One Of Acadia's Most Daring Trails Climbs A Sheer Cliff To Breathtaking Views Of Frenchman Bay

For all its internationally celebrated beauty, New England only has one true national park that is entirely its own. But what a national park it is! Located on the scenic Atlantic coast of Maine, about three hours north of Portland and four and a half hours from Boston, Acadia National Park is a magical spot where picturesque mountains look down on some of the most beautiful coastal forests of the entire Eastern Seaboard.

With such an impressive reserve of enchanting New England forests and coastal mountains, Acadia is one of the best hiking destinations in the American National Park System. Famed trails like the Jordan Pond Path offer easy, awe-inspiring mountain hikes that are perfect for beginners. Of course, more seasoned hikers and thrill-seekers may be up for more of a challenge than "easy" trails like the Jordan Pond Path can offer. For them, the precarious Precipice Loop is arguably Acadia's most adrenaline-inducing hike.

Though it's called a "hike," the Precipice Loop is really a half-hike, half-vertical climb of the rocky face of Acadia's Champlain Mountain. As far as climbs go, the Precipice Loop is not as challenging as the more technical mountaineering routes you'd find in other national parks. However, relative to most hiking trails, the Precipice Loop is a much more formidable prospect. Yet for all its difficulties, an attempt at Precipice Loop will likely be worth it when you're rewarded with some of Acadia's most spectacular views at the end of the trail.

At first glance, the Precipice Loop Trail doesn't look too bad. The entire trail is only around 2.6 miles long, shorter than many other trails in Acadia National Park. However, for this trail, the devil is in the details. From the trailhead off Park Loop Road, you'll be making an extremely steep ascent up the bare granite face of Champlain Mountain. At one point on the trail, you ascend around 1,000 feet in only 0.9 miles! As any mountain climber will tell you, 0.9 miles feels much longer when moving vertically rather than horizontally. These extremely steep climbs, precarious drops, and overall rugged terrain make the Precipice Loop one of the few U.S. National Park trails that's definitely for experienced hikers only.

While some challenging trails are "all bark no bite" when it comes to actual hazards, Precipice Loop is also considered the most dangerous hike in Acadia. During the trail's vertical ascent, you'll be positioned on the side of a steep cliff with a sizeable drop to solid rock below you. Wet weather and slippery conditions can make the risk of fatal falls more likely, and several people have tragically fallen to their deaths on the trail.

Several of Precipice Loop's more challenging sections have installed infrastructure to help you with your climb, including wooden bridges and metal handrails during the steepest ascents. However, these elements (particularly the metal rungs) can become dangerously slippery in rainy or wet conditions. For this reason, park officials strongly advise visitors to only attempt the Precipice Loop in good weather. The limited infrastructure also means Precipice Loop should only be a "one-way" trail. Trying to climb back down on the metal rungs while others are trying to climb up is a recipe for disaster, and park officials strongly advise hikers to only use the Precipice Loop to climb up Champlain Mountain. Once you've reached the top, you'll make your descent via the Champlain North Ridge Trail (which is thankfully much less challenging than the Precipice Loop).

Champlain Mountain may not be the highest mountain in Acadia, but with an elevation of 1,058 feet and a location right next to the coast, its summit provides arguably the best views in the park. Once you've triumphed over Precipice Loop's most challenging sections and reached the summit, you'll be treated to breathtaking views of Acadia's Frenchman Bay, Mount Desert Island, and the Schoodic Peninsula. On clear days, you can also get excellent views of the charming and artsy Bar Harbor, which is routinely ranked one of America's best small towns.

The Island Explorer shuttle bus service provides great transportation through the park from the Bar Harbor-Hancock County Regional Airport, with the Loop Road route passing along Park Loop Road near Champlain Mountain. The nearby Blackwoods Campground is a great overnight camping spot — though you can find plenty of cozy (and more modern) lodging in Bar Harbor as well!