12 FANTASTIC Dog Friendly Hikes At Acadia National Park

Are you planning a Trip to Acadia National Park with your dog?

Do you LOVE to hike?

Check out my list of 12 FANTASTIC Dog Friendly Hikes at Acadia National Park that let you experience some of the best places in the park with your pup.

Acadia is one of the most dog friendly National Parks. There are 100 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of Carriage trails that are dog friendly. You will not run out of places to explore with your dog.

Hiking at Acadia is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the beauty and uniqueness of this National Park. The diverse landscape will make you feel like you are walking through a fairy tale forest during one part of the hike only then to lead you to a rocky summit that overlooks the beautiful coast.

Need help planning your trip with your dog to Acadia National Park? Check out my dog friendly guide to help you plan your trip to Acadia National Park. I also have a 3 Day dog friendly itinerary if you need help planning your daily activities.

Acadia National Park is located on the coast of Maine and is one of the top 10 most frequently visited National Parks. The most frequently visited part of the park is located on Mount Desert Island near the town of Bar Harbor.

The terrain of Acadia National Park is a mix of forests, mountains and ocean and it is possible to experience all three of these in a single hike.

You will need a park pass to enter Acadia, the most common is a 7 day private vehicle pass that costs $35.00. If you plan on visiting Cadillac Mountain you will need a pre-purchased timed entry ticket that costs $6.00.

I recommend bringing and wearing light layers. The mornings can be pretty chilly in the Spring and Fall where it is nice to have a hat a jacket and even a light pair of gloves. When the sun is out it can warm up.

I also recommend having a pair of closed toed shoes or boots that are supportive and have good traction due to the uneven and slippery surfaces you may come upon on the varied terrain of some of the trails.

I recommend bringing a daypack to carry your items. Make sure to bring enough water for yourself and your dog and a collapsible water bowl for your dog. I also recommend bringing plenty of snacks and a picnic lunch to enjoy from one of the many beautiful views on your hike. Also don’t forget your sunscreen and any bug/tick repellant that you like to use.

Make sure to download park maps, trail maps and directions to and from where you are staying or planning to go next. There is limited to no cell service in many parts of the park.

The hikes I mention in this post are located on Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor and the Schoodic Peninsula parts of Acadia National Park. They were all dog friendly at the time of our visits. It is always a good idea to confirm the status of dog friendly activities in case there are new changes or any restrictions have been put in place.

In addition to these hikes being dog friendly, my husband and I hiked these trails with our 10 month old child in a front carrier.

• Ocean Path to Gorham Mountain
  • Distance: approximately 3.1 miles
  • Elevation gain: 817 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Features: Many scenic views. This hike shows off the beauty of Sand Beach, the rocky coastline, Otter Cliffs and beautiful views from Gorham Mountain. On Ocean Path you will pass by Thunder Hole where at high tide the crashing surf makes a thunderous sound.
  • Notes: Located off Park Loop Road, park at Sand Beach Parking lot. Restrooms are available here. Hike Ocean Path all the way to Otter Point then come back on the Gorham Mountain to Bowl trail. Avoid the Cadillac Cliff section with your dog – there are rungs and ladders here. If you only have a few days at Acadia this hike is worth putting on your itinerary.

• Cadillac Summit Loop Trail
  • Distance: 0.4 miles
  • Elevation gain: 62 feet
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Features: Coastal landscape views of Frenchman Bay and the Porcupine Islands from the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. Popular location to watch sunrise and sunset.
  • Notes: Located off Park Loop Road, you will need a separate timed entry ticket ($6.00). Bonus if you can score a sunrise or sunset ticket. There are restrooms and a gift shop at the summit. It can be windy and colder here – especially for sunrise or sunset, make sure to bring your extra layers.

• Bubbles Hike (North and South Bubble)
  • Distance: 1.5 miles
  • Elevation gain: 492 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Features: You will get views of Jordan Pond, mountains, the Cranberry Isles and the famous Bubble Rock which is a boulder perched on the edge of the South Bubble.
  • Notes: Park at the Bubbles Divide Parking lot off of Park Loop Road. This lot is pretty small so I recommend getting there early. There are no bathrooms here. There are a few steep rocky sections with exposed granite. Follow the Bubbles Divide Trail to the junction for North bubble then take a right to go to North Bubble. Then come back down and turn right and follow Bubbles Divide Trail to South Bubble and Bubble Rock. At the summit of South Bubble follow the blue blazes to find Bubble Rock. Don’t forget to take a picture pretending to push the rock off the edge!

• Jordan Pond Path
  • Distance: 3.3 miles
  • Elevation: 59 feet
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Features: Views of Jordan Pond, Bubble mountains, hiking through a variety of terrain.
  • Notes: The main north parking lot is bigger than the smaller lot at Jordan Pond House. I recommend getting here early and if you plan on doing the whole loop go clockwise so that you will be walking over the raised wooden plank boardwalk (which is rather narrow) before too many people are on the trail. Once you get past this part there is a rocky area with some uneven footing and a little bit of rock scrambling. The East side of the path is crushed stone and easier to navigate. It may be tempting to detour up to Bubble Rock from this trail – the rocks are pretty steep and our dogs couldn’t make it up so we had to turn back. There are bathrooms, a gift shop and the Jordan Pond House which is famous for its popovers. This is another hike that I always recommend to anyone visiting Acadia for the first time.

