It was great - just do it. There are only one place that was a bit scary, it was wet and no handle to grab, hands and knees came in handy for about four feet - besides that no problem. Loved every step
Most exciting trail we did. Great views (better along the trail than from the top). More than a few places that are a bit scary.
This was absolutely the most awesome and terrifying trial I've ever done. Although I've always suffered a little of vertigo, I've decided to challenge myself doing this path. Was absolutely worth it! But I'm not gonna do it again!
absolutely stunning views at the top. there are easier trails to get to the top but def this trail is the most fun and most exhilarating way to get to the top (and equally if not more exciting going down).
Started out expecting a good workout and beautiful views but this hike turned into something life-changing (in a good way). I consider myself an above-average hiker the Precipice Trail was a stern dose of reality. Yes, it was challenging and scary at times but the sense of accomplishment when I completed the journey changed me as a person. Absolutely, my favorite part of Acadia and will forever be engrained in me psyche.
Ok, it's not for everybody but if you like hard hiking with some vertical relief this is the one. Our kids have hiked the Grand Canyon and Angels Landing, and gave the Precipice two thumbs up - "not as cool as Angels Landing, but it was a lot of fun". We did the Beehive the day before and it doesn't really compare.
I did this trail with my 12 year old daughter and my 65 year old mother. It is thrilling if you like heights and a challenge. My advice is to go very slowly and carefully. Some parts of the trail are rock face with metal ladders up it. My daughter had a hard time, as the rungs are adult size. This trail is only open a few weeks out of the summer, because falcons nest there.
I'm afraid of heights and conquered the Precipice Trail! The views were simply spectacular! If you want to see Frenchman's Bay from the best seat, the Precipice Trail is it!
My wife and I hiked the Precipice Trail many years ago, but after reading the reviews here I wanted to add my own comments. Many other reviews are brief and just say this is a great, thrilling trail that you really ought to do "if you can do it". My guess is that many of these brief reviewers are "of an age" where they believe they are immortal. For them, high, exposed climbs are just thrilling - and not really seen as dangerous.After our climb, my wife and I concluded this is the most dangerous, exposed climb we had ever done in a national park that is open to the general public. Now in our mid-sixites, we do the Beehive every year and enjoy the less exposed, handhold climbing thrills that it provides. The Beehive is about 500 feet high, compared to the almost 1,000 height of the Precipice Trail. Importantly, during the higher reaches of the Beehive you are climbing back into the rounded top of the Beehive, so although you are up pretty high you are not climbing on a sheer cliff face.In contrast, the 1,000 foot high Precipice Trail begins with a talus slope where the trail has switchbacks and trees that disguise the fact that you are approaching a vertical cliff face at the top. Once you leave the talus slope, you hike and climb a series of traverses along the cliff interspersed with vertical iron handhold sections that take you straight up the cliff face. Climbing up a vertical cliff face on iron handholds would be thrilling if you were a few hundred feet off the ground and the beginning of the talus slope was only fifty feet below you. The same climb at the very top of a 1,000 cliff with a several hundred foot drop to the talus slope below is more than thrilling - for us it was heart-pounding.
Hands down the best trail we did in Acadia. Different than anything we've done anywhere else. I hope this is an experience that continues to be available to hikers/ climbers for many years. Acadia NP's materials label this a "non-technical climb" instead of a hike for a good reason. The Precipice Trail rapidly gains elevation in a short distance by going right up the cliffs, at times straight up, using iron rungs and ladders that have been attached to the rocks. It's not a trail for anyone that is afraid of heights, children, or pets. If you don't have experience, I wouldn't recommend starting here. Acadia does a good job of warning away the unprepared, including big signs at the beginning of the trail. We didn't encounter anyone that shouldn't have been there but there is a very real risk of injury or falling. I worry that as this trail increases in popularity and more people attempt it, that the park could decide it's more prudent to close it. Please don't let that happen! There are two other trails that reach the top of Champlain Mountain and accomplish the same final views as the Precipice.If this is a trail for you, you'll be rewarded with breathtaking views of the ocean and challenging steps along the rocks as you climb higher. Take some time to lean against the rocks, catch your breath, and admire the scenery.The Precipice Trail was the start of a 7-mile hike for us. After reaching the top of Champlain Mountain, we hiked down the south ridge trail, went by the Bowl, and up the Gorham Mountain trail and down the other side. We linked up with the ocean path and walked along Monument Cove, saw Thunder Rock and Sand Beach (and all the crowds), and over to Schooner Head overlook before taking the path along Schooner Head road back to where we had parked at Precipice. With several stops it took us about 5 hours and was a great way to see some of the more popular attractions in Acadia without driving. I'd recommend this route, but you probably will need the more detailed hiking trail map ($5) from the park visitor's center in Bar Harbor if you want to duplicate it. The map they give out for free doesn't have enough information for hiking.