This Gorge Hike Is One of Maine’s Most Scenic Trails

My husband spent his high school years living near Maine’s Acadia National Park, and it's been important to him to share his love of the outdoors with me. While I’ve always been into hiking and trail running, I’d never ventured into Acadia. That all changed during a trip to visit his family.

I’m from a relatively flat area, where trails are simple pathways that meander through the woods. I was warned that Acadia is an entirely different beast, so I wanted to start small. The park’s famous Beehive Trail Loop sounded like a good starter trail, given that it’s just 1.4 miles around, but I quickly learned that trails in Maine are built differently—or, at least, in Acadia National Park.

My husband and I had a wedding to go to later that day, so we decided to do The Beehive early in the morning. We started at the Sand Beach Parking Lot, which is surrounded by lush trees. I thought that was gorgeous, but I had no clue what was ahead. Once we parked, we headed over to the Beehive Loop. 

Since I’m a distance runner, the idea of covering 1.4 miles seemed incredibly easy. I remember thinking we’d be back and headed out for coffee in 20 minutes. I was very wrong. Despite its shorter length, the Beehive Loop is actually considered a more challenging trail. 

It features granite staircases, iron rungs you have to climb, and exposed rock faces. We even did some rock scrambling, which I’d never done before. It felt much more daring than the casual strolls through the woods I was used to. 

The first part of the trail works up a 450-foot cliff with exposed edges. There are steep drop-offs with no railings, which isn’t for the faint of heart. In fact, while chatting with some other people who were headed for the trail, I learned that it’s not recommended to try to tackle this when it’s muggy, foggy, or has recently rained, since that can create potentially dangerous slippery conditions. (Luckily, it was dry on the day we went.)

But while this trail loop is challenging and even a little scary at times, it’s so worth it. Once we got to the top of The Beehive, we were greeted with jaw-dropping views of Acadia National Park and the Atlantic Ocean. We just sat and watched the waves gently roll into the rocky shore, while the breeze blew our hair around. After the slight anxiety of getting to The Beehive, the ability to just sit and take in the view put things in perspective. 

The trail is a loop, so we eventually continued on to the Bowl Pond. This glacial pond is nestled against Champlain Mountain and offers another stunning water view. It was a clear morning, and the passing clouds were perfectly reflected in the water. It was a truly serene way to start the day. 

We almost missed the view when we accidentally turned down the Bowl Connector Trail. But after chatting with another hiker, we realized we needed to turn back to see Bowl Pond. 

Still, the way back is much easier than making your way up The Beehive—there are no ladders or rungs, and you simply walk down a dirt trail. I was very wrong in estimating that we’d been through the trail and out in 20 minutes, though. From start to finish, it took us about an hour and a half. Of course, that’s factoring in time to perch and enjoy the views, as well as our wrong turn. 

We had to get going after that, but I later learned there are longer hikes from the Beehive Loop. I’ll be back, and I’ll make it a priority to take them in the next time. 

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