Waterfall Hero Hikes: Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is a 47,000-acre National Park along the coast in Hancock and Knox Counties, Maine. The park protects the rocky headlands along the Atlantic Coast in mid Maine. Most of the park is on Mount Desert Island, with a mainland section on Schoodic Peninsula and several other smaller islands. One of the most popular national parks, Acadia welcomes over 3.5 million visitors per year. The park was established on July 8, 1916 as Sieur de Monts National Monument. It was redisgnated as Lafayette National Park in 1919 and became Acadia National Park on January 19, 1929. Today, the park has three campgrounds, scenic driving roads, 45 miles of Carriage Roads for non-motorized traffic and 158 miles of hiking trails.

Contact Information:

PO Box 177

Bar Harbor, ME 04609

Phone: (207) 288-3338

Map:

Trails:

Beehive Trail:

Beehive Trail starts from Bowl Trail near Sand Beach and heads up Beehive Mountain via ladders and rungs then back down to the Bowl. The trail requires climbing up a cliff via rock scrambling and climbing ladders and should only be attempted by hikers in good shape without a fear of heights.

Bowl Trail:

The Bowl Trail leads from Sand Beach up to the Bowl, a small lake between the Beehive and Champlain Mountain and provides access to Beehive Trail.

Bubbles Trail:

Bubbles Trail leads to the summits of North Bubble and South Bubble. The southern end of the trail is along Jordan Pond Path and it can be accessed from Bubbles Divide Trail. The portion between Jordan Pond and South Bubble is difficult.

East Trail:

East Trail starts from a small parking area on Schoodic Loop Road and steeply heads up to the summit of Schoodic Head.

Jordan Pond Path:

Jordan Pond Path starts from near Jordan Pond House and makes a look around the lake.

Ocean Path:

Ocean Path is a 2-mile trail leading from Sand Beach to Otter Point along the coast. There are numerous side paths that lead out to scenic rocky areas. It is one of the most popular hikes, so try to arrive early and don't expect solitude.

Sundew Trail:

The 0.7-mile Sundew Trail starts from the Schoodic Education and Research Center and runs along the west end of Big Moose Island. Three short spur trails lead out to the water, two on the west end of the island and one on the north along West Pond Cove.

Points of Interest:

Beehive Mountain:

Beehive Mountain at 520 feet above sea level is located above Sand Beach on Mount Desert Island. Access to the summit via the difficult Beehive Trail.