• Great Head Trail
  • Distance: 1.3-1.9 miles (you can choose a short or longer loop)
  • Elevation: 145 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Features: Dramatic ocean and coastline views, historical ruins.
  • Notes: Park in the Sand Beach parking lot off Park Loop Road. There are restrooms here. You will need to walk across Sand Beach to access the trail head at the far end of the beach. It is okay for dogs to cross the beach to get to this trail when the beach is closed to dogs, they just can’t stop and hang out on the beach. The trail has some rocky short steep sections.

• Wonderland Trail
  • Distance: 1.4 miles
  • Elevation: 78 feet
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Features: The trail opens up to a rocky shoreline where you can walk out on the rocks and it is popular for tide pooling at low tide.
  • Notes: This is an out and back trail. It is located on the ‘Quiet side’ of Mount Desert Island off of Route 102 A. There are no bathrooms here but there are vault toilets at the nearby Ship Harbor Trail. This is a good hike to combine with an outing to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse and Ship Harbor Trail or another hike on this side of the Island.

• Ship Harbor Trail
  • Distance: 1.3 miles
  • Elevation: 72 feet
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Features: This trail has pretty views of the ocean, forest, and coastline. There are nice spots to stop off the trail and have a picnic by the water. It is also a great trail for bird lovers.
  • Notes: This is a figure 8 shaped trail located on the ‘Quiet side’ of Mount Desert Island off of Route 102 A. There are vault toilets at the trailhead. This trail is just down the road from the Wonderland Trail. If you are short on time and have to choose between this trail and the Wonderland Trail I think this one is overall more scenic.

• Flying Mountain Loop
  • Distance: 1.5 miles
  • Elevation: 321 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Features: Overlooks Somes Sound and then hike down to Valley Cove Beach.
  • Notes: The trail is located at Fernald Point Road off of Route 102 near Southwest Harbor. The parking lot here is very small (about 10 cars). It is a short steep hike to the top of the mountain and on descent there is a beautiful quiet cove with a rocky beach. You will start on the Flying Mountain Trail and finish the second part of the loop on the Valley Cove Trail if you hike it counterclockwise. There are no restrooms at this trailhead. Dogs are allowed on this trail however the Acadia National Park website lists this as “not recommended for dogs”. Our Golden Retriever who is an avid hiker had no problems on this trail.

• Beech Mountain Trail
  • Distance: 1.2 miles
  • Elevation: 357 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Features: This is a loop hike with views of Long Pond and Mansell Mountain. It is considered a good sunset spot. There is a fire tower that you can climb to the first platform, however dogs are not permitted to go on the fire tower.
  • Notes: This hike is another one that is on the Quiet Side of Mount Desert Island. The parking lot holds about 20-25 cars and services a few different trails. Parts of this trail are steep and rocky. It is not advised to do this hike when it is wet out. There were port-a-john toilets at the trailhead when we visited.

• Bar Island Trail
  • Distance: 1.9 miles round trip to walk across the sand bar and do the trail
  • Elevation: 183 feet
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Features: This ‘land bridge’ is only accessible 1.5 hours before and after low tide where a gravel bar connects Bar Harbor to Bar Island.
  • Notes: Check the daily tide charts to plan the timing of this hike into your itinerary. Keep track of time so you do not get stuck on Bar Island or you will have to wait 9 hours for the next low tide or pay lots of $$ to have a water taxi rescue you. To access this hike walk down to the end of Bridge Street in Bar Harbor.

• Anvil-Schoodic Head-Alder Loop
  • Distance: 2.5 miles
  • Elevation: 518 feet
  • Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous (due to some of the rocky areas)
  • Features: Some of the forested areas of this hike feel absolutely magical. The ocean views from the top are beautiful as well.
  • Notes: This hike is on the Schoodic Peninsula which is about an hour away from Bar Harbor. Park at the Blueberry Hill parking lot. There are no bathrooms here. There are steep rocky areas on the Anvil section of the trail. The Alder section of the trail will take you through the beautiful forested section. The trail is vaguely marked in some areas so I definitely recommend having the trail map downloaded ahead of time. If you make a trip out to the Schoodic Peninsula I recommend doing this hike.

• Carriage Roads
  • There are 45 miles of Carriage Roads that you can walk with your dog in Acadia.
  • Along the Carriage Roads you can find 16 historic stone bridges and two gatehouses (Brown Mountain and Jordan Pond gatehouses).
  • The Carriage Roads also intersect with some of the hiking trail which can allow you to incorporate them into a hike you are already doing.
  • Here is more information about Acadia’s Historic Carriage Roads.

Getting to travel with your pet is a privilege. Follow the rules that are in place to help keep you and them safe. Not every dog is capable of every activity that is listed as dog friendly so be the best judge of what your dog can handle.

Dogs are required to be on leashes no longer than 6 feet.

Make sure you bring poop bags and pick up and dispose of dog waste in designated trash cans.

Did you know that your dog can be a BARK Ranger?

Be sure to check for ticks after your hiking adventures.

There are a handful of hikes that are not dog friendly, for a list of these hikes and more information on bringing your dog to Acadia visit the Acadia National Park Website for more details.

I hope this list of Dog Friendly Hikes at Acadia National Park helps give you plenty of ideas of all the fun places you and your pup can explore in the park.