Acadia Hiking Trails

Easy & Very Easy Acadia Hiking

We can guide you to the easiest Acadia hiking trails for beginners or those who don't like to push themselves too hard. Maine hiking doesn't have to be wilderness hiking!

You can do many different types of hiking at Acadia. Some of it is easy... some is more strenuous. Some Acadia hiking routes are short... others are long.

Some travel mostly through forest or meadow, while others ascend mountain peaks or require rock scrambling. There truly is something for everyone here.

The following list of easy Acadia hiking trails ranges from very easy to merely easy. Of course, what is easy for one person might still be harder for someone else. Still, most sources seem to agree that these trails are some of the easiest.

You can get more details on the hikes we recommend by clicking on the title of the hike.

Please be realistic when deciding which hikes to attempt. Do not choose Acadia hiking trails that do not match your skill level.

Very Easy Hikes

Very easy Acadia hiking trails are usually fairly short (less than 1.5 miles) and mostly flat.

Bar Harbor Shore Path

This 1-mile out and back path along the shore of Frenchman Bay in the town of Bar Harbor is flat and meandering. It provides great harbor and Porcupine Island views, but we would call it more of a "walk" than a true hike. Still, if you have small children or enjoy skipping stones into the surf, it may be just the thing! It runs from the Bar Harbor Inn pier to the Breakwater B&B estate.

Cadillac Summit Loop Trail

This 1/2-mile loop is a paved path that runs in interlocking loops around the top of Cadillac Mountain, the tallest peak in Acadia National Park. There are display boards along the way that tell the story of Acadia and Cadillac. Again, this can't really be called a hike, but it IS fun. We do it every year, as part of our auto tour day. The views are magnificent, but bring a warm jacket—it's usually terrifically windy and can be cold there at the top, even on an otherwise warm summer day.

Jordan Pond Nature Trail

Not to be confused with the somewhat more strenuous Jordan Pond Loop Trail, this short nature hike does follow some of the same route, right around the Jordan Pond House. There is a self-guiding brochure available at the trail head... a pleasant way to walk off your afternoon tea calories!

Wonderland Trail

This is a trail you often hear about, but we never did, since we were generally in search of more challenging Acadia hiking trails. It's also a little off the beaten track, being way out by Seawall Campground at the far end of Mount Desert Island. This short out-and-back hike on a fire road travels from forest to seashore, ending on a cobbled beach. You can take short detours off the road in several spots, if you want to get away from "the crowd."

Easy Hikes

Easy hikes are those that are still fairly level, but may have some uneven ground to cover or be lengthier than the very easy variety, so are not as suitable for very young children or anyone who is not steady on their feet.

Bar Island

This is a hike we always intended to do, but somehow never got around to. It's an easy coastal hike that gives you great views of Frenchman Bay that are not available elsewhere. Plus, it has the added excitement of being accessible via a sandbar that is only exposed for 3 hours at a time... 1.5 hours before low tide and for 1.5 hours after low tide. Walkers beware—walk or drive across at the wrong time of day and you could get stranded!

Ocean Drive Trail/Ocean Path

This 4-mile out-and-back hike on a paved path extends from Sand Beach past Thunder Hole to Otter Cliffs, but you don't have to cover the whole distance, if you want a shorter hike. The terrain is rolling and the cars on the Park Loop Road are only a short distance away, but the vistas of the seacoast are gorgeous. We always walk at least part of it each time we go to Acadia. What we like best is jumping off the path onto the rocky cliffs that line much of it. You can have lunch there, explore tidal pools for all sorts of marine life, or just test your rock climbing abilities! Use care with children... it can be dangerous on the cliffs.

Ship Harbor Trail

Like the Wonderland Trail, this one is located at the far end of the island, near Seawall Campground. It's a figure-8 nature trail on a well-maintained, and sometimes crowded path right along the shoreline. You can experience history here too... the trail's name comes from an Irish ship that ran aground at this spot in the early 1600s.

Ship Harbor Trail

Other easy hikes include the Great Meadow Loop, which leaves from the town of Bar Harbor and most of the carriage roads.

Gorham Mountain | North Ridge Cadillac | Jordan Stream | South Bubble
Canyon Brook | Beehive/Great Head Trails Loop | West Face Cadillac
Ocean Path | Jordan Cliffs

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