Eagle’s Crag Trail

Eagle’s Crag Trail is a 0.3-mile connector between two Cadillac South Ridge junctions. It curves around the crag to an open granite outlook and rejoins the main ridge; walking it with the short South Ridge segment between those junctions makes a small circuit. The 0.3 miles describes the named path itself, not the trip from the road. From the ME Route 3 access, a short out-and-back to the crag is roughly two miles with the uphill approach included. Expect about a mile on South Ridge before the lower junction, and give the connector around 15 to 20 minutes, plus time for the climb, return and view.

Heading uphill, take the right branch at the Eagle’s Crag junction. The path bends around the rocky shelf and meets South Ridge farther north. Few built features interrupt the granite underfoot. At the bend, broad ledges open east and southeast over Otter Cove, Gorham Mountain and The Beehive, with ocean beyond. Leave a strip of the shelf in a photo to give the view some scale. This is a brief scenic detour if you are already hiking the ridge, not a roadside stroll.

The recorded loop dates to 1905 and belongs to Mount Desert Island’s historic hiking network. A park entrance pass is required year-round, and dogs are allowed on this trail on a leash no longer than six feet. If you want a much longer day, continue uphill on Cadillac South Ridge toward the summit; that full outing is 7.1 miles round trip from Route 3.