Acadia National Park’s Beehive
On my family’s trip to Acadia National Park in Maine this past June, I promised the kids I’d let them help map out an itinerary versus me creating it exclusively. My kids are teen/tweens now, and they’ve become a bit more vocal when we visit national parks, requesting that we expand our activities beyond perambulation on trails. I’m happy to report that they did a fantastic job helping their parents call the shots, and our trip was a delightful mixture of multiple activities: Biking carriage roads, fishing, beach combing, camping, and of course, a little hiking to keep their mama happy!
Since we had hiked extensively in April while visiting southern Utah, I didn’t push for more time on foot. There was, however, one hike that I insisted on: The Beehive.
For years I’ve wanted to hike this trail on our visits to Maine, but I knew it would have to wait until my kids were old enough to tackle it without (much) fear. You see, the Beehive is a bit different from mindlessly traversing down a single wide, dirt path. There’s a bit of scrambling/climbing involved along an exposed route. In many spots, ladder rungs are bolted into the sides of the granite faced mountain to climb it. The exposure can be a bit daunting if you are truly acrophobic. Thankfully, none of my crew has more than a natural respect for heights, but nothing that prevents them from enjoying a route like this. That being said, if you have a family member who is truly fearful of exposure and heights, save this one for a different trip.
We began our hike on the Bowl Trail which starts on a traditional trail in a forested area. After hiking a short distance, we reached the junction with the Beehive Trail and we caught a glimpse of other hikers climbing the route waaaaay above us and a posted sign warning of the trail’s inherent dangers. There was a bit of skepticism among the kids, questioning their mother’s ability to keep them out of harm’s way, but I assured them that it was going to be…well, an adventure!
At this point, we followed the trail towards the Beehive which quickly started its steep, switchbacking ascent up the south side of the mountain. The route was obvious as we simply followed the path of iron rung ladders, handrails, steps carved into boulders, and even a grill plank in one section. This is not a fast hike, and despite the entire trail to the summit only being 0.8 miles, it’s slow going.
(double click on any photo to be taken to a slideshow)
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- Almost to the top!
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- Three points of body contact is always a good idea when you’re hiking in an exposed area
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- The ladders were fun!
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- Up, up, and up we go!
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- Almost there!
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- Some of us chose to scooch instead of walk across the grate. 🙂
Speaking of the summit, it’s simply magnificent, providing 360 degree views that rival any other view in the park, in my opinion (and yes, that includes Cadillac Mountain). It’s one of those places I firmly believe will become etched in my kids’ minds forever and encourage their own adventures as adults and possibly parents one day.
After all that hard work, they were a bit surprised at the elevation of the Beehive. 😉
We made it!
Egg Rock and its lighthouse
We stopped for a snack break while soaking in the enormous views and then continued our journey down the west side of the Beehive, which was exceptionally easy, compared to what we had just climbed. There is a cutoff trail you can use to bypass “The Bowl,” which is a beautiful pond nestled among its neighboring mountains, but I highly recommend including the walk to the pond on your hike. After all, the entire hike, including the Beehive climb is only about 1-1/2 miles!
When we reached “The Bowl,” we hiked along it for a short stretch, letting the kids stop to skip rocks in the light of the setting sun. Our trip happened too early in the season to convince the kids that a dip in its waters would be refreshing (well, I guess it would be refreshing, but perhaps a bit too much!), but it is apparently a popular spot in the summer for swimming.
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- Walking towards “The Bowl”
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- Starting to see the pond
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- The setting sun made the light especially magical
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- Bunchberry, a.k.a dwarf dogwood
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- The boardwalks were a nice treat in this boggy area
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- Skipping rocks into the pond
On the western side of the pond, we passed the junction of the Bear Brook and Gorham Mountain Trails. A few minutes later, we arrived at the trail junction we had come to when we first started our hike, and backtracked along the “stick” of our lollipop loop to our waiting car. It would be possible to extend this loop hike another to include the Gorham Mountain and the Ocean Path Trails, but for this day, short and sweet was exactly what the kids needed to stay engaged.
Heading back out
Trail Report Card and Notes
Mileage: 1.4 miles.
Type of Hike: Lollipop loop.
Suitability for Kids: While the route holds minimal risk if your kids are cautious and careful, there are a couple of areas with exposure along the trail, and a fall would result in a serious injury, if not death. Watch kids closely and keep them in your sight at all times. I would save this particular hike for tweens/teens, personally, unless a younger child is exceptionally well behaved and not fearful of heights.
How to Get Here: The Beehive hike starts at the Bowl Trailhead which is across the street from Sand Beach along the Park Loop Road. Park in the Sand Beach parking lot or in the right lane of the road as permitted.
Special Precautions: I would not recommend hiking this route if it is raining or has just rained.
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