Parking
Roadside shoulder parking on Route 3 just south of The Tarn, directly at Ladder Trail; this is a small shoulder access rather than a dedicated trailhead lot.
Overview
About Ladder Trail
Why go
- A direct, ladder-equipped approach up Dorr's east face.
Heads up
- Very steep for its length, and the segment ends before Dorr summit.
Map & elevation
The route
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 Ladder 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.
See the Acadia audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Dorr Mountain’s Ladder Trail0:00 / 0:24
“You're approaching the roadside start for Dorr Mountain's Ladder Trail, a direct climb up its east face using ladders and iron rungs.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Canon Brook’s Granite Cleft
- Beachcroft Path’s Memorial Stairway
- Sieur de Monts and the Wild Gardens
- Precipice Trail’s Cliff Climb
- 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 Ladder Trail
Is this the climb you want?Ladder Trail is a 0.
Ladder Trail is a 0.4-mile, one-way climb up Dorr Mountain's east face, from a Route 3 shoulder south of The Tarn to Schiff Path. It gains about 700 feet on steep, rocky ground with fixed ladders and iron rungs. This is a direct climbing segment, not a summit hike by itself. Allow about 45 minutes for the ascent.
Rock, rungs, and the upper junctionThe path climbs almost continuously over bare rock.
The path climbs almost continuously over bare rock. The ladders and iron rungs are the defining challenge, and the steep grade makes this short distance feel like a serious climb. The trail ends at Schiff Path; Dorr Mountain's summit is another roughly 0.5 mile beyond the junction, with views toward Cadillac. Those summit miles are not included in this trail's 0.4-mile distance.
Access and returnStart from the roadside shoulder pullout on Route 3 just south of The Tarn.
Start from the roadside shoulder pullout on Route 3 just south of The Tarn. Ladder Trail is a one-way segment into Dorr's upper trail network, not a loop. Retracing it makes an approximately 0.8-mile out-and-back; continuing on Schiff Path adds the summit approach. Pets are not permitted on Acadia's ladder trails.
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.
