Gorham Mountain Trailhead — Attraction in Bar Harbor

As a fairly fit senior who read reviews that this trail was “easy” I would say that this is not the case. It’s more of a moderate level trail with many uneven areas stepping through boulders patches and uneven surfaces. The start of the ascending trail head had me scrambling and navigating large boulders, large areas of rock shoulders, exposed roots and slick rocks (be careful when wet). The rest of the path was similar throughout the hike with sections of boulder scrambling, rock steps, narrow passages and exposed tree roots. We took the optional Cadillac trail (located after the metal commemorative plaque on the right fork - look for the sign!) on the accent. It’s easy to miss as the blue blaze is not well marked but there is a sign post. The Cadillac trail featured a narrow squeeze entry, many steep narrow rocky steep steps around rocky bluffs, an old cave and metal rung bar rail steps with metal rung hand holds. The summit offered nice views although on our day mist and fog kicked in offering a calm meditative feel as the sea bell buoys called to us from below. Recommend Wearing hiking shoes! Definitely not a flat easy path. Note that if coming off the Beehive trail this trail connects for a more gradual decent. I would not recommend Cadillac coming down. It took us about 2 hours up - in and down - out from the trail head. Small parking area at trail head. ...

Gorham Mountain (in Acadia National Park) is a great mountain to hike year round. Be sure to also check out Cadillac Cliffs which branches off of the main Gorham Mountain trail. I recommend downloading the AllTrails app. There is no cell service here. With the paid AllTrails annual subscription you can download maps (ahead of time) to navigate these trails even without cell service. The views of the Atlantic Ocean from Gorham Mountain are spectacular. This trail offers a mix of old lava rock formations, areas socked in by trees, cliffs, and connections to many other trails. There is no restroom at this parking lot. Trailhead parking is limited to about 8-10 vehicles; plan to arrive early to ensure a spot. This trail is well maintained and well marked. A park pass is required to access this trail; check...

If you’ve gone to any national parks or mountains of consequence then you’ll be forced to accept this park and trails as a slightly less captivating force, maybe... Or maybe it’s as grand as any other beautiful thing all in its own way. As far as seaside national parks and hikes in the states there aren’t so many to pick from. Washington state has some strong hikes in this regard but I found Acadia and Maine to be a charm, a visually striking quiet place with a different energy all together as you look out toward Nova Scotia and the arctic north. Imagine what’s out there as you stand on ancient stones and islands and forest of green trees below. It’s a wonderful experience and I would say this trail is one of the best overall in the...