The Ultimate Day Hike in Acadia National Park
Have only one day to spend in Acadia National Park and want to do some serious hiking? Or, do you want to add a real outdoor challenge to a longer visit? You’ve come to the right place - this is the Ultimate Day Hike in Acadia National Park.
This 19.05 / 30.66 kilometer route strings together some of the park’s best offerings, including sunrise at Cadillac Mountain, The Bubbles, Jordan Pond, and Canon Brook, to name a few.
(Off the bat, if you’re wondering why the Beehive, Precipice, or Jordan Cliffs Trails aren’t included: this route is designed to have minimal exposure to cliff ledges, ladders, iron rungs, and peregrine nesting locations so that it can be enjoyed safely spring, summer, and fall.)
The Route Summary
As mentioned, the route is about 19.05 miles / 30.66 kilometers long. It has a total elevation gain of 4364 feet / 1330 meters, and will take anywhere between 10 and 12 hours to complete, excluding stops.
While I’ll provide a more detailed overview below, here’s a quick summary of the route: It begins and ends at Sieur de Monts; from the parking lot, you’ll climb Dorr and Cadillac Mountains before descending along the Cadillac Mountain North Ridge Trail. After some roadwalking, you’ll pass alongside Eagle Lake before climbing up Conners Nubble and over the North and South Bubbles. After downclimbing, you’ll walk along the east edge of Jordan Pond, grab a snack at the Jordan Pond House, then climb Pemetic Mountain before descending besides Bubble Pond. Ascending a ridge south of Cadillac Mountain, you’ll walk back to Sieur de Monts via the Canon Brook Trail and alongside The Tarn.
While you can begin the route after dawn, it is designed specifically to allow you to see sunrise at Cadillac Mountain while being able to admire dawn in relative solace as you climb upwards.
In addition to allowing you to see sunrise at Cadillac Mountain without a difficult-to-get permit, there are other advantages to this route:
As mentioned, it avoids well-known ladder and iron rung trails along peregrine nesting cliffs, such as Beehive, Precipice, and Jordan Cliff, as well as steep cliff ledges, meaning it can be enjoyed by anyone capable of hiking long distances, in most weather conditions, and throughout most of the visiting season,
It intersperses uphill and downhill sections with less strenuous flat sections for recovery, and,
It passes along four toilet facilities, two water collection points, and two shops selling snacks and drinks.
The Route Map
(To use this map most effectively, I recommend clicking the rectangle outline at the top right to open it in a new tab, or within the Google Maps app on a mobile device.)
As you can see, I’ve broken the route into four sections, more or less consisting of similar difficulty. I’ve included some points of interest - such as the locations of facilities and water refill stations along the route - as well as warnings of things to be aware of. Lastly, I’ve tagged the locations where I took the photos included in the detailed route description below.
If you would like a GPX file of this route for your favorite GPS application, don’t worry - one is included at the end of this page.
Detailed Route Description
Segment 1: Climb Up Cadillac Mountain via Emery Path, Schiff Path, and the Cadillac-Dorr Connector - 2.2 Miles / 3.5 Kilometers - 2.2 Miles / 3.5 Kilometers in Total
As I’ve previously mentioned, this route is best paired with a nighttime hike to Cadillac Mountain to witness America’s first light. As such, be aware that for most of the peak visiting season, this will necessitate setting off extremely early in the morning.
I deliberately choose the Sieur de Monts parking lot as the starting point for this trip for two reasons. First, you won’t need to stress about finding a parking spot as it is a large lot by Acadia National Park standards. And, second, the journey up the Emery and Schiff Paths is very achievable and safe at night. I suppose it is also a bonus that it has a toilet facility and a water refilling station for both the beginning and end of your journey.
As far as the timing of your departure goes: I would plan to depart the Sieur de Monts parking lot no later than 2 hours prior to sunrise to get a full experience at Cadillac Mountain. If you wish to take your time or are traveling in a group, 2.5 hours is probably the better bet.
Be sure to leave your National Park pass on the dashboard of your car! If you don’t yet have a park pass, you can purchase a day pass from a vending machine in the lot.
I recommend using a headlamp vice a handheld flashlight for your trek up the Emery Path. While the route is not technical, it is rather steep with large stone steps and it may prove difficult for you to hold a flashlight and climb upwards.
At around the 30-minute mark, you’ll reach your first junction, with Kurt Diederichs Climb - be sure to stay to the right onto the Schiff Path. And, congratulations: you’re already 1/3 of the way up Cadillac Mountain.
#1 - Climbing the Schiff Path steps by headlamp.
