Parking
Start at Compass Harbor Trailhead off Main Street in Bar Harbor; the opposite end is the Schooner Head Overlook parking area. Arrange a pickup or plan the return walk before starting.
Overview
About Schooner Head Path
Why go
- Mostly level, packed-gravel walking.
- Connects Bar Harbor with a coastal overlook.
Heads up
- Runs beside Schooner Head Road for much of its length.
- Point-to-point logistics need a pickup or return walk.
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 Schooner Head 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
Compass Harbor and Dorr’s Oldfarm0:00 / 0:29
“You're coming up on the Compass Harbor trail access, for a short walk to the coast and George Dorr's former home, Oldfarm.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Glacier's Scratch Marks
- Trillium Seeds Travel with Ants
- Champlain North Ridge and the Old Quarry
- Great Meadow’s Wetland Loop
- 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 Schooner Head Path
An easy village-to-coast walkSchooner Head Path is a 2.
Schooner Head Path is a 2.9-mile, one-way walk from Compass Harbor Trailhead to Schooner Head Overlook, including a short Compass Harbor Trail connector at the start. The named path itself is about 2.7 miles; the extra distance gets you from the trailhead to its start. The route is mostly level gravel, so allow about 1.5 hours one way. Arrange a pickup or budget about 5.8 miles if you plan to walk back along the same line.
Beside the road and through wetlandsAfter the connector, most of the walk follows alongside Schooner Head Road on a narrow,…
After the connector, most of the walk follows alongside Schooner Head Road on a narrow, packed-gravel path. Wooded sections and wetlands break up the road-side stretch. Near the Precipice junction, dense plants hide much of the water; the path briefly bends inland around another marsh before heading back toward the coast.
At Schooner HeadThe south end brings you to the Schooner Head Overlook parking area.
The south end brings you to the Schooner Head Overlook parking area. A separate, old paved path descends steeply from there to a headland and rough rocky shore; it is not part of this route. Across the road, an optional unmarked detour reaches a short scramble and a view over Thrumcap, then old homestead remains and a cobble beach. That coastal detour is outside the mapped 2.9 miles. If you take it, the view toward Thrumcap is the place to frame the offshore rock, with seabirds only if they're there.
Before you set outThis walk is part of a village-connector network linking Bar Harbor neighborhoods with park…
This walk is part of a village-connector network linking Bar Harbor neighborhoods with park routes. Acadia allows pets on most trails; keep them on a leash no longer than six feet. Food, drinking water and toilets were not confirmed along the path or at these access points. I couldn't verify a return bus stop for this specific route, so check current service or arrange a pickup.
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.
