10 Amazing Hikes in Acadia National Park

There are tons of amazing hikes in Acadia National Park, and a little something for everyone, including those who like heights, those who don’t, and even those whose favorite hiking buddy has four legs.

Acadia National Park is one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the US and the majority of its hikes are short. In fact, all of the hikes on this list are under 5 miles (most closer to 2-3 miles), which means you can double, triple, or even quadruple up your hikes and tackle multiple in one day.

Plus, Acadia National Park is unique in that it weaves in and out of towns, including the town of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, so you can spend your morning hiking, then grab lunch in town (lobster roll, anyone?), then hit the trails again for the afternoon.

To help you decide which hikes you’d most love to explore during your visit, here are 10 of the best hikes in Acadia National Park!

As a whole, Acadia National Parks spans across sections of Mount Desert Island and the Schoodic Peninsula.

You can see from the image above that the majority of the best hikes in Acadia will be found on Mount Desert Island near Bar Harbor, but there are also great hikes on the Southwest Harbor and Schoodic Peninsula if you have time to explore further.

For our trip to visit Acadia National Park, we stayed in Ellsworth (about 40 minutes from Bar Harbor). Ellsworth was great, with a nice downtown, but if you’re just visiting for a long weekend or week-long vacation, we recommend staying on Mount Desert Island, as close to Bar Harbor or Acadia National Park as possible. Being closer to town and the park will give you more time to explore, plus make it easier to enjoy multiple hikes in one day!

Wondering which hikes are best to beat the crowds? Jon, Lincoln, and I were in town for three weeks, but since we work full-time, we were exploring before/after work and on the weekends. And although we were exploring on the weekend during the busy leaf-peeping month of October, for the most part, we were still able to minimize crowds. We’ll share how and which hikes are best for fewer crowds below!

Here are 10 of the best hikes in Acadia National Park.

Table of Contents Hide

1. Precipice Trail

The Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park was both Jon's and my favorite hike of our trip! We consider the Precipice Trail to be the best hike in Acadia National Park. If you’re not afraid of heights or are generally comfortable with heights and adventurous activity, make sure to put the Precipice Trail on your Acadia bucket list. It’s so much fun!!

The Precipice Trail is an approximately 2.1-mile loop that uses iron rungs and ladders to climb about 1,000 feet of elevation. If you’re afraid of heights, skip this one… at least until after you successfully complete the Beehive or Beech Cliffs Trail (#2 and #3 on this list, respectively).

Otherwise, get ready to feel like a kid again as you climb a mountain while taking in the most gorgeous views of the Mount Desert Narrows. This is the most fun hike in Acadia National Park, but it’s also the scariest as you’re walking along sections with steep cliffs.

RTL Tip: If you’re nervous about this hike, start early to give yourself plenty of time. (Start at sunrise if you’re hiking on a weekend during peak season.) But if you’re comfortable with heights and/or your climbing ability, consider opting for an afternoon hike rather than the more popular morning hike. We started hiking the Precipice Trail around 4:30pm on a Saturday in October and saw just a handful of other hikers the entire way. (And we only passed two hikers on the actual ladder/rung portion of the trail.) This is opposed to the Beehive Trail that we hiked first thing that same morning, starting around 8:15am, and essentially hiked back-to-back-to-back with other climbers.

So if you want to minimize crowds, either arrive by sunrise or try the afternoon!

Also, make sure you check out the trail map at the beginning of the loop. Rather than returning along the same path you climb (which follows iron rungs and ladders), you’ll want to follow the Orange/Black Trail to the Park Loop Road instead.

Dog-Friendly? No. Acadia National Park has a ton of dog-friendly hikes. That said, the ladder/rung trails are NOT dog-friendly.

2. Beehive Trail

If you’re not sure you’re up for the heights of Precipice, or you want to try something less challenging first, consider the Beehive Trail.

The Beehive Trail is a slightly shorter trail at about 1.5 miles round trip, covering about half the elevation gain as Precipice with fewer rungs and dropoffs, but can still get your heart racing!

This is one of the most popular hikes in Acadia National Park so, similar to the Precipice Trail, arrive early or late if you want to minimize crowds. (When I say early, arrive by sunrise if possible.)

RTL Tip: There are two overlooks worth seeing. So, once you enjoy the first overlook after your final ladder climb, keep walking along the trail to the second overlook. If the top of Beehive is crowded, you may find more solitude at this second sight.

