Acadia National Park trail recommendations

[wookinpanub]

I'm heading to Acadia with the family and am looking some trails that might not be too crowded. Any recommendations?

[DownEaster]

The south ascent of Cadillac Mountain is rarely crowded. However, it also features fairly sheer rock faces with painted arrows pointing straight up to let you know where the "trail" is. I had the joy of climbing there during spring melt. It's mostly a tough hiking trail; these scrambling opportunities are the exceptions.

[Dan Roper]

No idea what your age is and the ages of your family. But if you have folks between the ages of 7 and 75, the Beehive, Bubbles, Great Head and Gorham trails are nice, especially the first three. Beehive is really spectacular. If you have folks in good shape between ages of perhaps 12 and 65, the Precipice should be high on your list. It's harder and higher than the Beehive, which is why the age range might be a bit different, though probably any experienced hiker in decent shape could make it, including folks into their 80s.

I'm going by memory from my family's camping trip there around 2004. Our kids ranged from 12 to 7 at the time. We didn't do the Precipice, but did all the others.

From now through Labor Day, all Acadia trails can be crowded.

[red5]

Many of the trails on the Bar Harbor side of the park are going to be pretty busy this time of year. That includes the South Cadillac trail. In my eyes the North or South Cadillac trails are the "Flagship" trails of Acadia. They are spectacular and not to hard. The trails on the western side of Mount Desert Island or the trails in the Schoodic area will probably be less busy. When I hike at Acadia I go in with the expectation of large crowds. It's just a part of the experience there. I don't' hike there for solitude. Enjoy.

[wookinpanub]

Thanks for the advice. We're all pretty fit and my daughters are 15 and 17. They rock climb and we hike/backpack as a family. We're trying to avoid the crowds at bar harbor by staying on the other side of Acadia at southwest harbor.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Since the Precipice trail was mentioned, note that it is usually closed from mid April to mid August due to nesting perigrine falcons in the area.

When I did the Precipice in 2003 there was a sign warning that it was not classified as a hiking trail, but a "non-technical climbing route" meaning that the park bolted iron rungs in a number of places to allow hikers to pull themselves up what would otherwise be a series of multi-pitch climbs. I can confirm that this is an accurate description.

[tdoczi]

Since the Precipice trail was mentioned, note that it is usually closed from mid April to mid August due to nesting perigrine falcons in the area.

When I did the Precipice in 2003 there was a sign warning that it was not classified as a hiking trail, but a "non-technical climbing route" meaning that the park bolted iron rungs in a number of places to allow hikers to pull themselves up what would otherwise be a series of multi-pitch climbs. I can confirm that this is an accurate description.
several other trails match that description as well, such as the beehive.

one of my fav signs ever is the one in the parking lot across the road from the beehive reassuring the non hikers hat the people balanced precariously on ledges hundreds of feet above the road are in fact not in need of rescue.

if you want to hike those trails though and avpid crowds the only solution is some butt crack of dawn hiking.

the good news is, like most NPs, you get 3 miles from a road and suddenly no one is around. like if you go up the precipice youll have a lot of company, if you continue hiking from the top instead of going directly back to your car, you wont.

[madgoat]

I love hiking in Acadia. If you haven't hiked in Acadia before, here is a little advice. Rock scrambles, trails marked on rock with paint, cairns, ladders, cables, and tough climbs are pretty common. If you have not hiked there before, just keep in mind that some of hikes are very difficult and time consuming. My 10 year old son LOVED hiking with me because all the trails were an adventure requiring 2 feet and 2 hands to hike. Leave the hiking poles at home.

Beautiful views from on top of just about any mountain out there. I particularly liked the trails overlooking Somes Sound.

[Shutterbug]

I'm heading to Acadia with the family and am looking some trails that might not be too crowded. Any recommendations?

There is a short trail in Acadia named "Wonderland Trail." When I hiked it, I was all alone. The most remarkable thing about the trail is its name. Everyone wants to be able to say that they hiked the "Wonderland Trail."

I hiked it to be able to say I have hiked all three "Wonderland Trails": 1)Acadia National Park, 2) Mt. Rainier National Park and 3) Chiricahua National Monument.

Since I hiked those, I have learned that there is another Wonderland Trail in Joshua Tree National Park. I have not hiked that one yet.

[LittleRock]

I'm heading to Acadia with the family and am looking some trails that might not be too crowded. Any recommendations?

If you're driving, consider bringing some bicycles. There are tons of gravel bike paths going around to different parts of the park. Not as many scenic vistas as the foot trails, but still a great way to see a lot of the park in a fairly short amount of time.

The Precipice trail will probably be crowded, but still worth it just for the sheer thrill. I also really enjoyed making some loop hikes on the multitude of trails around Jordan Pond. Avoid Cadillac Mtn - there's a parking area near the summit and it will be crowded with fat and obnoxious tourists.