We took our 5- and 2.5-year olds and they LOVED it. Made it to the top with a few scraped knees. You need to hold their hands sometimes and lift them up/down and there are definitely areas where you need to police them away from drops--but I watched their confidence go up as the hike went on. The views from the top are magnificent and we were the only ones up there. About an hour up and less down with small kids.
Another great stop in Acadia, easy access, good parking and well mark trail with amazing view to Sand Beach
Spent time driving here to start our first ever "leap peeping" experience. It felt so real and not at all touristy which was fabulous. The people we met were really friendly and going along the trail there was so much to see and explore. I am sure we could have done a lot more but what we saw we loved,we just didn't have enough time to do it all - time to go back again methinks!
Easy trail to hike with continuous stunning views of the ocean. Despite being high up there are never vertigo moments for those with a fear of heights. Not a heavily traveled trail when we hiked in October which was surprising because the fall foliage was amazing!! Highly recommend this trail. Next time we visit Acadia, we will hike this trail again.
This was a great trail for views of the ocean and the inland mountains. Views got more spectacular as we climbed higher. Each one encouraged me to go on to the next level. I am not a hiker but was able to easily walk this trail. Wore tennis shoes which worked okay but those with hiking shoes were better able to scramble over the big rocks.
We are not regular hikers. We are over but still in decent shape. We hiked this trail and it took longer than we expected but it was worth every moment. Actually, we took a bit of a wrong turn and made the hike more difficult. However, if you are more observant than we were up, and followed the trail markers, you will have a relatively easy hike to the top of the trail. The views are stunning. We were traveling during the last week of October. The foliage was still magnificent. This is a place where you go to understand that God really does exist. We then continued our hike from the top of the trail for another mile to the place that is known as The Bowl. It is worth the extra distance. From the bowl you can then go down a side pass to the main road, saving a lot of time and some effort. Unless you are quite physically fit and up for a challenge, avoid the area called the beehive. Otherwise, it is very user-friendly for anyone of reasonable fitness level.
To get great views of the surrounding area, be sure to do the Gorham Mountain Trail in Acadia National Park. The trail is not too difficult, covering lots of rocky areas, and the views from the top are worth the climb. We parked near Thunder Hole, did the hike up the mountain, then down toward Sand Beach and then hiked along Park Loop Road back to the parking area.
Start at the Gorham Mountain parking lot, then if you get tired ride the bus two stops back from the beach. If you have more energy stop at the beach for water and hike the two miles along the shoreline. There are great views from the top of the mountain which makes a great resting point if you are not in a hurry.
This is a nice 2 mile loop trail, it's not too steep, and not too much vertical climbing. The views at the top are pretty nice, if the weather is cooperating.About a quarter of a mile in the trail splits to the Cadillac Cliffs Path. Take that on the way back, it's tougher and more strenuous. However, there are some steep steps on this path, so if you don't want to hike down or over rocks, just stick to the main trail.
We hiked Gorham Mountain Trail from the entrance near Thunder Hole, up to the Summit and then down a steeper trail to the entrance road to Sand Beach. It was a good family hike (we had a 9 year old and a 3 year old, plus a 2 year old in a backpack and 2 small dogs) and we stopped at the Summit for a snack and to take in the beautiful views of Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs and beyond. Take your time and spend about 2 hours on the trail. Highly recommended.