Parking
Parking or a dedicated trailhead at either end could not be verified. The south endpoint is the Little Harbor Brook carriage-road bridge; the north end meets Hadlock Brook Trail. Plan legal access and a return route before setting out.
Overview
About Amphitheater Trail
Why go
- The trail passes beneath a distinctive pink-granite arch bridge.
- Open ledges near Birch Spring break up the wooded climb.
Heads up
- A steep point-to-point connector needs a return plan; parking at either end is unverified.
- The published 1.7-mile figure and mapped 1.4-mile path do not match.
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Acadia alerts
- CautionAvoid water contact at Sand Beach LagoonDo not swim at Sand Beach Lagoon. - Bacterial levels have exceeded public-health standards, so the NPS has posted a Public Health Advisory.Official details
- ClosureSchoodic Mountain Road closed for repairsSchoodic Mountain Road is closed from Schoodic Loop Road to the summit of Schoodic Head. - The closure began August 31 for resurfacing, regrading, and ditching.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Acadia Tour Guide
Your drive to Amphitheater Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Acadia National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
Jordan Pond and Popovers0:00 / 0:32
“Jordan Pond is coming up, with the rounded peaks called the Bubbles at the far end of the water. Walk down to the south shore for that classic view; you don't need to circle the lake to enjoy it.”
Plays on the road 0.8 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Brown Mountain Gatehouse and Its Bells
- Stanley Brook Bridge’s Three Crossings
- The Periwinkle's Toothed Tongue
- Asticou and Jordan Pond’s Historic Path
- 116 audio storiesacross Acadia’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 142 trails, 72 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…As we drove through Acadia it gave us a tour, which was really cool. Lots of great info about the parks and how to avoid the crowds. It’s a great travel companion!”
Trail guide
Hiking Amphitheater Trail
What this trail isAmphitheater Trail is a wooded point-to-point climb from the Little Harbor Brook carriage-road…
Amphitheater Trail is a wooded point-to-point climb from the Little Harbor Brook carriage-road bridge to the Hadlock Brook Trail junction. The mapped path between those ends is about 1.4 miles one way; the park trail list gives 1.7 miles but does not explain how that figure was measured. Treat the distance as approximate and allow about 1½ hours for the climb. This is a connector, not a loop, so plan how you will return before setting out.
Up the brook valleyThe trail starts beneath the bridge arch, follows Little Harbor Brook through the woods, then…
The trail starts beneath the bridge arch, follows Little Harbor Brook through the woods, then climbs north and turns northwest toward Birch Spring. It crosses the Sargent Mountain South Ridge Trail there, where the trees open onto ledges. Most of the tread is unconstructed, and historic step-stone crossings near the bridge are uneven underfoot.
The bridgeThe Amphitheater carriage-road bridge was completed in 1931.
The Amphitheater carriage-road bridge was completed in 1931. Its single pink-granite arch spans 245 feet, and the hiking trail passes right underneath it. The path and rough stonework framed beneath the arch are the memorable view here; include both in a photo to show how the trail passes through the bridge.
Access and dogsThe south end is at the Little Harbor Brook bridge and the north end meets Hadlock Brook Trail.
The south end is at the Little Harbor Brook bridge and the north end meets Hadlock Brook Trail. Parking or a dedicated trailhead at either end could not be verified, so do not assume you can leave a car at the bridge; plan legal access and the return route together. Dogs are allowed on most Acadia trails and must stay on a leash no longer than six feet.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Acadia
130 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around noonSighting map
21 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
396 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
305 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
201 sightingsBeaverMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
34 sightingsMinkMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Acadia. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
