Parking
Use the South Triad Trailhead off Park Loop Road near 44.3161, -68.2338. A marked lot and parking capacity at the access were not confirmed. Starting near Jordan Pond adds a longer connector approach.
Overview
About Triad Trail
Why go
- A direct south approach climbs to a wooded summit.
- A 1916 marker preserves the trail’s history.
Heads up
- The climb starts steeply over uneven granite.
- Spruce partly screens the summit view.
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 Triad 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
South Triad’s Wooded Summit0:00 / 0:24
“You're approaching the South Triad trail access, for a short climb through granite and spruce. Allow about an hour for the roughly one-mile return hike, with a steep, uneven start that becomes harder on wet rock.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Acadia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Wildwood Stables by Carriage
- Hunters Brook’s Woodland Through-Route
- Stanley Brook Bridge’s Three Crossings
- The Hermit Crab's Borrowed Shell
- 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 Triad Trail
A short summit out-and-backTriad Trail is a short southern out-and-back from the South Triad Trailhead on Park Loop Road…
Triad Trail is a short southern out-and-back from the South Triad Trailhead on Park Loop Road to a wooded summit. This mapped approach is about 1.04 miles round trip (0.52 mile each way); allow about an hour, including a pause at the top. Some published figures say 0.8 mile, but their endpoints or distance conventions are unclear. The first half climbs steeply over open granite, then the grade eases near the summit.
Granite and spruceThe route gains most of its elevation on uneven granite, with exposed footing underfoot before…
The route gains most of its elevation on uneven granite, with exposed footing underfoot before the path levels closer to the top. At about 700 feet, the summit is partly screened by spruce; look through the trees for views across forested ridges. The climb feels tougher when the rock is wet or icy.
A marker below the summitA granite marker just below the top remembers John Van Santvoord and the older trail.
A granite marker just below the top remembers John Van Santvoord and the older trail. The route was dedicated in 1916; earlier names included Van Santvoord Trail and Pemetic Mountain Trail/Southeast. Pets are allowed 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.
