Acadia National Park · Maine

East Trail

0.5 mi of trail, end to end · 350 ft of descent · 61 ft–429 ft · earth surface

429 ft 61 ft · 0.4 mi high 429 ft

Hike the Acadia Mountain Loop with Island Explorer Bus the Park Service's write-up

2-3 Hours · dogs allowed · Spring, Summer, Fall

Start Acadia Mountain Loop

Visitors overlook islands from a mountain summit.
View of Sommes Sound and Cranberry Island for Acadia Moutain summit. Photo: NPS Photo

Nestled in between Echo Lake and Somes Sound lies Acadia Mountain. Standing just 681 ft tall it offers amazing views of the surrounding waters and mountains. Located on the West or “Quiet Side” of the park, it offers a quieter hike through the forest and over granite slabs. Listen for numerous birds chirping along the trail. To do the loop continue on the Man O War Fire Brook Road.

This trail is steep on both sides and steeper on the West Side next to Somes Sound, with more granite and rocky sections. Taking the Fire Road all the way over to the West side of the mountain, and then going up to the summit, is the easier way. A false summit provides a great view of the mountains and sound. Just 0.3 miles further on is the actual summit; it is marked with a trail marker. Taking the east side down is easier with some rocky spots and stone steps. Please be mindful of where you are stepping as all trails in this park have roots and rocks that you can slip or trip on.

Acadia Mountain rises in between two bodies of water overlooking Southwest Harbor. Hiking up the west side has great views of Somes Sound. The east side has great views of Beech Mountain with the Fire Tower in the distance. Enjoy a mostly forested trail with a few rock scrambles.

Acadia Mountain Trail follows up the east and west side of the mountain with views of the surrounding mountains and bodies of water. With the Island Explorer bus, visitors won't need to park along the road and can ride to the trailhead stress-free.

Bus: Island Explorer #7 (Southwest Harbor) from Bar Harbor at Village Green and get off at the parking lot for Acadia Mountain. safely cross the road. Ask the driver if you feel more comfortable. The trailhead is on the other side. Once you finish the hike the bus will pick up back at the trailhead.

Accessibility Due to the steep nature of the trail, it is not accessible. The trail has a moderate to steep grade throughout.

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.