Hiking trails in Acadia - Well signposted?

Hello all, I am visiting Acadia for 3 nights from 10.5.07 and plan to do the Great Head Trail and Gorham Mountain. I am a keen photographer and plan to go in the early morning while the other half slumbers (he is a wheelchair user and can%26#39;t accompany me). Are the trails signposted well enough for me to be safe alone? I plan to buy a map book of the trails from the visitor centre when we arrive but have niggling doubts about getting lost! Any help / advice much appreciated especially any suggestions for photogenic trails that are not in the ';strenuous'; category :-)

Hiking trails in Acadia - Well signposted?

Here%26#39;s a suggestion but it depends on your hiking ability. It is not really strenuous but is a bit long. OK here goes. Start at Sand Beach parking lot. Cross sand beach and climb the stairs to Great Head Trail. This trail is basically a loop and is well marked. After completed the loop around Great Head return to the parking lot the way you came. From the Parking Lot take the Ocean Drive Trail (flat, paved and very scenic with some great photo opportunities) for about 2 miles to Otter Cliffs. Return along Ocean Drive Trail to the signpost for Gorham Mountain. Follow the signs (all trails in Acadia are marked with either very conspicuous cairns or bright blue blazes often on the rock) to the top of Gorham Mountain and down the other side to the intersection with the Bowl Trail (turn right on Bowl which is very rocky but not all that difficult) and take Bowl right back down to the Sand Beach parking lot. If you want you can take Island Explorer buses to and from Sand Beach. All in all it is about a 5 1/2 mile hike and can be easily done in a morning. And it is very photogenic.

Another easy hike with beautiful views of Bar Harbor and the mountains of Acadia is to walk from downtown Bar Harbor to Bar Island (across the sand bar which is exposed at low tide). Once you climb to the top of the hill on Bar Island, you can get some great photos of the village with the mountains in the background.

Finally there is a short trail called the Shore Path right in Bar Harbor. I believe you could take you other half on this path even in the wheelchair. The early morning (we always walk this before breakfast) will also provide some very nice photo opportunities of the Porcupine Island, etc.

Have fun.

Hiking trails in Acadia - Well signposted?

Not to worry. The trails are well-sign posted and it%26#39;s almost impossible to get lost. As we say, how lost can you get on an island?? You%26#39;ll always have the ocean as a marker. Plus, even early in the morning, it won%26#39;t be too long before you come across another human being who will be glad to give advice.

The Great Head Trail and Gorham Mountain are great choices for photography. But, really, anywhere along the Loop Road is quite scenic. There are many places to pull over and hike for a bit to get a good photo.

Be sure you stop at the various small lakes in the Park. Bubble Pond is beautiful. Jordan Pond is much-photographed with the rock formations called The Bubbles in the background. There is a trail along one side of Jordan Pond that is handicap accessible. You can both go for a ';stroll'; and then have tea and popovers on the lawn.

Sunrise and sunset from the top of Cadillac provide great opportunities for photography.

What you have read so far are excellent suggestions. When you get to the island, stop in at Sherman%26#39;s bookstore or Cadillac Mountain Sports and obtain a copy of the Map Adventures LLC map to Acadia National Park. It also is available at %26lt;www.mapadventures.com%26gt;.

As has been noted, the trails are very well signposted; the map will help you at intersections.

By all means, stop at the visitor center. It features a very large model of the park which will help you become acquainted with the various trails and mountains.

The trails are well-posted so you should be fine. A Walk in the Park - Acadia%26#39;s Hiking Guide by Tom St. Germain is great and you should be able to pick one up at Sherman%26#39;s in Bar Harbor. The Food Mart in Southwest has them as well. I%26#39;m sure that you%26#39;ll prepare appropriately - don%26#39;t forget a compass - just in case. October has perfect hiking weather.

Many thanks to you all for your helpful replies. I am so sorry I put the date down the English way LOL It is May 10th we will be there...in fact in two weeks exactly we will be taking off from Heathrow..I am so excited. I visited Acadia 18mths ago for the fall but only had time for a drive round the loop road so I%26#39;d like to see more.

