The Precipice Trail is Acadia National Park’s most adventurous and exhilarating hike. It’s a 2.1-mile roundtrip loop with more than 1,000 feet elevation gain, most of which is gained on vertical iron-rung ladders and razor thin rock ledges with steep drop-offs. We climbed the heart thumping Precipice Trail in 2020 and we can tell you it’s definitely not for the feint of heart.
In this guide we explain everything you need to know about hiking the Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park, based on our own experiences.
Our Experience
We visited Acadia in October 2020 as part of a wider fall New England fall foliage road trip, and the Precipice Trail was top of our wishlist because we love unique hikes with adventure elements. It turned out to be busier than expected, but it was so much fun and we ended up going for another crack at it. The second time Mark wore a GoPro on his head and got a bit of video footage, which you can watch here.
The thrilling ladder climbs and ledge walks were our favorite parts of the trail, but we also enjoyed the far reaching 180-degree views over Frenchman Bay and the Gulf of Maine from Champlain Mountain after summiting Precipice Trail. There’s something special about a heart-clapping, adrenaline pumping, butterflies bouncing climb up a sheer rock face, so don’t miss this hike when you visit Acadia. Read more about us.
READ: The hikes you can’t miss in Acadia
Trail Details
- Distance: 2.1 miles roundtrip
- Type: Loop trail
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Time: 2-3 hours
- Elevation Gain: 1,050 ft (320m)
- Trailhead: Park Loop Road
- Age: Over 12 recommended
- Dogs Allowed: No
- Recent Comments: AllTrails
The Precipice Trail is a non-technical hike, so you don’t need ropes or specialist equipment. But there are lots of uneven iron ladders built into granite rocks that you must climb with your hands and feet. The climbing portion is almost vertical with steep drop-offs throughout, so please don’t attempt this hike if you have a fear of heights.
You’ll walk through a boulder field, climb a rock face, summit at Champlain Mountain and then loop back around to the trailhead on relatively easy paths. The only hard part about the hike is the climb. We witnessed several people having issues during the climbing portion, which bottlenecked the trail and slowed down everyone else on the rock face.
From experience, we can tell you there are better places to be stuck than on narrow ledges with steep drops. So again, do not climb if you’re not sure how you’ll handle heights. We strongly recommend you hike Beehive Trail first to see how you get on with a similar but much smaller and less scary version of the same type of trail.
Important: The Precipice Trail closes each year from the beginning of March until the middle of August due to peregrine falcon nesting. You will not be able to hike this trail if you visit Acadia in March, April, May, June, July or the first half of August.
Precipice Trailhead Parking
The trailhead parking lot for Precipice Trail is located along Acadia Park Loop Road, just 3.9 miles and 10 minutes drive south from Bar Harbor. It’s a very small parking lot with around 20 spaces and 2 disabled spaces, which is nowhere near enough spaces for a hike this popular, so most people end up parking on the roadside near the trailhead.
We hiked Precipice Trail twice at different times of day and we didn’t even get close to the parking lot. Instead we parked at random spots on the roadside and walked to the trailhead. You’ll know you’re close when you see a long curving line of vehicles parked on the side of the road.
Entry to Acadia costs $35/ vehicle for a 7-day pass, or you enter for free with an America the Beautiful pass. However, the trailhead parking for Precipice Trail is not actually within the park boundaries, so you could technically hike this trail without paying if you didn’t want to do anything else inside the park.
- Open Precipice Trailhead maps location and hit directions when you arrive into Acadia.
The Route
We took a screenshot of our Gaia GPS offline map to show you the route. Here’s a breakdown of exactly how you’ll hike it:
- 0.3 miles on Precipice Trail
- Turn left at the split (you’ll end here later)
- 0.4 miles climb up Precipice Trail
- Summit Champlain Mountain
- 0.5 miles on Champlain North Ridge Trail
- 0.6 miles on Orange and Black Path
- 0.3 miles after rejoining Precipice Trail
Descending back down the Precipice Trail is not advised by the NPS. It’s hard enough going up, but coming down is whole different story. Not only is dangerous for you, but it also endangers other hikers who are climbing up. We had it happen to us when some hot-head was cutting down through people without a care. Let’s just say he got plenty of dagger-eyes and one or two choice words!
On the descent you can walk along the Orange and Black Path back to the beginning of Precipice Trail, or you cut straight down to Park Loop Road and walk back to the trailhead on the main road if you want an easier option. Take care with traffic if you walk back on the main road.
READ: The best hiking apps
Walkthrough: Our Acadia Precipice Trail Hike
Let’s move onto the fun part. We’re going to walk you through our hike with plenty of the photos we took so you can visualize the trail and see what you’ll be up against.
1. Find A Place To Park
We hiked Precipice Trail twice and both times we had to park a few minutes walk away from the trailhead on Park Loop Road. After pulling right off the road, we grabbed our daypacks and carefully walked to the trail. Lots of cars were arriving and trying to get as close as possible, but we recommend just parking at the back of the line of cars to avoid any stress.
You could arrive right around or just after sunrise if you wanted to climb up with fewer people around, but we arrived around 8:00am the second time and it was already packed. It was a weekday morning in October during the fall foliage season. Alternatively, avoid the midday rush and climb it much later in the afternoon when it’s quieter again.
2. Trail Begins
We began the hike by walking through light forest and climbing up a couple of huge granite rocks with metal ladders. This part actually turned out to be the hardest part to navigate technically, so it throws you in at the deep end. We followed blue painted blazes on trees and boulders as the trail continued further into the forest.
3. Boulder Field
After a few fun obstacles and gaps in rocks to climb through, we began to gain elevation as we forged our way through a boulder field. At times it was almost straight up so our calves and thighs started to warm up nicely. Many of the boulders were medium to large in size, so we had to take long and high steps to keep moving forwards. Lots of hikers were also using their hands at this point.
