Hi all,
DS and I (along with non-running sister and niece) are heading to Acadia in a few weeks for a short camping trip. It has been years (ok, two decades) since I've been there. Since my memory is so poor (and I ran primarily on roads in those days), I'd love to hear about the better trails for running, especially towards the 'quiet side' of the park, where we'll be staying. DS will want short runs (3-4 miles) and I'm looking for slightly longer (5-8miles).
We will be there in early July, peak season, so any suggestions for lesser used trails are much appreciated!
thanks!
That should be a nice vacation.
LB2
I was there last year, also in July. I did not run that much, mostly just short runs and hikes since the wife is not super fit. Still it was a very enjoyable trip.
I ran once on the carriage roads one morning as they were nearby but that's not really trail running. It was nice though and quite pleasant.
The one run I did do was on the Western side of the park adjacent to Long Pond. I'd recommend this area for a nice loop to get away from the crowds. The Long Pond trail itself runs along the pond and is pretty flat until the end as it turns to climb the Western Mountain. It would make a nice out/back for your DS. The climb up is rather rooty and tricky up to the Great Notch. It's pretty neat up there but a lot of hiking due to the terrain as their are quite a few granite rock climbs and scrambles. There are a couple of trails you can take back down. I opted not to take the perpendicular trail (which turned out to be a good thing.. I had the dog) as there are some ladder climbs there I found out later. Can't remember the trail we took down but it was blazed and fairly easy to follow even though it hopped in and out of the woods onto large blocks of granite.
I also did an out/back run up Mt. Gorham on the coast but did not have time to explore up there. It was quite crowded on the climb. Saw dozens and dozens of groups hiking while at Long Pond I saw one or two couples max.
The trails there are rather rugged as an FYI. Below are some photos from our trip.
https://acadianhtrip.shutterfly.com/
In dog beers, I've only had one.
A double traverse of Cadillac Mtn. is really fun (approximately 12 miles total). I started at the trailhead near the Blackwoods campground. You can buy snacks and drinks at the visitor center at the top.
How was that climb on the trail? I would have liked to do that but the missus could not make the climb. We were only there for 3 days and we drove up there and it was the only time the whole trip that the clouds cleared. Saw a lot of runners running the road to the top. I thought that was nearly cheating as much as driving!
I didn't think it was bad at all, although it is pretty rooty & rocky until you get above the treeline. Definitely better than the trail my husband took me on a few years ago. We were on the carriage roads and decided we'd like to get up to Cadillac. The route he took was almost straight up; we were scrambling over boulders following the blue blazes.
Edited to add: here's my Garmin info: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/202613431
EDRW & XT-- thanks for the suggestions! And the dogs looked as if they were having a good time, XT. I'm expecting my niece to ask to join us on a run, so the carriage trails might be good for a run with her. And maybe we can just do the climb up Cadillac. I will definitely check out Long Pond, as I expect the crowds along the ocean drive and trails to be heavy.