A couple more questions if you dont mind. Is the sand bar over to Bar Island firm enough for an electric wheelchair with fairly wide tyres? Also, I had read that the Ocean Drive Trail is paved and wondered if that would be suitable for wheelchairs?

I%26#39;ll post some photos when I return.

';A couple more questions if you dont mind. Is the sand bar over to Bar Island firm enough for an electric wheelchair with fairly wide tyres?';

Yes, it is quite firm. You may have to be careful on the approach, which is a bit steep and rough.

';Also, I had read that the Ocean Drive Trail is paved and wondered if that would be suitable for wheelchairs?';

Yes, it is paved and sufficiently wide to accept a wheelchair. There are no steep grades on it.

Many thanks for your reply.

Just a few recommendations from me to help you out a little too. First, another fairly not-so-hard hike to do is walk across the street from Sand Beach and to the entrance to the Beehive. Before starting to climb the mountain, bear to the left and work your way back towards the Bowl. The Bowl kinda sits between the Beehive and Gorham. Anyway, work your way back there and you can climb right up the backside of the Beehive and it is not bad at all. Some great views from up there. You certainly can walk up the Beehive, too, but it might freak you out. It is steep and uses the ladder system. But, if you are up to it, walk up the backside (much, much easier) and enjoy the views.

Second, dont forget to slip over to Jordan Pond (on the pondhouse side) to snap some shots of the Bubble mountains reflecting in the water. Go early in the morning when it is calm out and maybe a bit a fog. It is where I go when the sunrise isnt so good on the ocean side of the island.

Third, I am not familiar with the Map Adventures LLC map cwvoigt spoke of, but if he recommends it, then I know it is good. When I return to MDI this year, I will be checking it out. But, I have used A Walk in the Park Hiking Guide for the last several years - goes with me every where I go.

Fourth, and a question for others here... Are there wheel chair accesses along the carriage roads and if so, is there one you would recommend to them? I am particularly thinking of down along Jordan Stream near the footbridge where you start hiking towards Penobscot from the pondhouse. If they can just get down there on the carriage road in that area, I am thinking Jordan Stream will be full and very pretty at that time of year.

Lastly, thanks so much for the comments on my photos. I hope you have a wonderful time there. Dont forget to slip by Ben and Bills downtown and try the Lobster ice cream. It is my favorite.

Mike

Thanks to all for your replies. I am going to print them out and take them with me.

Mike, thanks for your photo related advice too. I%26#39;ve seen that shot of Jordan pond with the reflections and was wondering what time of day would be best. Thanks.

Susan

Mike (Crash758):

';Third, I am not familiar with the Map Adventures LLC map cwvoigt spoke of, but if he recommends it, then I know it is good. When I return to MDI this year, I will be checking it out. But, I have used A Walk in the Park Hiking Guide for the last several years...';

Tom St. Germain%26#39;s ';A Walk in the Park'; is still probably the best guide for planning a hike. My copy is sitting here on my desk. However, as time goes by and the park changes either the location of trail heads (e.g., Penobscot, Giant Slide) or the names of trails (e.g., Bear Brook), ';A Walk'; is becoming somewhat dated. Also, some of his descriptions of trail connections, etc. can be confusing. That%26#39;s why I recommend both his book %26lt;and%26gt; the MapAdventures map. Whereas St. Germain%26#39;s drawings tend to focus in on the narrow area of the hike, the map provides a larger perspective, which helps one orient oneself a bit better. Also, it appears that MapAdventures updates the map annually (it also is available in a waterproof version).

Nowadays, I pretty much depend on the MA map to plan our hikes and the descriptions of the trails in Pathmakers (to which I%26#39;ve referred before on these forums). Incidentally, St. Germain contributed a lot of his unpublished notes and observations to Pathmakers, as did many other long-time island residents and hikers.