Ultimate Guide to the Best Hikes in Acadia National Park: Amazing Trails For Every Hiking Level!

Hello and welcome to my list on the best hiking trails you can find around Acadia National Park. I’m going to organize this list in order of trail difficulty. So if you are new to hiking be sure to stick with the recommendations further up the list. I’ll give you the location of every trail the best I can, and I’ll be sure to supply photographs so you can see the beauty of the trails for yourself before you choose one. 

I'll even give you a couple good places where you can stock up for your hiking trip in case you forgot anything. And to save you time, all these great places to stock up on hiking supplies accept convenient digital GiftYa gift cards. 

Before We Get Started: A Few Places to Fuel Up for Hiking in Acadia

Virtual GiftYa Cards make the perfect gift for loved ones and for anybody who likes to explore the Acadia National Park or travel. These virtual gift cards can be sent and received within seconds. Usually with a special message inside with well wishes towards a loved one or special friend. The virtual gift cards are as easy to send as an email or a text message and can be purchased for nearly ten thousand different merchants and businesses. 

You can personalize the gift message, and send it directly to your recipient’s phone, all within seconds. GiftYa’s digital format provides not only a speedy delivery but also a convenient way to store and maintain different gift card balances. You don’t need to worry about having that particular gift card for that particular establishment on that particular day, as long as you have your phone, GiftYa cards are with you.  

Here’s where to stop before you head out for your hike in Acadia National Park!

Dunkin Donuts

A Quick Breakfast After A Night of Camping

Grab a Dunkin Donuts gift card by following the link!

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15 Kingsland Crossing | Ellsworth | dunkindonuts.com

There are a ton of Dunkin Donuts near Acadia National Park so you can find whichever one is convenient on your route. They make for a great breakfast you can have in the car on the way to your hiking trail.

“Great Dunkin coffee. They are super busy, but the line moved along steadily. It took about 10 minutes for us to get our order, with about 12 cars ahead of us. We enjoy their coffee rolls, as well as hot and iced coffee.” - Yelp Review 

Grab a convenient digital GiftYa Dunkin Donuts gift card.

Subway

A Great Place to Grab Lunch After Camping Near Bar Harbor

Grab a digital Subway gift card by following the link!

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4 Cottage St | Bar Harbor | subway.com

Subway is a great place to grab lunch before you head out hiking. Not only can you eat fairly healthy getting Subway, I also find that it minimizes the amount of trash you need to worry about when you are out hiking in the national park. Which just makes it all around easier to help keep the parks clean. 

“My husband got a good sandwich, quick and fresh. Staff was friendly. I enjoyed one of their cookies.” - Yelp Review 

Grab a gift card to Subway from GiftYa that is digital and convenient by following the link!

The Home Depot

Great Place Near Acadia to Grab Camping Supplies

Grab a Home Depot gift card by following the link!

56 Myrick St | Ellsworth | homedepot.com/l/Ellsworth

If you forgot anything for your hiking trip check out the local Home Depot to stock up on supplies. They’ll have everything from bug spray and sunscreen to camping supplies. 

“This Home Depot is clean and well-run. It has a large parking area, very clean rest rooms, and the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful.” - Yelp Review 

You can grab a digital GiftYa The Home Depot gift card by following the link!

🥾Easy Hikes in Acadia National Park

New to hiking? No problem. We’ve picked out some of the best hikes in Acadia for beginners and anyone who’s looking for a nice, relaxed day in nature. Here are the beginner hiking trails we’ll be covering today:

• Ocean Path
• Cadillac Mountain Summit Loop
• Jordan Pond Path
• Bass Harbor Head Light

🌲Ocean Path (Sand Beach to Otter Point)

Easy Hiking Path With Great Views In Acadia

Park Loop Rd | Bar Harbor | tripadvisor.com/Ocean_Path-Acadia

I actually just recently did this hike when I road tripped around New England this past summer. And I can honestly say that this hike is very easy for anybody. I had two broken ribs when I did it, and I found it to be perfectly accessible. So I am going to assume that if you are out looking for places to hike in a National Park then this path shouldn’t be much of an issue for you.

However, despite being such an easy hike, there are tons of really great views of the ocean. The only thing I would warn you about his hike is that it is so easy and accessible that everybody is going to go on this one. So it stays incredibly busy in my experience. In fact, at one point a whole tour bus of old people showed up. So just be warned this one might not be the disconnection from the world you are looking for when you are hiking in a national park. 

“We both really liked this trail because it was nice and easy but it had excellent views and stopping off points.” - Hiker Review 

🌲Cadillac Mountain Summit Loop

Hiking Trail In Acadia With Breathtaking Views 

Acadia National Park | Bar Harbor | tripadvisor.com/Acadia Mount_Desert_Island

The top of Cadillac Mountain has an absolutely incredible view that no trip to Acadia is complete without taking the time to see. Seriously it is so much more awe inspiring in person than it is in the photos so be sure to see it in person.

And you can take anybody in your hiking party on this hiking trail. Despite taking you up the mountain, it is actually a pretty mild hike that is accessible to children and families alike.  In my opinion this trail is a little less busy than the Ocean Path trail, so if you are looking for some peace and quiet on your hiking trip then this is going to be the hiking trail in Acadia for you. 

