Parking
A small roadside lot is reached from ME-3 south of Bar Harbor; the south trailhead is across the road. Cross carefully at the bend.
Overview
About Day Mountain Trail
Why go
- Granite ledges open several views toward Seal Harbor.
- The southern summit hike fits into a short outing.
Heads up
- The upper climb is steeper and rockier than the distance suggests.
- Carriage-road crossings can make it easy to lose the footpath.
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 Day Mountain 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 area
Hunters Beach’s Brookside Walk0:00 / 0:22
“Hunters Beach's Cooksey Drive trailhead is ahead, for a short woods walk to the cove where Hunters Brook meets the sea. Allow thirty to sixty minutes for the six-tenths-of-a-mile return walk, including time on the shore.”
Plays on the road 0.4 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Eel's Ocean Journey
- The Hermit Crab's Borrowed Shell
- Hunters Brook’s Woodland Through-Route
- Little Hunters Beach’s Cobble Sounds
- 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 Day Mountain Trail
A short climb to the summitDay Mountain Trail’s southern approach is an approximately 1.6-mile out-and-back: about 0.
Day Mountain Trail’s southern approach is an approximately 1.6-mile out-and-back: about 0.8 mile to Day Mountain’s 583-foot summit, then the same path back. Allow one to two hours with time for the views. The climb steepens near the top, so this is a short summit hike rather than a flat stroll. The footpath continues down the north side to carriage roads; turn around at the summit for this direct version. The separate Day Mountain Carriage Road Loop is a different, longer outing.
From boardwalks to ledgesThe southern approach begins in the woods, where boardwalks cross wetter ground.
The southern approach begins in the woods, where boardwalks cross wetter ground. Higher up, the tread shifts among forest floor, gravel or crushed stone, and bare granite. Views start appearing through the trees as the grade gets steeper. The route crosses carriage roads four times, so check for the footpath continuing after each crossing; following the broader road can take you onto a longer route.
What opens up at the topGranite ledges near the summit look south, east, and west, including toward Seal Harbor.
Granite ledges near the summit look south, east, and west, including toward Seal Harbor. A carriage road curls around the summit, giving you room to pause and look in different directions. For a photo, leave some ledge in the foreground and the harbor or water beyond; that makes the summit setting easier to read than a tight shot of the horizon.
A memorial on the southern approachNear the south end, a plaque honors Samuel de Champlain.
Near the south end, a plaque honors Samuel de Champlain. Its inscription credits him with giving Mount Desert Island its name, a useful detail to catch on the way up or back down.
Access and footingThe small roadside lot is reached from ME-3 south of Bar Harbor; the trailhead is across the…
The small roadside lot is reached from ME-3 south of Bar Harbor; the trailhead is across the road. Cross carefully where the bend limits sight lines. The upper trail is uneven over granite and ledges. Dogs are allowed 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.
