Those Who Wander: Gorham Mountain Trail

Location: Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
Season Visited: Summer
Trail Length: 1.8 miles
Time to Hike: 2 hours
Difficulty Level: 3

Gorham Mountain Trail is a beautiful and fun hike in a spectacular national park. I'm obsessed with national parks, but since I live on the east coast I've only been to two of them. I love Shenandoah and make my yearly pilgrimage, but there's something more magical about Acadia.

Maybe it's because the landscape is so rugged, maybe it's because I have a love affair with Maine, or maybe it's because my husband proposed to me here, but Acadia National Park has a special place in my heart. A trip to Acadia doesn't happen every year, so it's always a momentous occasion. Time spent in Acadia is time spent with adventure.

As this brochure tells you, there are trails for all skill levels in Acadia. Next time I go I really want to knock out some of the hard ones (I've heard great things about Beehive, Cadillac, and Dorr, so look out for those posts in the future!), but this past trip I focused on a moderate one for starters. Now, I am generally convinced that Maine has an entirely different scale of rating trails than any other state on the east coast, but I think it's safe to say that this trail is indeed "moderate," as the chart on the brochure suggests.

The trail begins amongst the woods and rocks of Acadia. There are some fun stone formations and even something that looks like a cave. There are beautiful viewpoints along the way.

Green pines and blue skies on a gorgeous August day.

There is a false summit, so don't be fooled. Enjoy the views and keep right on going until you reach the very top. For such a small mountain, the amount of scenery you can see is truly astounding.

Mist rolling onto shore.

Typical Acadian beauty.

Hopefully you've taken full advantage of the photo ops. Enjoy both flora and fauna on the way back down!

Birch and fern bottom. Very different from the pine and rock top!

There are so many things to do in and around Acadia that you can't possibly be bored. If you're feeling adventurous, try another hike! If not, just drive around and enjoy the scenery.