Part of “Acadia’s 30 Best Trails“
Photographed by Chris Shane
1. The Precipice
Looking up from the Park Loop Road, the notion of walking up Champlain Mountain’s eastern face seems like a joke: the Precipice is all rock, rising straight up 1,000 feet. Yet a footpath of sorts — a series of stone staircases, iron rungs embedded in the rock face, and narrow ledges with skinny rebar handrails — does indeed zigzag up the cliff. With Frenchman Bay as a glorious backdrop, this nontechnical climb is Acadia’s most exhilarating hike. Yet — surprise, surprise — it isn’t difficult for anyone in reasonably good shape and possessing a healthy respect for heights. Don’t go if you’re afraid, don’t go with your children, and don’t go when it’s windy, wet, or icy. Don’t climb down this path either. Instead, make it a loop (and a safer descent) following Champlain’s North Ridge Trail to the Orange and Black Path. 3.2-mile loop from the Precipice trailhead, on the Park Loop Rd., 7.7 miles south of the Hulls Cove Visitor Center.
2. Perpendicular-Razorback Loop
On the park’s lesser-trafficked west side, a mountain hike that gives Acadia’s gnarly eastern half a run for its money. The route up Mansell Mountain isn’t as steep as its moniker suggests, but your knees will get a workout from its hundreds of stone steps. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, they’re a testament to the gonzo amount of sweat and engineering that’s shaped Acadia’s trail system. After the steps peter out — at an exposed perch above glittering Long Pond — the path crosses Mansell’s wooded summit before meeting the Razorback Trail, an aptly named ridge with tons of exposure, cool rock formations, and knockout views of Bass Harbor and the islands beyond. A truly lovely descent (and easy on the knees). 2.7-mile loop from the Long Pond trailhead, at the end of Long Pond Rd., off Seal Cove Rd., in Southwest Harbor.
The Quietside’s Perpendicular–Razorback loop, which has a short rung-and-ladder section, is for those who prefer their Acadia trails high, exposed, and uncrowded. Click a photo to enlarge.
3. Beech and Canada Cliffs Loop
Although the thrill of rung-and-ladder hiking draws droves of hikers to the Precipice and Beehive trails, Beech Cliff Trail flies under the radar, maybe because it’s on the island’s Quietside, maybe too because its ascent through wooded cliffs feels a little less dramatic than the bare rockiness of those other ladder trails. But the route, four-tenths of a mile from Echo Lake to the top, is still about as sheer as it gets, skirting a towering granite face that even looks to lean a smidge past vertical. The trail links up with the short Beech Cliff Loop, offering expansive views to the east. Attempting the same route down is harrowing — better to amble back via the gentler Canada Cliffs Trail, which is also a good option for the ascent if hiking with kiddos. Then, hop in the lake to cool off. 2.1-mile loop from the Echo Lake Beach parking lot, where the trailhead is on the left at the far end.
4. Bald–Parkman Loop
For peak baggers, the section of the park just north of Northeast Harbor holds strong appeal. It’s a labyrinth of foot and carriage trails — a good map is handy to have — but the upside is a seemingly endless combo of routes to the area’s half dozen summits. Even when trailheads are jammed, the trails aren’t, and it’s worth exploring the area every which way, through its ravines, along its ridges, over and under its arched carriage-road bridges. But the highest reward-to-work ratio is achieved by combining the Bald Peak and Parkman Mountain trails. The former has lots of fun, rocky scrambles that eventually yield to an open summit before dipping down into a col where the Parkman trail intersects. From there, it’s a short, steady climb to Parkman’s peak. Both provide stellar views of ponds, islands, and surrounding mountains. Return via the Parkman Trail. 2.7-mile loop from the Sargent Mountain trailhead, on Rte. 3, 2.8 miles south of Rte. 233.
5. Pemetic Northwest
The shortest of three trails to Pemetic’s summit, the Pemetic Mountain Northwest Trail is also the most thrilling. Ascending 700 feet in just over half a mile, this climb is steep and rocky. The fun part comes almost immediately, when the trail splits in two. Go left for the “ravine route,” to climb over boulders in a cool chasm, working your way out via two tall wooden ladders. Bear right for the “ledge route,” to haul up a steep section of granite (but not in wet conditions). When the paths rejoin, the trail switchbacks a bit before letting out onto the summit, right in the heart of MDI’s eastern half. 1.2 miles out and back from the Pemetic Mountain Northwest Ridge trailhead, on the Park Loop Rd., 1.5 miles north of Jordan Pond.
Read up on all 30 of our favorite Acadia National Park trails.
