Acadia National Park
Managed by National Park Service
9,883 acres78.4 mi of trail
Sargent South Ridge TrailHunters Brook TrailJordan Pond PathPenobscot Mountain Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
St. Mary's-By-The-Sea · Photo: Suekoehler · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Mount Desert
More than half of Mount Desert’s land is conserved: 60%
60% of Mount Desert’s land is conserved, about 14,236 acres. 9,960 acres are parks and preserves, 5,960 per 1,000 residents. 110 miles of mapped trail cross Mount Desert, 3.0 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
60%
14,236 acres · of 36.9 sq mi of land
Trails
110 mi
3.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
9,960 ac
5,960 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
45%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.4 mi
0.1 mi paths
Highest peak
1,375 ft
Sargent Mountain
Lakes & rivers
19
3 beaches · 9 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Mount Desert?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Mount Desert have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Mount Desert is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Mount Desert’s overall grade.
Conserved land60% of the land · typical ME town 6% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (110 mi) · ME 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land5,960 acres of park per 1,000 residents (9,960 acres) · ME 15 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home45% of residents within a half mile of a park · ME 30% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
Water is 33% of Mount Desert’s area (18 of 55 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 41%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Acadia National Park, with 78.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Babson Creek Preserve
Managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust
34 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Suminsby Park
Park
15 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Acadia National Park9,883 acres · 78.4 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsBabson Creek Preserve34 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Asticou Azalea Garden1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Suminsby Park15 acres
Seal Harbor Beach3 acres
DirectionsThuya Garden1 acres
Who protects it
14,236 conserved acres
60% of Mount Desert’s land. Water is left out: Mount Desert has 36.9 square miles of land and 18.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Mount Desert’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service10,508 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits6,096 ac
Joint995 ac
Regional agency322 ac
Other state land5 ac
State parks1 ac
Not recorded286 ac
National Park · 9,875 acConservation Easement · 3,987 acUnknown Easement · 3,529 acLocal Other or Unknown · 448 acPrivate Conservation · 145 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,865 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 68 of 110 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia National Park National Park | National Park Service | 9,940 | Open |
| Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 226 | Unknown |
| Miscellaneous Municipal Lands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 206 | Unknown |
| Babson Creek Private Conservation | Not recorded | 71 | Unknown |
| Somes Pond Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 64 | Closed |
| Lower Hadlock Pond Private Conservation | Not recorded | 28 | Unknown |
| Acadia Mountain Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 26 | Restricted |
| Norumbega Mountain Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 19 | Closed |
| Sargent Drive Picnic Area Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 15 | Restricted |
| Echo Lake Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 14 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
56 places to go in Mount Desert
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Mount Desert
Echo Lake BeachIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsHunters Beach
DirectionsLittle Hunters BeachIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsSwimming spots in Mount Desert
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Mount Desert
1 playground without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Mount Desert
Bartlett Narrows Boat Launch
DirectionsIkes Point Boat LaunchIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsJordan Pond Boat LaunchIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsPlus 6 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Mount Desert
Hadlock FallsIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsMan O War Waterfall
DirectionsScenic views in Mount Desert
9 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Mount Desert
Sargent Mountain1,375 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsPemetic Mountain1,247 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsPenobscot Mountain1,181 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsGilmore Peak1,037 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsBald Peak974 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsParkman Mountain942 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsCedar Swamp Mountain928 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsNorth Bubble873 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
Directions19 more peaks
