Parking
Start at Gilley Field Parking Area off Western Mountain Road.
Overview
About Gilley Trail
Why go
- A short woodland connection between Gilley Field and Great Notch.
Heads up
- It is not a loop; returning to Gilley Field means retracing the same path.
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 Gilley 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
Gilley Field and Razorback Ridge0:00 / 0:23
“You're nearing Gilley Field, the trailhead for Razorback's open granite ridge on Mansell Mountain. The two point one mile loop takes an hour and a half to three hours, with a steep forest climb and exposed, uneven rock.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Mill Field and Bernard Mountain’s Forest Loop
- The Flower That Makes Heat
- The Woodpecker's Rectangular Holes
- Long Pond Access and Perpendicular Trail
- 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 Gilley Trail
The routeGilley Trail is a wooded point-to-point path from Gilley Field to the Great Notch junction.
Gilley Trail is a wooded point-to-point path from Gilley Field to the Great Notch junction. The main line is about 0.6 mile one way and takes roughly 20–30 minutes. It climbs toward Great Notch. This is not a loop: turn around at the junction for about 1.2 miles round trip, or continue onto adjoining trails.
Climb and connectionsElevation models put Great Notch about 50–70 m (165–230 ft) above Gilley Field.
Elevation models put Great Notch about 50–70 m (165–230 ft) above Gilley Field. A park trail catalog lists 0.7 miles (1.1 km), but does not explain whether it includes nearby Gilley-named connectors. This route follows the main line between Gilley Field and Great Notch.
Trail historyA historic inventory says the path appeared on a 1915 guide and was probably built around 1911.
A historic inventory says the path appeared on a 1915 guide and was probably built around 1911. It also records two cedar stringer bridges with redwood decks; their current condition was not verified.
Access and dogsStart at Gilley Field Parking Area.
Start at Gilley Field Parking Area. Dogs are allowed on this route 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.
