Attractions and Places To See in Acadia National Park - Top 20

When ascending Beehive Peak, be sure to go counter-clockwise. There's a sign to that effect on the trail leading to the start. The reason will become clear once you reach the climbing sections and via ferratas. Firstly, the trail is so narrow and winding in places that passing is impossible (even for overtaking). Secondly, there are some climbing sections that are significantly easier to ascend the slope than they would be in the opposite direction.

The route from Dorr Mountain to Cadillac Mountain leads steeply down into the wooded valley of Kebo Brook. The Dorr West Face Trail, also known as the Cadillac-Dorr Connector, is marked with blue paint but is not always clearly visible.

At the end of the 19th century, Desert Island became a tourist attraction. The Green Mountain Cog Railway, a cog railway, was in operation from 1883 and took tourists to the summit of Green Mountain, today's Cadillac Mountain (from 1918), where they could enjoy the breathtaking view. The railway ran from Eagle Lake to the summit over a distance of around 1.8 km. When passenger numbers declined, the railway service was discontinued in 1891. In the following years, the railway line was completely dismantled. Today, only remnants of the route remain. The Buckboard Road was built in the late 19th century, leading up to the summit along the north ridge. However, the journey was only possible by horse-drawn carriage and tourists preferred to walk up the mountain. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/secrets-of-the-summit.htm The paved ‘Cadillac Mountain Road’ was completed between 1929 and 1932. The more than six kilometer long route is considered an exceptional example of construction work in mountainous terrain. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/motor-road-history.htm

This is one of the easiest summits on Mount Desert Island, but the views do not disappoint. From the very top you can see north to Champlain, Dorr, and Cadillac mountains (from east to west), and you get views of Sand Beach from an overlook not far down. There are often lots of families with children on the trail in the summer. Those looking for more of a challenge should be sure to check out the Cadillac Cliffs Trail.

The hike up Gorham Mountain can be combined with the ascent of The Beehive on a circular hike. At the beginning of June we walk on the Beehive Trail over the rocky summit and descend north to the mountain lake The Bowl. We climb up a rocky path to the summit of Gorham Mountain and can look back on the via ferrata on The Beehive along the way. On Gorham Mountain we have a fantastic view of the mountains to the north, the Cadillac, Dorr and Champlain Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hike-gorham-mountain-loop.htm

The hike up Gorham Mountain can be combined with the ascent of The Beehive on a circular hike. At the beginning of June we walk on the Beehive Trail over the rocky summit and descend north to the mountain lake The Bowl. We climb up a rocky path to the summit of Gorham Mountain and can look back on the via ferrata on The Beehive along the way. On Gorham Mountain we have a fantastic view of the mountains to the north, the Cadillac, Dorr and Champlain Mountains. https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/hike-gorham-mountain-loop.htm

Information about ‘Sand Beach’ can be found at: https://www.nps.gov/places/sand-beach.htm

The 'Beehive Trail' begins at the parking lot at 'Sand Beach' on the 'Park Loop Road', leads up to the summit and to the north down to 'The Bowl', a mountain lake that lies in a depression between the rock and 'Champlain Mountain'. Despite the small difference in altitude, the climb on the 'Beehive Trail' to the summit is a challenging undertaking and is partly at lofty heights. Warning signs at the lower entrance point out the dangers and ask hikers to only walk the 'Beehive Trail' in an upward direction to minimize the risks. Metal brackets in the rock serve as ladders and provide support in dangerous places. We climbed the rock on the morning of June 1, 2024 and were lucky that only a few hikers were on the mountain at the same time.