Acadia’s Best Family-Friendly Trails Revealed

Acadia National Park has some really great hiking trails for mountains that are relatively small given our access to the 4K choices to the West of us.  Popular mountains in the Park like Cadillac, Sargent, Penobscot,  South Bubble and The Beehive get a lot of the noise for their beautiful trails and breathtaking views but smaller mountains and even walking trails through the park can be equally beautiful and breathtaking.

With that said, we really try to plan out the trails we take with her, watching the elevation changes, ensuring that we aren’t setting out for a really long hike, and choosing trails that offer some natural fun.  Footbridges and boardwalks for the win!  Our goal this summer is to get another two summits checked off.  Stay tuned for what we choose for our mountains!

Here are my 5 essential items that are in my hiking pack along with tons of water and snacks:

• A good trail map
• First Aid Kit
• Bug Spray and Sunscreen
• Compass
• Headlamp

What does my daughter carry? She has her own Camelbek Hydration Backpack, a pair of hiking poles and an emergency whistle.  Now, I know what you might be thinking…does she ever blow the whistle for fun on the trails?  And I can say that she hasn’t.  We have spent a lot of time educating her about hiking safety and why we carry the things we do.  Now, when she is in her own backyard, does she let it rip?  You bet!

And if there isn’t a bathroom at the trailhead, you know that I’m going to be carrying the Oxo Potty 2-in1 and refill bags. 

And before I get to my trail recommendations, just a reminder that I wanted to focus on trails and mountains where you can enjoy the beauty of the park WITHOUT the volume of tourists, congestions, and frustrations that other more popular summits and trails can give you.

List of Recommended Trails:

• Ship Harbor Nature Trail: Located on Route 102A in Bass Harbor, it is a 1.2 mile loop.  A shipwreck from the 1600s is how this place got its name.   We like to tackle this trail in a counterclockwise direction so that we hit the cove first.  It’s great for tossing rocks, building rock towers, and looking for creatures in the shallows.  From there, you have some boardwalks that protect the vegetation and then you arrive on the rocky coast.  We like to try to tackle this trail just after high tide to explore the tide pools.  There is a bathroom at the trailhead, a small parking lot and options to park on the shoulder.  The Island Explorer does pass by.

• Wonderland Trail: The neighbor of Ship Harbor trail, this is a flat gravel road that offers a down-and-back 1.4 mile round trip trail.  There is NO bathroom at the trailhead. There is a very small parking lot and options to park on the shoulder.   The Island Explorer does pass by.  For those looking to connect Ship Harbor and Wonderland, you can walk Route 102A for a total of 3 miles (the walk on Route 102A is .4 miles).

• Flying Mountain: Located in Southwest Harbor just off of Route 102 on Fernald Point Road (.9 mile from Route 102). It is a 1.4 mile loop.  There is a small parking lot and parking on the shoulder is allowed.  There are NO bathrooms.  The Island Explorer does pass this section of Route 102 (but does NOT go down Fernald Point Road).  Using the Island Explorer would add 1.8 miles to your trip.  We like to tackle this trail in a clockwise direction starting on the Valley Cove Road so that we can access Valley Cove.  You will probably see signs for trail closures for the Valley Cove Trail (not to be confused with the Valley Cove ROAD) because of the nesting peregrine falcons.  We try to tackle this trail on low tide to explore the tide pools.  The rocks can be slippery here so packing a towel and change of clothes (just in case) can be helpful.  Once you leave the cove, you immediately start climbing.  There are two peaks on this little mountain and last year the summit sign was missing making it even more confusing.  The official peak is the 2nd summit, if summiting clockwise.  From there, it’s a nice easy descent back to the parking lot.

• Dorr Point: Dorr Point is located southeast of downtown Bar Harbor on Route 3.  There is a small parking lot and if you come to a fork of Route 3 and Schooner Head Trail, you have missed it.  There are NO bathrooms.   Dorr Point is a .5 mile trail around the ruins of George Dorr’s Old Farm estate.  When we last went there, there was an interactive display along the trail, where, with your phone, you could see a 3-D replica of the estate through your phone.  It can be buggy so I definitely recommend bug spray for this walk.

