Parking
Use the Mill Field parking area off Mill Field Road. It serves the Sluiceway and Bernard Mountain routes and can fill on busy days, so have another walk in mind if the lot is full.
Overview
About Sluiceway Trail
Why go
- Direct wooded ascent into the Bernard Mountain trail network.
- Connects naturally to the shorter 2.5-mile Bernard loop.
Heads up
- The mapped segment ends at Little Notch, not the summit.
- Steep climbing is concentrated in a short distance.
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Acadia alerts
- CautionAvoid water contact at Sand Beach LagoonDo not swim at Sand Beach Lagoon. - Bacterial levels have exceeded public-health standards, so the NPS has posted a Public Health Advisory.Official details
- ClosureSchoodic Mountain Road closed for repairsSchoodic Mountain Road is closed from Schoodic Loop Road to the summit of Schoodic Head. - The closure began August 31 for resurfacing, regrading, and ditching.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Acadia Tour Guide
Your drive to Sluiceway 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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Mill Field and Bernard Mountain’s Forest Loop0:00 / 0:26
“Mill Field is ahead, the starting point for Bernard Mountain's wooded loop. Allow two to three hours for the two point five mile circuit, with a steep upper climb over roots and rock.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Gilley Field and Razorback Ridge
- The Woodpecker's Rectangular Holes
- The Flower That Makes Heat
- West Ledge Trail Above Blue Hill Bay
- 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 Sluiceway Trail
A direct way into BernardSluiceway Trail is a 0.
Sluiceway Trail is a 0.9-mile one-way climb from Mill Field to Little Notch, a junction on Bernard Mountain's west side. It is the direct wooded approach into the area's trail network. Budget about an hour to reach Little Notch; walking it back makes a 1.8-mile out-and-back.
The climbThe first 0.4 mile rises gently through the woods.
The first 0.4 mile rises gently through the woods. Beyond the first junction, Sluiceway steepens in places and follows a small stream at times. The path gains about 725 feet before reaching Little Notch, so the short distance still asks for a steady climb.
Continue or make a loopLittle Notch is not Bernard Mountain's summit: the summit is about 0.
Little Notch is not Bernard Mountain's summit: the summit is about 0.2 mile farther on the Bernard Mountain trail. It rises to 1,071 feet but is mostly wooded, with minimal views. For a fuller outing, follow the Bernard Mountain and West Ledge trails for the 2.5-mile loop; the Great Notch variation makes it about 2.9 miles. Those loop distances include the return on other trails, not just Sluiceway. Dogs can use Sluiceway on a leash no longer than six feet.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Acadia
130 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around noonSighting map
21 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
396 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
305 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
201 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.
