Where is Estes Park?

Estes Park is located an hour and a half northeast of Denver just outside of the eastern gate of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Easy Hikes Near Estes Park

Twin Owls and Lumpy Ridge Loop

Length: 1.6 mile loop trail
Elevation Gain: 446 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 57 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.39651, -105.51303
Additional Notes: This trail is inside the National Park which requires a fee to enter

Lake Estes Trail

Length: 3.8 mile loop trail
Elevation Gain: 190 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 1 hour 39 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.37747, -105.51252
Additional Notes: Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash

Moose Meadows and Limber Pine

Length: 4.1 mile loop trail
Elevation Gain: 498 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 1 hour 59 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.33539, -105.47226
Additional Notes: There is a $9 per car fee to get to the trailhead

Moderate Hikes Near Estes Park

Gem Lake Trail

Length: 3.4 mile out and back trail
Elevation Gain: 990 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 2 hours 2 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.39644, -105.51299
Additional Notes: This trail is inside the National Park which requires a fee to enter

Kruger Rock Trail

Length: 4 nile out and back trail
Elevation Gain: 977 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 2 hours 16 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.3406, -105.47289
Additional Notes: Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash

MacGregor Falls Trail

Length: 6.2 out and back trail
Elevation Gain: 948 feet
Estimated Time to Hike: 3 hours 8 min
Trailhead Coordinates: 40.3965, -105.51345
Additional Notes: This trail is inside the National Park which requires a fee to enter

You can trace the human history of Acadia National Park back more than 10,000 years to the native Wabanaki people. Fur traders and European explorers left their mark on the area in the 17th and 18th centuries before it eventually became a summer destination for wealthy families.

In the spring, summer and fall people enjoy driving the park’s paved road to take in sights, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, kayaking and swimming along with the many ranger-led programs offered by the NPS. In the winter cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing are all popular activities in Acadia National Park. With 3 campgrounds and five lean-to sites, overnighting in the park is a great experience as well (if you can nab one of the sites).

You can’t start a trip to Acadia National Park without a trip around the 27 mile Loop Road. It is the go-to scenic drive around the eastern side of Mount Desert Island and connects the parks lakes, mountains and shoreline. The road is available for travel from April 15th through December 1st (weather permitting).

The park has 14 great and 10 smaller ponds that are perfect for hiking around, kayaking and canoeing and even swimming. As a photographer, I love shooting landscape shots with these lakes. Read this to see my Top 9 Ponds you must see while in Acadia National Park.

The park boasts more than 150 miles of hiking trails! In a single hike you can find yourself hiking through a forest, walking along a rocky coastline, and even standing on an exposed mountain top. I have a list of my Top 10 Hikes in Acadia National Park here. It gives you a breakdown on each of the hikes that I love the most! You can also find them on the map below. If you are physically able you absolutely should lace up your hiking boots and hit the trail because there are so many that take you up the faces of the mountains and give you unmatched views of the coastline:

And now for what you all came here for:

My Ultimate Acadia National Park To Do List

#1 Drive the Park Loop Road

#2 Summit Cadillac Mountain

#3 Have Tea at the Edge of Jordan Pond

#4 Catch Sunrise or Sunset at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

#5 Explore the often Overlooked Schoodic Point

#6 Defy Death on the Beehive Trail

#7 Explore the Coastline at Otter Cliff

#8 Watch the Waves Roll In at Thunder Hole

#9 Stick your feet in the water at Sand Beach

#10 Walk Through the Wild Gardens of Acadia

BONUS #11 Walk Across the Bar Harbor Land Bridge

Okay okay okay, that last one isn’t technically in Acadia National Park. But it’s park adjacent and worth doing… just make sure you get the timing right or you could get stuck on Bar Island for 9 hours waiting for the tide to go back out!

Here’s a handy dandy map of all things Acadia National Park:

#1 Precipice Trail

Length: 1.4 miles, Out & Back
Vertical Gain: 941 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Summary: This trail takes you to the summit of Champlain Mountain, the 6th tallest mountain in Acadia National Park. This rout heads up the step eastern face of the mountain: granite cliffs with iron rungs, ladders, and wooden bridges. At times this hike seems like more of a climb, it is the most difficult hike in the park but by far the most exhilarating. Note: This trail is usually closed between March 15 and August 15 for peregrine falcon nesting.
GPS: 44.34946, -68.18796

#2 Cadillac South Ridge Trail

Length: 8.0 miles, Loop
Vertical Gain: 2286 ft
Difficulty: Hard
Summary: Yes, you can drive to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, but there is something rather satisfying about hiking it. There are two trails to get to the summit this and the Cadillac North Ridge Trail. The latter is half the distance and half the elevation gain, but this one is arguably the most interesting route and offers up one of the longest stretches of single trail in Acadia National Park. Have a less adventurous member of your party? An alternative is to cut the hike in half and have someone pick you up on the summit.
GPS: 44.31286, -68.2148