Proceeding onwards, you’ll do some walking along a relatively narrow but gentle path on a ledge above The Tarn which is occasionally interrupted by short segments of stone steps. Arriving at your next junction, you’ll stay to the right; otherwise, you’ll soon find yourself descending The Ladders…. You’re almost halfway up at this point.
The trail now steadily climbs Dorr Mountain on long stretches of granite. Be sure to look out for cairns, as finding the blue trail markers will be difficult at night.
Near the summit of Dorr Mountain, you’ll join the Cadillac-Door Connector for your final push to the summit. This is roughly the 2/3rds mark.
#2 - Dawn peeks over the horizon near the summit of Cadillac Mountain.
Just below the summit, you’ll find a nice open area well-shielded from the wind from which you can watch the sunrise in peace-and-quiet; otherwise, continue pressing upwards and confuse the summit sunrise permit-holders as you mysteriously appear from out of nowhere.
Segment 2: Hike to Conners Nubble via the Cadillac Mountain North Ridge Trail, Eagle Lake Road, the Eagle Lake Carriage Road, and the Conners Nubble Trail - 6.1 Miles / 9.8 Kilometers - 8.3 Miles / 13.3 Kilometers in Total
#3 - The sun peeks out from the clouds just after sunrise.
I recommend taking a much-needed break at the summit; while not technically difficult, the climb up will take a lot of energy out of you, particularly since you’ll be setting off so early in the morning.
My recommendation: let the car crowd thin out, explore the summit loop a bit, and head over to the Cadillac Mountain Eco-Store. Here, you can refill your water bottles, use a proper toilet, and buy a coffee or hot chocolate.
#4 - For such a remote shop, the Eco-Store is really well stocked.
After the break, you’ll cross the parking lot to find the trailhead for the Cadillac Mountain North Ridge Trail. The multiple unobstructed viewpoints make this is one of the park’s more popular trails for a reason, but one advantage of descending after sunrise is the comparatively small number of hikers, so you have lots of room to yourself.
#5 - Multiple lookouts on the Cadillac Mountain North Ridge Trail give you views towards Bar Harbor.
All-in-all, it is a relatively easy, steady descent which shouldn’t take too much time. Once you reach the bottom at the Park Loop, cross over and take the Kebo Brook Trail a short distance to arrive at Paradise Hill Road. This will begin the roadwalk section of the hike.
#6 - There’s no sane way to get down there without taking the cloverleaf … trust me, I’ve looked.
Walking across the overpass, you’ll follow the cloverleaf down to Eagle Lake Road underneath. Be careful on the cloverleaf, in particular: it is a blind curve with a fair amount of traffic and there is no sidewalk or shoulder.
#7 - This hiking route includes a stop at a park sign … see, it thought of everything.
After admiring the park sign, you’ll continue on the shoulder for about 1 mile / 1.6 kilometers.
#8 - For those concerned, walking along Eagle Lake Road is perfectly okay!
Eventually, you’ll see a small gravel track resembling on the south side of Eagle Lake Road - I recommend turning down this path, where you can make use of the pit toilet.
#9 - Perhaps the best view of Eagle Lake, at the north end.
The walk along the Eagle Lake Carriage Road should be a relaxing change of pace.
#10 - Occasional breaks in the trees give you views back across to Cadillac Mountain.
Eventually, the carriage road will turn up and away from the lake - around this point, you’ll make two quick turns - the first a left onto the Eagle Lake Trail, and the second a right onto the Conners Nubble Trail. It is surprisingly easy to miss this trail as it looks like a pull-off rather than a trailhead.
#11 - From Eagle Lake to Jordan Pond, there are multiple long stretches of boulder trails both up and down.
The climb up Conners Nubble is relatively short and the view is absolutely fantastic. Odds are also good you’ll have the whole place to yourself - this is a great place to take a break.
#12 - Conners Nubble - one of the most underrated views in Acadia National Park.
Segment 3: Hike The Bubbles, Walk the East Short of Jordan Pond, and Climb Pemetic Mountain - 6.1 Miles / 9.8 Kilometers - 14.4 Miles / 23.1 Kilometers in Total
You’ll now move into one of the more demanding parts of the hike, which involves a slow ascent of North Bubble and a steep descent of South Bubble.
#13 - Many visitors never make it to North Bubble, which is a shame because the view south is solid.
The climb up North Bubble involves navigating some large jagged boulders, but should be mostly trifling.
#14 - It is very difficult to get a photo along the busy descent of South Bubble, but you’ll drop from here to the water as rapidly as it looks.
