Parking
Start at the Duck Harbor end of Western Head Road, a short walk from Duck Harbor Boat Landing. Reach the island by passenger ferry from Stonington; the Duck Harbor stop is seasonal.
Overview
About Western Head Road
Why go
- A wide, fairly level road makes this a gentler Isle au Haut walk.
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 Western Head Road, 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.
- 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 Western Head Road
The easier road walkWestern Head Road is a wide, fairly level dirt road on Isle au Haut.
Western Head Road is a wide, fairly level dirt road on Isle au Haut. Walk the full mapped road out and back from the Duck Harbor end for about 2.1 miles total; the road itself is about 1.06 miles each way. Allow about 1¼ hours with stops. You may see a 1.7-mile figure for this walk, but it does not identify the endpoints or say whether it is one way or round trip. This route follows the full named road; leave the separate Western Head Trail out unless you want a longer, rougher hike.
What makes it easierThe broad dirt surface is fairly flat, making this a gentler choice than Isle au Haut’s rocky…
The broad dirt surface is fairly flat, making this a gentler choice than Isle au Haut’s rocky coastal trails and steep summit walks. You retrace the same road to get back. For a more rugged shoreline outing, the separate Western Head Trail is listed as 1.3 miles and moderate; it is a different route, not an extension hidden in this distance.
Getting to the startStart at the Duck Harbor end of Western Head Road, a short walk from Duck Harbor Boat Landing.
Start at the Duck Harbor end of Western Head Road, a short walk from Duck Harbor Boat Landing. The island is reached by passenger ferry from Stonington. The ferry serves Town Landing year-round but stops at Duck Harbor only from mid-June through late September, and service is first come, first served. Check that your sailing reaches Duck Harbor before planning this as a day walk. Dogs are allowed, but must stay 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.
