Parking
Use the limited roadside Gorge Path parking area off Park Loop Road beside the Kebo Brook bridge. No public transit serves this trailhead; an Acadia entrance pass is required.
Overview
About Gorge Path
Why go
- A shaded brook gorge with small cascades and granite steps.
- A clear turnaround before the separate Cadillac and Dorr summit climbs.
Heads up
- Steep, slippery rock and stream crossings make footing demanding.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Acadia map
Full mapElevation240–1,020 ft
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 Gorge Path, 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
Gorge Path Between Cadillac and Dorr0:00 / 0:27
“You're approaching the Park Loop Road access for Gorge Path, which climbs a narrow, wooded ravine between Cadillac and Dorr Mountains.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Dorr Mountain’s North Ridge Access
- Cadillac Mountain’s North Ridge
- Great Meadow’s Wetland Loop
- Kebo Brook and Kebo Mountain
- 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 Gorge Path
The gorge, not a summitGorge Path is a rugged 3.
Gorge Path is a rugged 3.1-mile out-and-back from the Park Loop Road bridge over Kebo Brook to the Cadillac-Dorr Connector, climbing through the narrow wooded ravine between Cadillac and Dorr. The brook, small cascades and granite stairways are the point; either summit is a separate climb. Allow about 2½ to 3 hours for the rocky ascent and return.
Follow the brookSteps drop from the bridge to the stream, then the path climbs upstream under dense trees.
Steps drop from the bridge to the stream, then the path climbs upstream under dense trees. A small boardwalk and the Hemlock Trail junction come early; stay on Gorge Path. Farther in, the ravine narrows between steep rock walls. Flat stones help at several stream crossings, and granite steps tackle the steepest pitches. The brook is seasonal and tends to show more water in spring and after rain.
At the connectorThe standalone gorge hike ends at the Cadillac-Dorr Connector.
The standalone gorge hike ends at the Cadillac-Dorr Connector. Signs point toward Dorr on one side and Cadillac on the other; continuing to either summit adds distance and climbing. Cadillac's summit is about 0.4 mile farther one way from the connector. Turn around here for the Gorge Path route and return by the same corridor.
About a third of the way up, a bronze plaque honors Lilian Endicott Francklyn. Near the connector, frame the little cascade with the stone steps or stream in the foreground; the rock gives the water scale.
Make the climb workExpect steep, uneven granite, scrambling and several stream crossings.
Expect steep, uneven granite, scrambling and several stream crossings. Wet rock is slippery and shaded sections dry slowly, so avoid the hike when the route is wet. Parking is limited at the roadside trailhead beside the bridge, and no public transit serves it. An Acadia entrance pass is required. Dogs may be leashed no longer than six feet, but the park does not recommend them on these steep stairs. There is no accessible restroom at the trailhead.
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.