• Sieur de Monts Trek:   This was one of the Acadia Quest activities from a couple of years ago that we really loved!  This trek starts at the Sieur de Monts/Abbe Museum/Wild Gardens of Acadia Center where there is plenty of parking!  Use the Sieur de Monts park entrance off of Route 3.  The Island Explorer does make a stop here and bathrooms are available at the Center.   This is a 1.6 mile loop that takes through the Great Meadow and up the side of Dorr Mountain.   For this trek, start by heading out on the Jesup Path for .4 miles and then turn left at the Hemlock Trail.  Stay on this trail for .1 mile before turning left onto the Hemlock Road trail.  Stay on this trail for .3 miles before heading right onto Homan’s Path.  This ascent is a good stairmaster workout.  Be sure to catch your breath and take in the views of the Great Meadow and the Atlantic Ocean.  Stay on Homan’s Path for .3 miles before turning left onto the Emery Path for a descent of .5 miles.
  • Full disclosure: Our daughter has only been in a hiking pack for this trail.  I imagine this might be a tougher trail for those with smaller legs given the elevation changes on the Homan and Emery Paths.

• Beech Mountain: Now, this mountain is definitely featured a bit more than the others but we love it!  Beech Mtn is accessible through a couple different drives as there are a couple of different routes.  We prefer accessing it from Route 102 in Somesville and taking Beech Hill Road straight to the parking lot.  The parking lot is good size with some shoulder parking available.  There is a latrine available in the parking lot.  Having done most of the trails on Beech Mtn, we prefer the Beech Mtn Loop for our daughter as it is a nice 1.1 mile loop. Going counterclockwise is our preferred route but last year part of this trail was closed off due to damage and ongoing repairs so we did this clockwise with our daughter and she did great.  There are great places to stop and take in the view; the views along western side overlooking Long Pond are simply amazing. The blueberry bushes are plentiful as well when in season, making for some fun (and motivational) stops along the way.  The big reward is the Fire Tower at the summit.  Depending on the day, the Fire Tower may be staffed with a ranger and open to the public. After your descent, if your little ones legs are up for it, cross the street and do the .6 mile Beech Cliff Loop for eastern views of Echo Lake and its beach.

• Lower Hadlock Pond: I take great pride in recommending this trail because it is one of the first trails that I did solo with my daughter in a hiking pack.  There are two options for parking here.  One is a very small parking lot on the side of Upper Hadlock Pond just north of the Brown Mountain Gatehouse on Route 3 in Northeast Harbor.  The other is parking at the Brown Mountain Gatehouse.  The perk for parking at the Brown Mountain Gatehouse is that you will have access to a port-a-potty.  If parking at Upper Hadlock Pond, this lollipop loop will be 2.2 miles while parking at Brown Mountain Gatehouse will give a 1.6 mile loop.  If taking your kiddos, there is a stream that feeds down from Upper Hadlock Pond that makes for interesting stops right at the start of the lollipop.  This trail is a quiet walk around the Pond with hardly a soul in sight.  There is a residence on the south side of the Pond and the trail feels like it goes right through their property…but it doesn’t.  Also, there is an old dam or water works facility on the northside that you can check out.
  • Alternatively, if you want to check out the streams but 2.2 miles is too long, feel free to do a clockwise loop with the Norumbega Connector which will then give you a 1.0 mile loop.

• Seaside Path: I am not sure how many people know of this old trail that leads from Seal Harbor to Jordan Pond House (or visa versa) but this is one of my FAVORITE trails on the Island.  This gravel, mostly flat, path was constructed in the late 1800s and is just under 2 miles long and provided access to Jordan Pond House for rusticators of Seal Harbor.  It underwent significant renovations several years ago thanks to the Friends of Acadia organization and is in BEAUTIFUL condition.  While technically on private property and NOT part of Acadia National Park, it does start near the Park’s employee dormitory for the Jordan Pond House and ends at the paved Seaside Lane in Seal Harbor.  

I would suggest starting at the Jordan Pond House and making your way down to Seaside Lane, not far from Seal Harbor Beach.  It’s an incredibly quiet path and a great place for a forest bath.  I love walking this trail and thinking about all of those making their way to/from Jordan Pond House all those years ago.

If not wanting to make the down-and-back trip, parking your car either at the Jordan Pond House or the Seal Harbor Beach parking lot would be a good idea.  The Island Explorer bus makes stops at both locations making it easy to get back to your car, regardless of which location you park at.  Also, bathroom access is available at Jordan Pond House or at the Seal Harbor parking lot.

Have you done any of these trails before?  If so, drop a comment and let me know what you have thought about them!

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