We also highly recommend following the full loop so that you pass ‘The Bowl’ on your way back to Park Loop Road (vs. taking the shortcut back).

Not afraid of heights and have to pick between doing Beehive or Precipice? Highly recommend Precipice! There are many more ladder and rung sections along Precipice, so you’ll have longer to enjoy and soak up the adventure.

Dog-Friendly? No.

3. Beech Cliffs

Want to try a ladder trail but without the crowds of Precipice or Beehive? Consider The Beech Cliffs Trail.

Parking at Echo Lake Beach, you’ll start your 1.8-mile loop and cross four ladders of various lengths to the top. The view is amazing and rivals that from Beehive, but since this trail is on the Southwest Harbor, it’s much quieter. We started this hike at around 10:30am on a Saturday in October and had no issues with parking plus only saw about a dozen other hikers over the course of the entire hike.

RTL Tip: You can start this trail from a few different places. We first followed AllTrails GPS to a parking lot for the Beech Mountain and Canada Cliffs Trails. But after some exploration, we realized it would be easier to do this trail from the Echo Lake Beach parking lot so that we could take our ascent up the ladders first. This is our recommendation… just make sure to keep following the path once you arrive at the top of the mountain to the overlooks on your right! They’re gorgeous!

Dog-Friendly? No.

4. Gorham Loop (at Sunrise)

This was one of my favorite hikes in Acadia National Park, taking second only to Precipice. The caveat: Make this one a sunrise hike.

My sister actually passed this suggestion on to us. She was visiting Acadia the October before we were there and mentioned that while Cadillac Mountain is amazing, there are other places just as great (or better) for sunrise. Her recommendation was to hike Gorham Mountain Loop, and it was incredible.

RTL Tip (courtesy of my sister): It only takes about 20 minutes to get to a great sunrise spot on Gorham. So start your trek about 30 minutes before sunrise. About 20 minutes into your gradual ascent, you’ll come upon a few great spots to watch the sunrise (and plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the view in solitude). We only saw one other group catching sunrise while we were there on a Thursday before work. While you can walk to the trail's highest point (about 25 minutes into your hike), we preferred the spot just before. It was especially great for enjoying the foliage on the trees below!

You’ll pass Thunder Hole and portions of the Ocean Path Trail as you complete the loop.

Dog-friendly? Yes!

man and dog watching sunrise over ocean and fall foliage

5. Jesup Path

Jesup Path is a great, flat path that I HIGHLY recommend during the fall. It felt like a fall foliage fairyland!

This 2.2-mile out-and-back path is one of the easiest trails on this list and a beautiful spot for foliage photography. Plus, if you enjoy a boardwalk trail (like Jordan Pond), much of Jesup Path follows a boardwalk like in the image below. There are also restrooms along this trail at the Wild Gardens of Acadia.

RTL Tip: Plan to walk this trail during golden hour, the hour before sunset.

Dog-Friendly? Yes!

boardwalk path through fall foliage at golden hour

6. Jordan Pond

While camping with friends on the Schoodic Peninsula, we asked a campsite ranger for their recommendations on the best things to do in Acadia National Park. We spent the majority of our camping days* on the Schoodic Peninsula, but we were driving to Mount Desert Island for one day to explore the main section of Acadia and so were looking for top recommendations with only one day to explore.

The ranger gave us two must-sees: Jordan Pond and Eagle Lake. So that’s what we did!

Jordan Pond is one of the most popular trails in Acadia National Park, and for good reason: it’s unique, relatively easy, and gorgeous. The Jordan Pond Path is a 3-mile mostly flat path around Jordan Pond. (Half of the trail walks through the woods on boardwalk planks. Part of the trail requires light rock scrambling. And half of the trail is walking on a mostly dirt path next to Jordan Pond. There are options to continue your hike to South Bubble Summit or Eagle Lake.)

RTL Tip: If you want to start on the boardwalk section of the path, then when you follow the main parking lot down to the water, go left. (So if you’re looking at the pond and the welcome sign for Jordan Pond, turn to your left.) If you want the fastest path to accessing additional trails to the Bubbles or Eagle Lake, or if you want to quickly stumble upon one of the most gorgeous spots for a photo of Jordan Pond and the Bubbles, go right.

Dog-Friendly? Yes! Although just a head’s up that dogs are not allowed to swim in the pond as it’s a public water source.

