Acadia National Park · Maine

Beachcroft Path

1.3 mi of trail, end to end · Hike Beachcroft Path: 2 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · about 950 ft of climbing · 99 ft–1,052 ft · earth surface

124 ft 1,052 ft · 1.1 mi high 1,052 ft

Hike Beachcroft Path 2 mi round trip · the Park Service's write-up

1-2 Hours · dogs allowed

Start Beachcroft Path

Rock cairns mark a trail on exposed rock

The Beachcroft Path is a memorial path constructed in 1915. It was funded by Anna Warren Ingersoll Smith in memory of her husband Charles Morton Smith. It is named after their summer cottage in Bar Harbor. In 1926, Mrs. Smith, upset with the condition of the trail under park service management, established an endowment fund for maintenance, which led to improvement of the trail.

Take this trail to hike towards Champlain Mountain for panoramic coastal mountain views of Mount Desert Island, Frenchman Bay, and the outlying islands.

Distance: 2 miles round trip

Terrain: Forested path, steep, exposed rocky sections, cut stone steps

Hike Description

Start at the Beachcroft Path Trailhead, located off ME Route 3. Use care crossing the road.

This trail can also be started from Sieur de Monts via the Wild Gardens Path (add .6 miles round trip). Once reaching the Tarn, turn left and continue to ME Route 3. The Beachcroft Path Trailhead is across ME Route 3 slightly to the right.

Follow the cut granite stairs and flat stone pathways up the side of Huguenot Head, crossing a large boulder field. Enjoy views of Dorr Mountain and the Tarn below.

After circling around Huguenot Head, the trail dips slightly before ascending Champlain Mountain. This section of trail has granite stairs and rocky scrambles up granite ledges.

Before the summit, the trail goes over large expanses of granite. It is not recommended in wet weather.

Reach the 1,058 ft peak of Champlain Mountain and enjoy views of Mount Desert Island, Frenchman Bay, and the outlying islands.

Return back the same way to the Beachcroft Path Trailhead.

Accessibility The Beachcroft Path is not accessible. The trail has uneven footing and short, steep sections throughout. There are no accessible restrooms at the trailhead.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 219 trails in Acadia National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.