Jordan Cliffs Trail

Jordan Cliffs Trail is a roughly 1.5-mile point-to-point hike across the steep east face of Penobscot Mountain above Jordan Pond. This record follows the named trail from its junction with Spring Trail to the junction of Deer Brook and East Cliffs; it is not a loop. Most visitors use it as part of a longer circuit. The National Park Service’s Jordan Cliffs Loop returns to Jordan Pond over other trails, covering 5 miles round trip in about three to four hours.

The map mileage understates the effort. The route crosses rough granite and roots, stone steps, and a narrow one-log bridge before reaching exposed ledges and iron rungs. The park warns that one narrow stretch runs beside a drop of about 200 feet. The climb is strenuous, and the National Park Service advises against the route in wet weather and for people uneasy with heights or small children. If you use trekking poles, hikers advise stowing them before the rung sections. Pets are not allowed.

To reach the lower junction, start at the Jordan Pond boat launch and follow the pond path and carriage road to signpost 15, then Spring Trail. That approach gains gradually for about 0.3 mile on stone steps. From the junction, Jordan Cliffs climbs through forest on Penobscot’s rugged east face. The tread is rocky and uneven; the narrow log bridge and stone stairs break up the climb. Trees open now and then to Jordan Pond and the surrounding mountains. Near the upper junction with Penobscot East, the trail drops steeply for about a quarter mile and ends at Deer Brook and East Cliffs.

The complete Jordan Cliffs Loop adds the steep Sargent East Cliffs climb, the Sargent South Ridge and Penobscot trails, and the Spring Trail return. The Sargent East Cliffs section climbs about 0.6 mile to Sargent Mountain, where the open summit looks across Jordan Pond, Eagle Lake and the surrounding peaks. The return descends past Sargent Mountain Pond and over exposed granite. Several trails meet along this circuit, so keep the route map handy at junctions. Allow three to four hours for the full 5-mile outing; that distance and time do not describe the Jordan Cliffs segment alone.

When the trees part, Jordan Pond sits below a forested ridge, with the Bubbles and other mountains beyond. At an open ledge, keep some of the granite trail or handrail in the foreground and the pond behind it; that shows the scale of the drop without stepping closer to the edge.

The route was known as Jordan Bluffs Trail in the late 1890s, and its early history is linked to Acadia trail builder Waldron Bates. The granite underfoot formed about 420 million years ago. Later glaciers carved the mountain valleys, and a ridge of glacial debris dammed the valley that became Jordan Pond.

Use Jordan Pond North Lot just before Jordan Pond House, then walk down to the boat launch and follow the pond and Spring trails to the Jordan Cliffs junction. The Island Explorer also stops at Jordan Pond House. Its restaurant and accessible restrooms are a separate stop by the approach, not services along the cliff trail. An Acadia entrance pass is required. Peregrine nesting can bring seasonal closures from late spring into summer, so check current trail status before setting out.