(*During our 2022 Travel Season, Jon and I spent 5 days camping with friends on the Schoodic Peninsula in August, then came back to Maine for three weeks in October to stay closer to MDI in Ellsworth, Maine.)

7. The Bubbles

The Bubbles are a great hike in Acadia National Park that connects to Jordan Pond, but it’s also a good hike to explore on its own too. Parking is limited at the Bubbles Trailhead, but there are additional pull-offs further up the road where you may be able to find a spot. (There is also a much bigger parking lot at Jordan Pond, where you can follow the Jordan Pond Path to South Bubble.)

Bubble Rock is one of the biggest attractions on the Bubbles. You’ll find Bubble Rock on South Bubble, and at first glance, it might just look like a boulder perched on top of the cliff. But as you walk around to view it from the side of the road, you’ll wonder how it’s stayed put for so long!

RTL Tip: Bubble Rock, near South Bubble Summit, is a fun place to take a photo. But if you have time, take a trip to both the North and South Bubble Summits. At South Bubble, you’ll find Bubble Rock, but at North Bubble, you’ll find a gorgeous overlook of Eagle Lake. While Bubble Rock is a really fun photo op, North Bubble has the better view. So plan to visit both summits if possible!

Dog-Friendly? Yes! Jordan Pond and Eagle Lake are also dog-friendly if you’d like to add these hikes to your day.

8. Ocean Path

Ocean Path is another relatively easy trail that takes you past a few big sights at Acadia National Park, including Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and Otter Cliffs.

Plus, if you time it right and are able to be at Thunder Hole about an hour before high tide, you may hear what sounds like a thunderous roar from waves crashing against the rocky inlet! (Note: This is highly dependent on wind and waves. You may be there at the right time for high tide but the water may be too calm to create a strong thunderous sound as water flows in and out of the inlet. You’ve got to bring your patience, but it’ll also help to check the wind and notice the strength of the waves, along with checking the tide.)

You can easily add the Ocean Path to your itinerary if you’re hiking the Beehive Trail and parking at the Sand Beach Parking Lot.

RTL Tip: This is a beautiful walk and a great way to see the coast, but know you are walking along Park Loop Road for the majority of the 4.5-mile round trip. And you’ll be walking past many places to park so that your hike will be met with other sightseers stopping at Thunder Hole or Otter Cliffs. It’s still a fine walk, but the best way to appreciate it is to hop off at various side trails and explore on the rocks!

Dog-Friendly? Yes, but it’s likely to be a busy trail. (Dogs are NOT allowed on Sand Beach from June 15-Sept 8.)

9. Bar Island Trail

This one’s really unique because how often do you plan a hike around when the tide lets you get to it?! The Bar Island Trail is only accessible from the Bar Island Land Bridge, which is only accessible about 1.5 hours before and after low tide. (And if you lose track of time and miss this window, you’ll either have to wait hours until low tide comes back or call a water taxi to safely retrieve you.)

RTL Tip: We walked the main Bar Island Trail, but we also walked along a few other trails along the outside of the island. These were our favorite paths! You have to be careful because you don’t want to lose track of time, but if you have seen an option to stay towards the edge of the island and the water, consider taking it. You’ll run into a few amazing spots for photos and viewing the town of Bar Harbor across Frenchman Bay!

Dog-Friendly? Yes.

10. Schoodic Peninsula

If you have time during your visit to Acadia National Park, it’s worth driving about an hour and fifteen minutes from Bar Harbor to Schoodic Peninsula. (Or, you could take the 45-minute ferry.)

The Schoodic Peninsula is a gorgeous area to explore. We especially loved Schoodic Point and Blueberry Hill.

Dog friendly? Yes!

Have time for more? Keep Planning Your Trip to Acadia National Park

There are tons of things to do in Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, so check back for more resources to shorten your planning time and help you find the perfect adventures and activities for you!

Here are 6 of the best things to do near Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. And here are 5 one-day itineraries for exploring Acadia.

Exploring more of New England? Check out our 2022 Travel Season Itinerary for inspiration throughout New Hampshire, Vermont, and Lake Placid!

Your turn! Please leave us a comment below

We’re always looking for inspiration, and would love to hear about your adventures too! What’s your favorite hike in Acadia National Park, or which of these hikes would you most love to do? Please share with us in the comments below!

Save these hikes for a future road trip!

Hover over either image below and click on the red “Save” button that pops up in the upper lefthand corner of the image to save this on Pinterest for later. (If you’re on mobile, you might have to tap the image first to see the red ‘Save’ button.)