4. Sideways Traverse
With elevated BPM numbers showing on our smartwatches after the steep climb through the boulder field, we finally leveled out again. Following blue paint markers, we walked sideways on the same contour and all of a sudden the fun really started.
Next, with drop-offs to the side beginning to appear, we used iron-rung bars at foot level to offset our weight and push ourselves into the side, crossed a few bridges and noticed the views starting to open up.
5. Time To Climb
Just like that, the sideways section ended and the trail turned vertical. This time there was no boulder field, but razor-thin ledges and lots of uneven iron bars protruding out of granite rock faces. This was when our senses began to heighten, and we became hyper-aware of our balance, foot placements and planning out next moves.
6. Ladders, Ladders, Ladders
The one thing we were most surprised about with Precipice Trail was the amount of ladder sections. We expected maybe half a dozen or so, but they just kept coming and coming. And we couldn’t get enough! We’ve no idea exactly how many ladders there were because we were riding the wave of adrenaline. We liked that the ladders weren’t the same every time; they were uneven, random and made us think.
This is where you need to be most careful. Give others space and if people aren’t giving you enough space, ask them to back up a little so you feel comfortable. We saw lots of people letting other quicker hikers pass them by at safe points. Closer to the top there are some pretty serious parts where you really need to pay attention, so skip the view for now and focus on getting two hands onto those iron rails.
7. Summit Views
Before we knew it we were standing at the summit thinking about how much we couldn’t wait do it all over again. Time flew by when we were on the climb, so make sure you enjoy every step of your ascent. From the summit we could see tiny islands surrounded by water with sunlight dancing on the surface. We stopped here for a quick snack and to let our blood pressure stabilize.
8. Complete The Loop
The descent was a breeze after leaving the summit of Champlain Mountain. We followed the ridge trail before dropping down some narrow winding staircases onto Orange and Black Path. Instead of cutting down to the loop road we completed the full loop and walked back to our car on the road.
READ: Unmissable things to do in Acadia
What You Need To Know
Let’s take a quick look at what you should know before you begin your hike:
- Precipice Trail closes each year from early March until the middle of August for peregrine falcon nesting season. Check trail conditions for updates.
- If you’re not sure how you’ll get on with the ladder climbs or the drop-offs, hike Beehive Trail first. It’s like a miniature version of Precipice Trail.
- Precipice Trail is rated as hard and strenuous by both All Trails and the NPS.
- If you’re a strong hiker you’ll likely find this trail easy from a physical perspective but due to the climbing elements involved, we think the harder rating makes sense.
- Personally, we feel as though we’ve hiked far more challenging trails that are labelled as moderate. And if you’re okay with the ladder climbs, we think you’ll agree with us.
- You don’t need any climbing experience to enjoy this hike. It’s not a rock climb, it’s a hike with non-technical climbing elements.
- For us, overcrowding is the major issue because it makes nervous hikers even more anxious. Give yourself space if you’re feeling boxed in by others.
- You should never attempt to hike Precipice Trail if it’s raining or there are strong wind gusts. The slick rock surface and metal bars will become treacherous when wet, and strong winds could blow you off a ledge. It’s not worth it.
- You need to wear robust shoes with good grips like trail runners. We absolutely wouldn’t climb Precipice Trail with an old pair of shoes with no grips left.
- Don’t carry anything in your hands when you climb the ladders, you need both hands free for this hike.
READ: Hiking tips for beginners
Best Time To Hike Precipice Trail
The Precipice Trail is open from the middle of August until the end of February. The safest time to hike is the second half of August, September, October and maybe November if the weather is clear. In winter the hike will often be treacherous due to rain, wind, snow and cold temperatures.
Acadia is busy in August, September and the first two weeks of October during peak fall foliage season. If you visit in these months, try to hike Precipice Trail early in the morning or much later in the afternoon on a weekday. Avoid weekends and especially holiday weekends when the park will be busiest.
Our first climb up Precipice Trail was around midday, and the second we began at 8:00am. Both times it was busy, so we’d make a point of arriving at the trailhead around sunrise so we could get a head start on the crowds.
READ: Our guide to visiting Acadia in the fall
Our Precipice Trail Photos
We took a bunch of photos on our smartphones during our hikes, so we wanted to share a few more with you so you can see more of the trail before deciding if you’re up for it.
The Morgan Conclusion
What we like: We love unique trails with adventurous elements so Precipice Trail is right in our wheelhouse. The ladder climbs are a lot of fun and the views at the top are an unexpected bonus. We also like how short the hike is overall, and how easy it is to access from Bar Harbor. You can find this trail in our guide to the most unmissable hikes in the US.
What we don’t like: The trail is always busy and there’s always at least a few hikers who suddenly realize they don’t like heights. Waiting around on narrow ledges next to long drops isn’t much fun. We also think the hike should have an official one-way system implemented to stop the odd village idiot coming back down the ladders.
Is Precipice Trail worth hiking? Yes, the Precipice Trail is definitely worth hiking as long as you don’t have a fear of heights and you enjoy adventure elements like ladder climbs. It’s a short but incredibly fun hike, especially if you visit Acadia during a less busy period. Overall, we think this is a hike you absolutely shouldn’t miss.
More From Acadia
- The hikes you can’t miss in Acadia
- How to hike the Beehive Trail in Acadia
- Unmissable things to do in Acadia
- Best places to stay near Acadia
- Guide to visiting Acadia in October
Want more Maine content? Head over to our Maine Travel Guides to explore Acadia National Park and beyond.
We hope this Precipice Trail hiking guide helps with planning your visit to Acadia!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Hiking,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.