Nine Popular Hikes and Drives

1. Cadillac Mountain

Standing about 1,530 feet in height, Cadillac Mountain wins a lot of superlatives. Not only is it the tallest mountain in the park, but it's the tallest mountain on the North Atlantic seaboard.

2. Park Loop Road

Riding along the 27-mile Park Loop Road is the best way to take a leisurely tour of Acadia. Popular sites like Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, and Otter Cliff can all be reached from here!

3. Jordan Pond

Both the Jordan Pond Nature Trail (an easy stroll through the evergreens) and the Jordan Pond Shore Trail (a more difficult trek along the rocky coast) spill out to the picturesque and pleasant respite that is Jordan Pond. 

4. Schoodic Point

Located an hour's drive northeast from Bar Harbor, Schoodic Point is known for the crashing surf that explodes against its rocks. After admiring the waves, look to the west for incredible views of Cadillac Mountain!

5. Sand Beach

Sandwiched between two walls of pink granite and surrounded by towering evergreens, the 290-yard-long shoreline is not your average beach. After admiring the views from the shore, consider hiking up the Great Head Trail for a better vantage point. 

6. Carriage Roads

The Carriage Roads are a 57-mile long network of paved paths created and funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr. from 1913 to 1940. Over the course of the twenty-seven year project, Rockefeller hand-designed the paths to highlight the best scenery the park had to offer, winding around Jordan Pond, Eagle Lake and Mount Desert Island. 

7. Otter Cliff

Another classic stopping point  along the Park Loop Road, Otter Cliff is a giant 110-foot-high granite precipice with one of the most breathtaking ocean views on the East Coast.  In the summer, lucky visitors will see whale pods spouting off the shore!

8. Thunder Hole

A raucous natural phenomenon, this semi-submerged cave booms an hour or two before high tide. Waves fill the cave in such a way that the slapping is as loud as a thunderstorm — hence the name — and water can spray as far as 40 feet, so wear a poncho to stay dry!

9. Precipice Trail

The Precipice Trail is one of the most rewarding hikes in the park, if you're ready to attempt it. The challenging, two-mile round-trip path has visitors scrambling up the side of Champlain Mountain by iron rungs and ladders fixed to exposed cliffs, all for a scenic summit and unparalleled view of Sand Beach.