#3 Beehive Trail

Length: 1.4 miles, Loop
Vertical Gain: 488 ft
Difficulty: Hard
Summary: This is a classic in Acadia National Park, although if you have a fear of heights I would NOT recommend it. Also, if you are looking for something “off the beaten path,” this is not it. You will run into a lot of people here, you will also love this hike. The Beehive is one of the park’s higher peaks that over looks Sand Beach. The trail heads straight up the steep south face of the Beehive and boasts granite steps, iron rungs to climb up, and several handrails for exposed rock scrambling sections. Give yourself 2-4 hours to complete the loop.
GPS: 44.3315259, -68.18527

#4  Bubble Trail

Length: 1.2 miles, Out and Back
Vertical Gain: 301 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Summary: This is a great half day hike up to one of the most famous views in Acadia National Park. South Bubble is also where you will find “Bubble Rock” a large boulder carried by glaciers and deposited precariously on the edge of the cliff. Once you are up here there are a multitude of options: pop over to North Bubble for a summit view of Jordan Pond or you could descend the the steep trail toward Jordan Pond for a little more of a challenge and some exposed hiking.
GPS: 44.34112, -68.25067

#5 Jordan Pond Path

Length: 3.4 miles, Loop
Vertical Gain: 95 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Summary: Jordan Pond is one of the most peaceful and idyllic spots in Acadia National Park and this loop trail takes you all the way around it! This classic leisurely hike around Jordan Pond is capped off with a visit to the Jordan Pond House, which is one of the best National Park restaurants in the country, for lunch or afternoon tea.
GPS: 44.322, -68.25437

#6 Ocean Path

Length: 4.5 miles, Out and Back
Vertical Gain: 374 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Summary: Acadia’s most well-known feature is definitely it’s pink granite cliffs along the coastline. This trail follows a dramatic section of that coastline and boasts several of the park’s iconic sites. Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, Otter Cliff, and Monument Cove can all be seen along this route.
GPS: 44.32985, -68.18432

#7 Jordan Cliffs Trail

Length: 3.0 miles, Loop
Vertical Gain: 1033 ft
Difficulty: Hard
Summary: The Jordan Cliffs are located on the eastern face of Penobscot Mountain and are some of the most impressive cliffs in all of Acadia National Park. Although it is considered one of the park’s iconic “iron-rung” trails, it is not as difficult as the Beehive Trail or the Precipice Trail. This trail still has it’s fair share of exposure and views!
GPS: 44.32042, -68.25416

#8 The Ladder Trail

Length: 2.7 miles, Loop
Vertical Gain: 1131 ft
Difficulty: Hard
Summary: Dorr Mountain is one of the lesser known peaks in Acadia National Park, but is absolutely worth taking the time to hike for the amazing 360 degree views of the park. There are four trails to the summit, but in my opinion this is the bast (AKA most exciting). It is yet another iron-rung trail running up the eastern face of the mountain, but for those of you with a little hesitancy for the Beehive Trail or the Precipice Trail, this might be a viable option. It offers the same challenges, but with a bit less exposure.
GPS: 44.35175, -68.20508

#9 Beech Cliff Ladder Trail

Length: 2.0 miles, Loop
Vertical Gain: 492
Difficulty: Moderate
Summary: The Beech Cliffs are located on the southwest shore of Echo Lake on the “quiet side” of Mount Desert Island. This trail is another of Acadia National Park’s classic iron-rung routes, but it is less well-known than the Beehive Trail or Precipice Trail, making it a great option if you are trying to avoid some of the crowds on the other trails.  This trail incorporates series of ladders up through some of the most interesting and vertical cliff formations in the park.
GPS: 44.35175, -68.20508

#10 Sundew Trail

Length: 1.8 miles, Out and Back
Vertical Gain: 137 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Summary: This is a great way to see Schoodic Point, a much less visited part of Acadia National Park. The trail spends most of the time in a thick forest, but offers 3 access points to the coastline. A great way to explore the park away from the traffic jams – on the road and on the trail…
GPS: 44.33942, -68.06016

Here’s a handy dandy map of all things Acadia National Park:

It’s been a while.. there has been so much going on over here… but finally – a video!

We took a long weekend and headed up to Acadia National Park in Maine & then up to The Reversing Falls and Bay of Funds in Canada. All this footage is back from pre-COVID and pre-me explaining as I traveled – so, you are welcome for this horrible voice-over

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Music from the video: “A Gentle Invitation” by Dawn, Dawn, Dawn “It Really Makes Me Wonder” Loving Caliber

So… ROAD TRIPPPP!!! I flew out to LAX, jumped in the truck and it the road. We hit up the Sierras, Mono Lake, Lake Tahoe, Crater Lake, Couer d’Alene, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, The Tetons, and even Rocky Mountain National Park before it was time for me to head home.

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We were camping out of the Pirate’s big ‘ol diesel pick up truck and ripping across giant swaths of open land!

Check out my shiz:
Buy me a coffee (Become a Patron) to keep me going & making more vids ► http://bit.ly/3a2ce59​
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