Parking
Park at the Schoodic Woods Ranger Station lot off Farview Drive. Follow the signed access to Lower Harbor near Schoodic Loop Road.
Overview
About Lower Harbor Trail
Why go
- Water views for much of the walk
- Easy, mostly flat route through coastal pines
Heads up
- The simple route repeats the same shoreline path
- The natural tread can be muddy after rain
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 Lower Harbor 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
Schoodic Woods Ranger Station and Lower Harbor0:00 / 0:28
“Schoodic Woods Ranger Station is coming up, a public information stop even if you're not camping. Get maps and help choosing a peninsula walk, then browse the small book and souvenir shop.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- When Magma Filled Schoodic's Cracks
- Frazer Point’s Shoreline Picnic
- The Barnacle’s Feeding Feet
- The Tide’s Moving Clock
- 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 Lower Harbor Trail
An easy coastal out-and-backLower Harbor Trail is a 3-mile out-and-back on the Schoodic Peninsula.
Lower Harbor Trail is a 3-mile out-and-back on the Schoodic Peninsula. The named shoreline path runs about 1.5 miles each way through pine forest beside Winter Harbor, so you return over the same ground. It stays low and mostly flat, with water in view for much of the walk. Allow about 1.5 hours, more if you stop along the shore.
Follow the shore, then turn backFrom the Schoodic Woods access, the narrow natural-surface path drops toward the water and…
From the Schoodic Woods access, the narrow natural-surface path drops toward the water and follows the inlet. After rain it can be muddy. At the far end the footpath turns away from the inlet toward Schoodic Loop Road. Unless you have arranged a pickup, turn around and retrace your steps. Nearby bike paths make a different loop, but accounts disagree on its total distance and the connecting split can be easy to miss.
Look across the inletThe route follows a small inlet of Winter Harbor, with views toward Sargents Island and Mount…
The route follows a small inlet of Winter Harbor, with views toward Sargents Island and Mount Desert Narrows. At lower tide more of the rocky edge shows. Watch the waterline for seabirds. Where the pines open, include a little rock in the foreground and the tree-lined channel in a photo; that gives the sheltered water some scale.
Access and dogsPark at the Schoodic Woods Ranger Station lot off Farview Drive and follow the signs to the…
Park at the Schoodic Woods Ranger Station lot off Farview Drive and follow the signs to the Lower Harbor access. An Acadia entrance pass is required year-round. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet.
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.
