Gorham Mountain Trail

Gorham Mountain Trail is a 1.6-mile out-and-back from the Gorham Mountain parking lot to the 525-foot summit, climbing about 450 feet. Allow one to two hours. The path is short, but granite slabs and uneven ledges make it a proper moderate hike, with plenty of places to stop and look back at the coast. It suits hikers who want a summit without a long day; it is not a smooth stroll, and you will watch your feet much of the way.

Start at the southwest corner of the lot, where a carved stump marks the trail. The first stretch climbs gradually over granite to the Waldron Bates plaque at a junction. Stay left on Gorham Mountain Trail. The right branch to Cadillac Cliff Trail is an optional detour through old sea-cliff formations, with scrambling, rungs and ladders before it rejoins the main route. The direct climb keeps going across rough rock; views begin opening toward Otter Point above the first cliff band. Near the top, a false summit appears a few hundred feet before the summit marker, so keep going if you are looking for the highest point.

At 525 feet, Gorham is lower than neighboring Cadillac but open enough to make the ocean the main event. Look east toward Sand Beach and Great Head, south to Otter Point, north to the Beehive, then west toward Cadillac Ridge. The open summit has low blueberry shrubs, which add a little seasonal color. For a photograph, keep a strip of pink granite in the foreground and aim across Sand Beach toward Great Head; the ledges below the top also frame the beach and wooded shore.

The plaque at the first junction honors Waldron Bates, a Bostonian who helped shape Mount Desert Island's hiking network. He chaired the Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association's Path Committee from 1900 to 1909; about 25 miles of trails were added under his leadership, including Gorham Mountain and Cadillac Cliffs. Bates also wrote an early trail handbook and helped set standards for how paths should be built and maintained. The trail was formerly known as the Black Path.

This entry maps the summit out-and-back. A separate 3.5-mile Gorham Mountain Loop continues past the summit down to Bowl Trail, then toward Sand Beach and along Ocean Path by Thunder Hole before returning to the lot. That is a fuller outing, not the 1.6-mile walk here; check your map at the summit before continuing, since several junctions lead onto that extended route. Sand Beach restrooms and the seasonal snack shop at Thunder Hole are on the longer circuit, not on the summit return.

Use Gorham Mountain parking lot on Park Loop Road and start at its southwest corner by the carved stump. Parking gets tight on busy summer days, so plan an early arrival. Park Loop Road closes to vehicles each winter from December 1 through April 14 and is scheduled to reopen April 15, weather permitting; check current road status before a winter visit. Acadia allows dogs on most hiking trails with leashes no longer than six feet; keep dogs on the direct route rather than taking the laddered Cadillac Cliff Trail branch. The granite can be slick when wet, and the nearby Cadillac Cliff Trail branch adds rungs and ladders, so leave that detour out if your dog or anyone in your group is uncomfortable with scrambling.