Parking
Start from the roadside East Trail pullout on the east side of Schoodic Loop Road.
Overview
About East Trail
Why go
- Buck Cove and island views open before the summit.
- A short route reaches a marked high point and signed overlook.
Heads up
- Bare granite and steep scrambling make the descent demanding.
East Trail is a steep, rocky out-and-back from a roadside pullout on Schoodic Loop Road to the signed overlook beyond Schoodic Head. The complete visitor route is about 1.2 miles round trip, including the short connected summit and overlook paths; allow about 1 to 1.5 hours. It's a hard climb in a small package, best for sure-footed hikers who are comfortable scrambling over bare rock. The park lists the East Trail itself at 0.5 mile; the added ridge paths are what take you to the summit and its view.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the climb for you?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 East 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 trailhead
East Trail’s Steep Schoodic Climb0:00 / 0:26
“You're approaching East Trail's roadside start on Schoodic, a short but demanding climb toward Schoodic Head.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Schoodic Head’s Wooded Summit
- Blueberry Hill’s Island View
- The Tide’s Moving Clock
- Rockefeller Hall’s Navy Past
- 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 East Trail
The climbStep over large rocks at the roadside start, then climb steadily through the woods.
Step over large rocks at the roadside start, then climb steadily through the woods. The upper section steepens into switchbacks and rough granite, with short scrambling pitches and places where the tread fades across bare rock. Follow the blue blazes and cairns instead of guessing where to go, and take your time on the uneven descent. Views toward Schoodic Point and Spruce Point open along the way; around halfway up, look east over Buck Cove toward Rolling Island.
Keep going to the overlookThe East Trail meets Schoodic Head Trail just below the 442-foot summit.
The East Trail meets Schoodic Head Trail just below the 442-foot summit. The summit marker is wooded, so continue along the marked path to the overlook about 100 yards farther on; Buck Cove lies to the east and islands spread out to the west. The view works best with the dark evergreen canopy in the foreground and water along the horizon. In spring, Canada dogwood and small white starflowers bloom beside gnarled pitch pines, cedars, and sea-green lichen. Dogs are allowed on most park trails on a leash no longer than six feet, though this scramble may be too rough for some pets.
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.
