slopes in the evening:
- Acadia Mountain faces due west over Somes Sound. Its summit ledges are natural bleachers for watching the sky change color.
- Beech Mountain has a fire tower (pictured) with 360-degree views. It is less known for sunset, but the light over Long Pond is spectacular.
- Wonderland Trail is a flat, easy walk to the rocky shore on the quiet side. No summit, but low evening light on the tide pools is worth the short stroll.
- Day Mountain is the only Acadia summit you can reach by carriage road, a gentle climb to open ledges over the southern islands. It is one of the quietest summit walks in the park.
11. Bubble Rock Trail
The goal is a glacial erratic perched on the edge of South Bubble. It looks ready to tip off at any moment. It will not: a retreating ice sheet left it there roughly 18,000 years ago after carrying it from miles away. Everyone takes the same photo pretending to push it over, and everyone enjoys it.
The view over Jordan Pond from the summit is worth the short climb even without the rock.
- Distance
- 1.0 mile round trip
- Difficulty
- Easy to moderate, 300 ft gain
12. Great Head Trail
Great Head gets overlooked because it starts near Sand Beach, where most people either swim or head for the Beehive. Their loss. This short loop circles a peninsula with cliff-top views over the open Atlantic. The ruins of a stone teahouse sit near the high point, and the granite on the east side is perfect for watching lobster boats haul traps.
The park lists the full loop at 1.9 miles, with a shortcut that trims it to 1.3. It is the kind of trail you finish in under an hour and want to do again.
- Distance
- 1.9-mile loop, or 1.3 miles cut short (NPS)
- Difficulty
- Easy to moderate, 200 ft gain
Planning Your Acadia Hikes
- When to go Late September to mid-October brings peak foliage and smaller crowds. Summer has the best weather and the biggest crowds. May and early June are excellent if you can stand blackflies.
- Parking Parking is the biggest headache in Acadia, especially at Sand Beach, Jordan Pond and Cadillac. The free Island Explorer shuttle links major trailheads from late June through Columbus Day. Use it.
- Gear Wear footwear with good tread, pick a route that suits the conditions, and carry water, a spare layer and a map. Turn back if wet granite makes your footing uncertain.
- Permits A park pass is required ($35 per vehicle for 7 days), with no separate hiking permits. Cadillac Summit Road needs a vehicle reservation from May 20 to October 25 in 2026 (NPS hours).
Do I need reservations to hike in Acadia?
No reservations are needed for hiking trails. The only reservation required is for driving up Cadillac Summit Road (May 20 to October 25 in 2026). Trailhead parking fills early in summer, so use the free Island Explorer shuttle or arrive before 8:30 AM.
Which trails in Acadia have iron rungs and ladders?
Precipice Trail, Beehive Trail, Jordan Cliffs Trail, and Dorr Ladder Trail all feature iron rungs. Precipice is the most intense. Precipice and Jordan Cliffs close each spring for nesting peregrine falcons (March 1 in 2026) until park staff reopen them. All iron rung trails are dangerous when icy, so skip them in winter.
What is the best time of year to hike in Acadia?
Late September and early October offer the best combination of weather, fall foliage, and manageable crowds. Summer (June through August) has the longest days but the heaviest traffic. Spring is beautiful but buggy, especially late May through mid-June during blackfly season.
What is the best beginner hike in Acadia?
Jordan Pond Path (3.3 miles, flat) and Ocean Path (4.4 miles round trip, mostly flat) are the easiest and most scenic options. For a short summit with a view, try Bubble Rock Trail (1.0 mile round trip).
How many days do I need to hike in Acadia?
Three to four days lets you hit the highlights without rushing. You can do two to three hikes per day if you mix difficulties, pairing a morning summit hike with an afternoon easy walk. A full week lets you explore the quieter trails and the Schoodic Peninsula section.