The cross-over to South Bubble is relatively level. After enjoying Bubble Rock, you can begin your downclimb to Jordan Pond. Arguably, this is the most difficult part of the hike. You will need to climb down two tricky sections, of which one in particular will prove challenging if you are shorter due to a long reach. No part of this trail is dangerous, though, and by this point in the day there will be plenty of people ready to assist you, if needed.
#15 - Jordan Pond.
Once you reach the bottom, proceed along the east shore of Jordan Pond. It is a nice, flat walk which will give you another short break. Make your way to the south short and head to the Jordan Pond House. Here, you will find toilets, a water refill station, and the restaurant’s famous popovers (convenient, since it should be around lunchtime by this point.)
Following your break, head back to the southeast corner of the lake and turn onto the Jordan and Bubble Ponds Path. A short distance down the track (after you cross Park Loop Road), you’ll reach the trail intersection with Pemetic South Ridge Trail. Here, you can make a choice: continue up Pemetic Mountain, or - if you are tired - continue along the Jordan and Bubble Ponds Path and skip the climb up Pemetic Mountain altogether. Skipping Pemetic Mountain will save about 2.4 miles / 3.8 kilometers.
I would encourage you to not skip Pemetic Mountain, if possible, because it is 100% worth the climb.
#16 - Pemetic Mountain features one of the most unobstructed views to the south in Acadia.
The hike up Pemetic Mountain switches between steep, rocky boulder stretches and long sheets of granite slabs. After enjoying the view, expect a sharp, knee-crushing descent on the Pemetic North Ridge Trail (be sure to stay to the right after the summit.)
After fully descending, you’ll reach the parking lot of Bubble Pond, where another block toilet is available for your use.
Segment 4: Walk Along Bubble Pond, Climb to The Featherbed, and Descend on Canon Brook Trail, and Walk The Tarn - 4.6 Miles / 7.5 Kilometers - 19 Miles / 30.6 Kilometers in Total
From here, you may be tempted to take the Cadillac West Face Trail; however, that is a technical climb with extremely high exposure and I don’t recommend undertaking it. Instead, there is an extension of the Canon Brook Trail to the south which is significantly easier to climb.
To reach it, proceed along the carriage road along the west side of Bubble Pond.
#17 - Bubble Pond.
Past the south end of the pond, you’ll see a trail that veers off to the left. For some reason, this trail isn’t on any official map I’ve come across, nor is this connector marked in applications such as AllTrails, or on websites such as OpenStreetMaps. Trust me, it’s there.
From here, you’ll begin your ascent towards The Featherbed on an extension of the Canon Brook Trail. Mission Wicked Awesome, a YouTuber who has hiked every trail in Acadia National Park, has said Canon Brook Trail is the best trail in the park. When I visited the Welcome Center on my way back to Bangor, a Park Ranger asked me which trail was my favorite - without hesitating, I said Canon Brook Trail. It is definitely a highlight, and a great way to end this ultimate day hike.
This route has a couple of iron rungs and a very, very short ladder but it is well within anyone’s technical capability if they’ve come this far.
#18 - While the iron rungs can be intimidating, don’t let them deter you.
The middle section of this trail is incredibly steep and rocky. Take your time, and especially pause frequently to find the next blue trail marker - it is very easy to go off-trail here. Once you’ve reached the top, congratulations - no more climbing for you today!
#19 - An awesome view awaits you just beneath The Featherbed.
After cresting, you’ll descend along the Canon Brook Trail. This trail involves walking beside and crossing Canon Brook (strange, I know…) on large granite slabs. This is, oddly, the most dangerous part of the hike in my opinion. The granite can be extremely slippery and the odds are very good you will slip at some point, especially after rain. Take every step deliberately and be sure to avoid granite with black or pink algae on it.
#20 - The beautiful - but low-key dangerous - Canon Brook Trail.
You’ll be in the home stretch at this point and get to enjoy a rock-free stretch of the Kane Path back to Sieur de Monts.
#21 - Some large boulders along The Tarn.
Do note you’ll pass through a stretch with some large boulders alongside The Tarn - one last obstacle before you end your day! Passing that, you’re on a manicured path back to the parking lot where you started.
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What to Bring on the Hike
A 20-30 liter day backpack.
Sturdy hiking boots with good, grippy soles and ankle support.
A headlamp for hiking up Cadillac Mountain.
At least a two liter water bottle or bladder (three is better).
Lots of snacks and electrolytes to keep you fueled up - this is an incredibly long, demanding hike, after all.
A packable jacket or fleece for the morning hike to Cadillac Mountain.
A portable battery pack for your cellphone (alternatively, leave your phone on Airplane Mode).
GPX File for This Route
You can download a GPX file of this track here.