Walking & Hiking

Whether you're a casual stroller or card-carrying thrill-seeker, Acadia has a path for you. The Mount Desert Island section of the park alone boasts 17 mountains. Isle au Haut and Schoodic Peninsula have several additional peaks. Because the mountains are all under 1,600 feet in height, each can be hiked in less than a day and several can be scaled in an hour. During late summer, many trails are fringed with wild blueberries. Regular visitors to Acadia know to head to the hills when the popular Park Loop Road is congested. Even at the height of summer, some of the hiking trails offer peace and privacy.

Not all of Acadia's trails lead uphill. Some of the gentlest paths—such as Ocean Path, which runs alongside Frenchman Bay—offer some of the best scenery. 

If you arrive at the town of Bar Harbor during low tide, wander out across the gravel bar that leads to Bar Island—but don't linger—after 90 minutes, your footpath will disappear beneath the incoming tide. Park trailheads and junctions are clearly marked with small, wooden directional signs, and the paths with blue-paint blazes. Pick up a copy of the National Park Service's Acadia map, available at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. It indicates hiking trails, elevations and scenic carriage roads. Detailed hiking maps can be purchased at the visitor center. See "Carriage Roads" on page 33 and "Hiking Safety Tips" on page 18 for more information. For additional reading, here are a few great recommendations: Great Walks: Acadia National Park & Mount Desert. Gillmore, Robert. Great Walks, Inc., 1994.

A Pocket Guide to the Carriage Roads of Acadia National Park. 

Abrell, Diana F. 2nd edition, Downeast Books, 1995.