There are 130 miles of hiking trails in Acadia, giving hikers endless areas to explore. The island is bisected by the Somes Sound, so hiking trails are divided into East Side Trails and West Side Trails. The east side contains Park-Loop Road and many of the mainstream attractions. It is therefore more crowded. The west side trails are much less traveled. Trails range in difficulty from easy to strenuous. Whether you are looking for an easy, flat hike or a strenuous mountain climb, you can find it here. The best thing to do is stop by the Hulls Cove Visitors Center on your arrival and pick up a map. Trails are listed along with their difficulty and a brief description. Some popular trails include the Great Head Trail (easy). This trail includes a stop at Sand Beach, the ruins of a 19th-century tea house, and some views of the shore. The Jordan Pond Loop Trail could include a stop for popovers and tea.
The west side has the Wonderland trail, which is very easy and accessible. Kids will enjoy this trail. It has some very cool-looking old trees covered in moss. It really does make you feel like you are in a "wonderland". For a little bit of solitude, avoid these trails, as they are the most frequently selected. We took our map and just headed out, exploring as we went. This way we passed only two or three other groups in the course of a day. Some of the most beautiful views are on less-traveled paths but involve a climb to a summit. The carriage roads also offer hiking options. There are so many possibilities that the best thing to do is consult the hiking trail map from the Hulls Cove Center. Get an idea of what you’d like to see, then ask a ranger for his or her suggestions. Rangers are an invaluable source of information. Another great tip for hiking in Acadia is to make use of the Island Explorer. The Island Explorer makes it very easy to day hike in Acadia. It runs along many hiking trails. If you get tired, you can hop on and head back. You can also skip from one trail to another in this way. Probably the most convenient part of this system is that you can hike a straight path instead of a loop and pick up the Island Explorer at the end to take you back to your home base. Very nice.