Finding good hikes for families is not difficult in Acadia.  But we are aware that all families are completely different, but you are sure to find one of these hikes appealing to your family.

FAMILIES WITH SMALL CHILDREN 

Jordon Pond Loop:  

This hike is flat and takes you around the perimeter of the beautiful Jordon Pond.  This is a great place for families that like to stop and take breaks for kids to play along the shore.  Even though this hike doesn’t have much climbing, this hike is still fun for kids because much of it is on a narrow wooden boardwalk that winds through the pine forest.  The full loop is 3.4 mi, so you can also choose to shorten this hike by only walking half the lake and turning back.  Our little ones wanted to stop and play in the water so often that we never made it all the way around.

TIDE POOLS!  

The Ship Harbor Trail is a great short hike of 1.3 mi that takes you out to a point with rocky tide pools to explore.  It’s on the quieter side of the park, so you find the trail less crowded than Jordon Pond. Make sure to start this hike about an hour before low tide to maximize your time to play in them.  Playing in tide pools is a MUST DO in Maine.  You will find the tide pools teeming with barnacles, mussels, periwinkles,limpets, whelks, sea urchins, crabs and sea stars!

FAMILIES WITH OLDER KIDS 

Beehive:

You will probably want to skip Precipice, but if your family is up for a challenge, the Beehive is the one for you.  If you are a mama with a bad fear of heights, or your kids have unpredictable behavior…I would skip I this one.  You will have some drop offs and metal ladders to climb, but its not as extensive as Precipice.  Do not hike when icy or rainy as the rocks become dangerously slippery.  We hiked this with a baby in a carrier and a five and nine year old.  Our five year old is very cautious and was helped by dad the whole time.  

Bubble Rock:

Bubble Rock is a huge rock stuck to the side of a cliff edge that looks like it is about to fall.  This parking lot is tiny, so arrive early.  Your hike to the top is short and sweet, but it does gain some elevation rather quickly.  Little kids can do this one also.  But I was nervous near the top when we were taking photos.  If you walk to the other side of the cliff, you will feel less nervous with children because the drop off is more gradual and you will enjoy the gorgeous view over Jordon Pond.  

FAMILIES WITH TEENS

Precipice Trail:

This trail is rated as hard.  It’s only about 2mi long, but it is a vertical climb with a series of ladders and steep drop offs.  This will make any mama a bit nervous, but if you have strong teens with steady legs they will do fine.  Every area that is steep has metal rungs to hold onto. Check out our post on Precipice to learn more about this one.

Jordon Cliffs Trail:

This can be hiked as an extension of Jordon Pond Loop and finished at the Bubble Rock, which is a great challenge for teens when combined with the steep hike to the top of the Jordon Pond Cliffs. You will find less crowds and some say its even more of a challenge than the Beehive and Precipice.  This is another option with iron rungs and steep ledges.  You will have the magnificent payoff of the views of Jordon Pond and the Atlantic Ocean and some great teen photo ops with the Bubble Rock.  

Many of these options can be done with different age kids depending on level of skill and hiking ability.  But I would consider the fear of heights when looking at Beehive, Precipice, and Jordon Cliffs.  Have fun hiking and let us know which trails are your favorite!