Norumbega Mountain853 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsSouth Bubble722 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsThe Triad699 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsEagles Crag692 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsAcadia Mountain682 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsSaint Sauveur Mountain679 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsDay Mountain584 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsCarter Nubble449 ft elevation
DirectionsEliot Mountain449 ft elevation
DirectionsBarr Hill331 ft elevation
DirectionsRedfield Hill312 ft elevation
DirectionsOx Hill308 ft elevation
DirectionsMitchell Hill269 ft elevation
DirectionsOld Field Hill217 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill187 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsOak Hill177 ft elevation
DirectionsUncle Dick Hill174 ft elevation · In Acadia National Park
DirectionsPatty Lot Hill157 ft elevation
DirectionsBen's PeakIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Mount Desert
Acadia National Park Picnic AreaIn Acadia National Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Mount Desert
Blackwoods CampgroundHours: May 07-Oct 17 open · Fee · In Acadia National Park · National Park Service
DirectionsMount Desert Campground
DirectionsQuarry Ledge Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 19 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 25.6 miHorses · 34.4 miUnpaved · 69.7 mi
Jordan Pond Path3.1 mi
Sargent South Ridge Trail2.5 mi
Hunters Brook Trail2.4 mi
Penobscot Mountain Trail2.2 mi
Giant Slide Trail2.1 mi
Asticou & Jordan Pond Path2.0 mi
Parkman Mountain Trail1.8 mi
Cadillac South Ridge Trail1.8 mi
Harbor Brook Trail1.7 mi
Seaside Path1.6 mi
15 more trails
Hadlock Brook Trail
1.6 miHadlock Ponds Trail
1.5 miThe Richard Trail
1.5 miAmphitheatre Trail
1.5 miMaple Spring Trail
1.4 miAcadia Mountain Trail
1.4 miJordan Cliffs Trail
1.3 miSaint Sauveur Mountain Trail
1.3 miDay Mountain Trail
1.2 miNorumbega Mountain Trail
1.2 miJordan Stream Path
1.1 miQuarry Trail
1.1 miBubble & Jordan Ponds Path
1.1 miDavid & Neva Trail
1.1 miPemetic South Ridge Trail
1.0 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Duck PondpondEcho LakereservoirHodgdon PondJordan PondlakeLittle Echo PondpondLittle Long PondpondLittle Round PondpondLong PondreservoirLower Hadlock PondpondRipple PondpondRound PondSargent Mountain PondpondSomes PondpondSomes Pond OutletpondUpper Hadlock PondpondDenning BrookKitteredge BrookRichardson BrookSargent Brook
Biking & sports
8.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
off-road bike paths
8.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Around the Mountain LoopBike route
9.8 miJordan Pond LoopBike route
5.3 miTri Lakes LoopBike route
5.3 miHadlock LoopBike route
3.8 miAmphitheater LoopBike route
3.8 miDay Mountain LoopBike route
2.9 miCourts & fields
15Tennis
2Baseball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Somesville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1975
About itCarriage Paths, Bridges and GatehousesDistrict · listed 1979
About itSeal Harbor Congregational ChurchBuilding · listed 1985
About itSaint Jude's Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1986
About itUnion Church of Northeast HarborBuilding · listed 1998
About itSt. Mary's-By-The-SeaBuilding · listed 2000
About itBlackwoods CampgroundDistrict · listed 2007
About itSea ChangeDistrict · listed 2009
About itSound SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 2019
About itMount Desert Island Hiking Trail SystemDistrict · listed 2022
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Mount Desert: May to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 32 | 40 | 51 | 62 | 71 | 77 | 76 | 68 | 56 | 46 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.2 |
August is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 5.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Mount Desert →
Next door
Mount Desert and its neighbors
Mount Desert has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Mount Desert110 miBar Harbor84 miSouthwest Harbor29 miBlue Hill25 miSurry18 miTremont9.6 miCranberry Isles7.7 miTrenton2.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Desert | 60% | 3.0 | 5,960 | 45% | A+ |
| Bar Harbor | 56% | 2.0 | 2,480 | 74% | A+ |
| Cranberry Isles | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Tremont | 42% | 0.6 | 1,941 | 46% | A |
| Southwest Harbor | 56% | 2.2 | 2,952 | 84% | A+ |
| Blue Hill | 18% | 0.4 | 24 | 19% | B |
| Surry | 4% | 0.5 | 18 | 8% | B− |
| Trenton | 4% | 0.2 | 64 | under 1% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Mount Desert
Where can I hike in Mount Desert?
The longest trail networks: Acadia National Park, 78.4 miles; Babson Creek Preserve, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Mount Desert is conserved land?
60% of its land, against a typical 6% for a Maine town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Mount Desert’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Acadia National Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Mount Desert?
8.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of off-road paths and 8.3 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Around the Mountain Loop, Jordan Pond Loop and Tri Lakes Loop.
Is there public land near Mount Desert?
34,879 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Mount Desert or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 9,960 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Mount Desert have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Mount Desert neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →