Hiking Acadia: Our Family's Favorite Hikes

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already a fan of hiking at Acadia National Park. Here’s how I became one - My family started coming to Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Campground in 2015 to follow our BIG travel bug and work on MDI for the summer. After coming back to MDC and Acadia summer after summer, we're now living on MDI full-time, hiking Acadia’s mountains as much as we can, learning the ins and outs, and loving every minute. As I’m writing this, the year has been a wild one —navigating a pandemic, launching the Togetherness Redefined book, and creating more adventure resources for families. Through it all, hiking has been my therapy — the thing fueling all the rest.

So, grab your park hiking map and check out some of our favorites.

You can use the map below for directions to the trailheads. Or, click the location names in the list below to see one of our photos from that spot.

Zoom in to Maine and get directions to each hike on Google Maps⤵⤵⤵

*All hikes are listed in order of easiest to most difficult (in our opinion).

When our kids were small:

• Wonderland (in Southwest Harbor)

• Ship Harbor (in Southwest Harbor)

• Jordan Pond Path (on Park Loop Road)

• Shore Path (in Bar Harbor)

• Bar Island (in Bar Harbor)

• Eagle Lake path (off Eagle Lake Road)

• Ocean Path (at Sand Beach)

• Little Long Pond (off Route 3)

• Hunter's Beach (off Route 3)

• One Mile Rock at Long Pond (and swim at the end!)

• Flying Mountain (in Southwest Harbor)

• Beech Mountain (on Beech Hill Road)

• Great Head (at Sand Beach)

• Bubble Rock (at Jordan Pond House)

Now that they're older:

• North and South Bubble (at Jordan Pond House)

• Gorham Mountain and Cadillac Cliffs (on Park Loop Road)

• Acadia Mountain & St. Saveur (in Southwest Harbor)

• Sargent and Penobscot (my favorite - at Jordan Pond House)

• Pemetic (at Jordan Pond House)

• The Beehive (at Sand Beach)

• Giant Slide Trail (off Route 3 - also goes up Sargent and over to Penobscot)

• Lower Hadlock to the Goat Trail on Norumbega (off Route 3)

• Bald and Parkman Mountains (off Route 3)

• Cadillac South Ridge (off Route 3 new Blackwoods)

• Cadillac North Ridge (on Park Loop Road) - especially good for hiking up to watch the sunrise

Where we hike without the kids:

• Precipice Trail (on Park Loop Road)

*NOTE: This is where I tell you that I’m not responsible for any fun or lack of fun you have on any of these trails or any injuries or best friends you meet along the way. Be safe. Have fun. And take care of Acadia for all of us who love her.

Want more National Park & Family Travel fun?

Read a few togetherness tips ⤵

• National Park Hacks from Long-Term Nomads

• How to Find Your Family’s Park

• Family Road Trip Advice from a Former Full-Time Traveler

• The Dos and Don’ts of Work-Camping

• Traveling More: Could We Live in a Small Space?

• Traveling More: Is it Selfish?

• Traveling More: Could We Afford It?

• Traveling More: Could We Homeschool?

Get some help going after your own big dreams.

&

Come join us in the email group.

I share all kinds of travel, adventure, and family togetherness fun over there every Friday morning.

I’ll see you there!

……

{If you’re a Maine business owner and would like to share this list with families, you can download a scan code flyer here or download a tear-off flyer here. Or, download a black-and-white friendly copy of each here and here.}