With more than 120 miles of hiking trails and 26 mountains to summit within the park, there are countless places to soak in the sights of Mount Desert Island, the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding Maine coast.
And you don’t even have to go in summer to get the best views. In fact, sometimes the bare trees in winter give way to spectacular sights you may otherwise have missed.
We’ve rounded up 20 photos that show just what awaits you on these iconic trails.
The Beehive Trail
The narrow Beehive Trail switchbacks up the face of Beehive, a 520-foot tall granite hump in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island on June 10, 2012. The popular Sand Beach can be seen nearby. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Deer Brook Trail, Penobscot Mountain
The Deer Brook Trail passes underneath Deer Brook Bridge on Oct. 26, 2016, on Sargent Mountain, which rises 1,373 feet above sea level in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Norumbega Mountain Trail
Aislinn Sarnacki hikes along the ridge of Norumbega Mountain on the Norumbega Mountain Trail on April 26, 2013, in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Beside her is a Bates cairn (with an extra rock on the top), designed by Waldron Bates in the early 1900s to mark some of the original trails on MDI. Credit: Courtesy of Derek Runnells
Bubble Trail, South Bubble
Hikers Meghan Carter and Brent Walter reach the upper ledges of South Bubble after ascending the steep trail that rises from Jordan Pond (background) in Acadia National Park on July 4, 2012. Fog surrounds South Bubble and obscures the nearby Park Loop Road. Credit: Brian Swartz / BDN
Gorge Path, Cadillac and Dorr Mountain
In this July 14, 2016, file photo, the Gorge Path in Acadia National Park winds its way between Cadillac and Dorr mountains. Credit: Micky Bedell / BDN
Parkman Mountain Trail
In this April 10, 2016, file photo, Aislinn Sarnacki and her dog hike along a particularly rocky and scenic section of the Parkman Mountain Trail in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Credit: Courtesy of Derek Runnells
Pemetic South Ridge Trail
The sun sets behind Penobscot Mountain and Jordan Pond during an afternoon hike up Pemetic South Ridge Trail on Pemetic Mountain in Acadia National Park on Oct. 9, 2021. Credit: Lindsay Putnam / BDN
Jordan Cliffs Trail, Penobscot Mountain
In this Aug. 6, 2017, file photo, Aislinn Sarnacki hikes up a steep section of Jordan Cliffs Trail on Penobscot Mountain in Acadia National Park. Below is Jordan Pond. Credit: Courtesy of Derek Runnells
Otter Cliffs
The Otter Cliffs are seen from the Ocean Path in Acadia National Park on June 1, 2021. Credit: Lindsay Putnam / BDN
Great Notch Trail, Bernard Mountain
In this Oct. 5, 2019, file photo, the section of trail between Knight Nubble and Great Notch on Bernard Mountain is especially steep and challenging to navigate. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Compass Harbor Trail
The snow-covered mountains of Schoodic Peninsula are seen across the water from a beach off Compass Harbor Trail on Jan. 7, 2019, in Acadia National Park. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Champlain North Ridge Trail
Aislinn Sarnacki and her dog, Oreo, pause to take in the view while hiking on the North Ridge Trail on Champlain Mountain on Feb. 17, 2019, in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Credit: Courtesy of Derek Runnells
The Precipice Trail, Champlain Mountain
Derek Runnels looks out over Acadia National Park and the Porcupine Islands in October 2010 while hiking Precipice Trail, a steep climb of about 1,000 feet up the east face of Champlain Mountain. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Cadillac Cliffs Trail, Gorham Mountain
Kim Swan of Bucksport stops to take a photo of cliffs while hiking the Cadillac Cliffs Trail on Gorham Mountain on April 2, 2022, in Acadia National Park. Credit: Courtesy of Aislinn Sarnacki
Gorham Mountain Trail
Aislinn Sarnacki hikes along the ridge of Gorham Mountain with her dog Oreo on May 19, 2013, in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. In the distance is Sand Beach and a mountain called The Beehive. Credit: Courtesy of Derek Runnells
Jesup Path
In this Oct. 9, 2021, file photo, maple trees display vibrant foliage along the Jesup Path in Acadia National Park. Credit: Courtesy of Aislinn Sarnacki
Beachcroft Path, Huguenot Head
Aislinn Sarnacki walks along the Beachcroft Path on Oct. 6, 2020, in Acadia National Park. Credi: Courtesy of Derek Runnells
Homans Path, Dorr Mountain
In this Oct. 9, 2021, file photo, a staircase leads through a whimsical granite doorway on Homans Path on Dorr Mountain in Acadia National Park. Credit: Courtesy of Aislinn Sarnacki
Emery Path, Dorr Mountain
Derek Runnells and his dog, Juno, navigate the Emery Path along the steep slope of Dorr Mountain on Oct. 9, 2021, in Acadia National Park. Credit: Courtesy of Aislinn Sarnacki
Cadillac South Ridge Trail
Tourists explore the Southwest side of Cadillac Mountain on a sunny summer day in July 2016. Credit: Micky Bedell / BDN
Correction: An earlier version of this story misnamed Cadillac Cliffs Trail on Gorham Mountain.
Lindsay Putnam is a senior editor covering Greater Bangor news and sports for the Bangor Daily News, where she has worked since 2018. Lindsay previously worked as an editor and reporter at the New York...
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