“Lovely (moderate) 2.2 mile hike up, and another back down. Not too steep but a couple of rocks are needed to be climbed over. Trail heads were well marked with the color blue. Difficult to tell which peak was actually the top. We'd stop and think we're at the top only to realize the hike kept going.” - Hiker Review

🌲Jordan Pond Path (Jordan Pond Loop)

Scenic And Family Friendly Hiking Path In Acadia

Bar Harbor Rd | Acadia National Park | alltrails.com/trail/us/maine/jordan-pond-path

This 3 mile loop trail is a pretty easy route. It should take you around an hour to complete. It’s a little more challenging than the two hikes further up the list, but that’s mostly just because it is longer. But in exchange for that length you will be taken through all kinds of beautiful greenery and plenty of fresh water as well. However, you should be aware that since this is such a beautiful and relaxing hike, it is often very busy with other hikers and bikers. But it is perfectly accessible for families so what else can you expect? Be sure to check out some of the beautiful photographs other hikers have taken to get a good idea of what this hike really has to offer.

“Lovely. Only did Jordan’s pond east side then the South and North Bubbles. It was very nice. Challenging in spots.” - Hiker Review

🌲Bass Harbor Head Light (Lighthouse) Trail

See A Lighthouse Constructed in 1876 On This Trail

Lighthouse Rd | Tremont | alltrails.com/trail//bass-harbor-head-light-trail

Let’s face it, if you are out adventuring in New England, people are going to ask you if you saw any lighthouses on your trip. Well if you take this hiking trail you can tell them that not only did you see one, but you saw a historic one that is nearly 150 years old. And not only do you get to see the lighthouse, you also get to enjoy a light easy hike on the way there and back with plenty of beautiful views of the ocean. 

I highly recommend going around sunset and getting to see the sun set over the coastline. And you don’t even have to worry about getting stranded in the dark if you do, because the hike is only around half a mile long. 

“Easy walk. More of a sight-seeing opportunity but felt it was necessary for our Maine trip. Small parking lot gets congested and there’s a lot of waiting for parking spots. Lots of stairs.” - Hiker Review 

🥾Best Moderate Hikes in Acadia National Park

Now that we’re warmed up with the best beginner hikes in Acadia, let’s take things up a notch. These moderate hikes are a little longer and more difficult than the ones in the first part of our list, but the views and scenery are definitely worth the extra work.

Today we’ll be covering these top trails for mid-level hikers:

• Gorham Mountain Trail
• Premetic Mountain

🌲Gorham Mountain Trail

Modest Elevation In Exchange for Great Views

Acadia National Park | alltrails.com/trail/gorham-mountain-loop

This hiking trail is one that is pretty close to the Ocean Path trail from the top of the list. It has a relatively mild amount of elevation for how great the views you get to see are. But there is no doubt that it is a bit more strenuous of a hike than the one at the top of the list. 

So set a bit more time aside for this one because even though it’s only three miles, large parts of that are uphill so it takes a bit longer. You should expect this trail to take you around an hour and a half, but it’s going to lead you to see many other interesting things to see around Acadia that you will probably waste the whole afternoon exploring. And if you are there at the right time of year, then you can expect plenty of fresh blueberries on the trail. 

“Got a little lost along the way where we had route option but amazing hike!” - Hiker Review 

🌲 Premetic Mountain

Moderately Strenuous Day Hike In Acadia

Acadia National Park | acadiamagic.com/pemetic-mountain.html

Pemetic Mountain isn’t necessarily more difficult than the Gorham Mountain Trail step for step. But Premetic Mountain is over twice as long. This nearly 7 mile hike is considered a generally challenging route. However, that really includes two trails. A north trail and a south trail. So if you don’t want to do both trails, the hike is really only going to be about three and a half miles. Which certainly makes it a little less strenuous.

“Outstanding and awesome. Recommend hiking the North to the South. Doing this you always hike towards the views.” - Hiker Review 

🥾Hardcore Hikes in Acadia National Park

If you’ve made it this far, you must be looking for a challenge, and Acadia definitely has something to offer. But before you pick a trail, you want to make sure it’s worth the challenge. These are some of the most hardcore hikes Acadia has to offer:

• The Beehive Trail
• The Precipice Trail

🌲 The Beehive Trail

This Trail is Tricky Because of Exposure, But Worth It

Beehive Trail | Bar Harbor | tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review

This mile and a half long loop trail will take you around an hour to complete. So you can expect it to be much more strenuous than the hiking trails listed further up the list today. You can expect some ledges on the cliffs that you have to go over that you might find quite daunting if you aren’t at least a moderately experienced hiker. So this isn’t one that I recommend for hiking groups with young children. It’s strenuous enough without worrying about a kid falling off the cliffside. But despite the difficulty the trail is well worth the time you spend on it because just like every trail at Acadia National Park, it has absolutely breathtaking views. 

“Foliage was beautiful, view was amazing. A little spooky on the cliff edges but easier than I expected it to be!” - Hiker Review

🌲The Precipice Trail

Strenuous Trail With Amazing Views (and Some Exposure)

Acadia National Park | tripadvisor.com/Precipice_Trail

Although this is only around a two mile hike, it is considered to be a quite strenuous hiking route. So you can expect it to take up to two hours. However, despite the strenuous nature of the hike, it is located in a very busy National  Park so you can expect to see other hikers and bikers on the trail.

However, the other hikers and the strenuous trail are all worth it for the amazing views.  Be sure to check out some of the amazing photographs that countless other hikers have posted to get a full picture of this hike. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so those photos will be able to say far more about the trail than I could hope to explain with words.

“Incredible views very strenuous but completely worth it” - Hiker Review 

That’s a wrap on the best hikes in Acadia.

There you go. You finally have a list of all the best hiking trails you can find around Acadia National Park. I was just at the park a few months back and I did several trails at the park over my three days visit. And I can say that you really can’t go wrong with any of these trails if you are looking for beautiful views and scenic routes.

Originally published 10/18/2022.