Whether you’re looking for a gentle ride or a full-on adrenaline-pumping adventure, Acadia National Park in ‘Down East’ Maine is the perfect place to come. There’s a hike for everyone here in this beautiful natural park, so put on your hiking boots or shoes and head out to explore. Here are some trails to give you an idea of ​​the hikes you can expect to find in Acadia National Park:

cliff path

This is one of the most difficult hikes in the park and one of the best known. This is a near vertical hike in exposed conditions where you must scale a 1000ft precipice using ladders and iron flights. This ascent should only be attempted by people with a good level of fitness and a good head for heights. If you wish to attempt this ascent, you must verify that it is open prior to making the trip. This trail is sometimes closed between late spring and mid-August to protect the rare and endangered peregrine falcons that nest here.

Acadia Mountain Trail

This is another of the park’s best-known and most popular hiking trails. This trail is quite steep in sections, though in the summer you may often be taken up Acadia Mountain by national park rangers, who include hikes on this trail in their regular summer schedule. There are spectacular views from this route of Somes Sound and Southwest Harbor.

Mansell Mountain

A large rocky staircase will take you to the 300-meter summit of this peak. Mansell Mountain is situated on the western side of Mount Desert Island and has fantastic views over Great Long Pond. To complete this scenic ascent, park near the southern end of Great Long Pond near Southwest Harbour. The loop is strenuous on the way up, even though the loop is only a couple miles long.

Cadillac Mountain

There are several hikes to choose from on Cadillac Mountain. The most challenging of the summit hiking trails is the South Ridge Trail. The ascent is long but fairly smooth, 7.4 miles of forest and then granite slopes. The North Ridge Trail, about 4.4 miles, is an open ascent with stunning views of Bar Harbor and Frenchman Bay. Alternatively, you can park and take the very easy loop trail around the 1,530-foot summit, for stunning panoramic views without much effort.

jordan pond

At Jordan Pond Scenic Spot, you can choose to take the gentle one-mile nature trail or through the forest and pond, or alternatively, you can take the 3.3-mile route around the Shore Trail, following the waterline. Please start from the Jordan Pond parking area, not the Jordan Pond House restaurant parking area.

These are just a few of the beautiful trails to choose from in spectacular Acadia National Park.