Parking
Use the south-end Long Pond parking area off Long Pond Road. The West Ridge trail starts from the pond side of the lot; parking is limited.
Overview
About Beech Mountain West Ridge Trail
Why go
- A fire-tower summit with views of Somes Sound, islands, and ocean
- A gentle Long Pond shore walk before the climb
Heads up
- Steep, rocky steps on the upper climb
- Limited parking at the Long Pond south-end access
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Acadia alerts
- ClosureSouthern Ocean Path section closed for repairsThe southern section of Ocean Path is closed for repairs from the trailhead across from the Otter Point parking lot to the trail’s southern terminus.Official details
- ClosureSchoodic Mountain Road closed for repairsSchoodic Mountain Road is closed for repairs from Schoodic Loop Road to the summit of Schoodic Head.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Acadia Tour Guide
Your drive to Beech Mountain West Ridge 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.
See the Acadia audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Long Pond Access and Perpendicular Trail0:00 / 0:32
“You're approaching the access road for Long Pond's south shore and Perpendicular Trail, a steep climb up Mansell Mountain.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Flower That Makes Heat
- Gilley Field and Razorback Ridge
- Mill Field and Bernard Mountain’s Forest Loop
- Carroll Homestead’s Seafaring Family
- 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 Beech Mountain West Ridge Trail
The West Ridge to the towerBeech Mountain West Ridge is a roughly 2.
Beech Mountain West Ridge is a roughly 2.1-mile out-and-back from the south end of Long Pond to the summit fire tower, returning on the same route. Allow about 1½ to 2 hours for roughly 780 feet of climbing. The shore walk is easy, but the climb is steep and rocky. I’d choose it for the Long Pond approach and tower views without the extra walking of a loop.
Start along Long PondBegin at the south-end parking area on Long Pond Road.
Begin at the south-end parking area on Long Pond Road. The trail leaves from the pond side of the lot and follows the eastern shore, mostly flat, for its first 0.3 mile. At a cottage path and driveway, stay on the trail and respect the property. A brook crossing marks the shift from shore walk to climb.
The rocky climbThe trail climbs through deciduous woods on rocky steps, then opens onto partly treed ledges.
The trail climbs through deciduous woods on rocky steps, then opens onto partly treed ledges. Look back for views over Long Pond and toward Mansell Mountain. Near the top, take the short right-hand connection to the summit; it adds about 0.1 mile each way and is included in the 2.1-mile total here.
At the summitThe fire tower is the payoff.
The fire tower is the payoff. Hikers can climb its metal stairs to the first balcony for views east across Somes Sound and south over Southwest Harbor, the Cranberry Islands, and the ocean. On the ledges below, turn back toward Long Pond for the route’s clearest wide view.
Pick your returnFor this out-and-back, retrace the West Ridge.
For this out-and-back, retrace the West Ridge. If you’d rather make a loop, continue down Beech South Ridge and return on Valley Trail; that adds other trail segments and more walking. Parking at Long Pond is limited. Dogs are allowed on this route but must stay on a leash no longer than six feet.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Acadia
131 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around noonSighting map
21 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
403 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
307 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
205 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.
