Acadia National Park | BEEHIVE AND BOWL TRAILS LOOP HIKE

Beehive-Bowl Trail map (click to enlarge)

Beehive-Bowl Trail map (click to enlarge)


NOTE: The following trail review discusses the slope of the trail, which is called a grade. This is not the angle of the slope, but the calculation of rise (climb in elevation) divided by run (length of horizontal progress) expressed as a percentage ((rise/run) x 100). For example, using feet as the unit of measurement, a 10% grade means that a trail climbs 10 feet for every 100 feet in length. Positive grades are inclines and negative grades are declines; National Park Planner uses positive numbers in all cases, but gives a written indication of whether a slope is uphill or downhill. The grade given for an entire trail is an average, so mountainous trails may have sections with extremely steep grades as well as level areas. For reference:

  • A wheelchair accessible trail has a grade of no more than +/-5%
  • Most recreational trails are designed to be no more than +/-10%, with a steeper segment every now and then
  • Most people agree that a +/-15% grade is where things begin to get really steep
  • Stairs in a typical house and the steepest ski slopes have a grade of 60%
  • A 45º angle is equal to a grade of 100%
  • A stepladder has a grade of 260%
  • A wall perpendicular to the ground (straight up) has a grade of infinity

To put Acadia National Park mountain trails into perspective, the average grade from the first Nepal base camp to the summit of Mount Everest is 17%, while the average grade from South Col (final camp) to the summit is 60%. Average grades of many trails in Acadia exceed Everest’s 17%, and short stretches go way beyond 60%. The difference, aside from ice and snow, is that the 60% grade of the South Col to Everest summit hike covers 3,100 vertical feet and lasts for a mile, whereas a 60% grade at Acadia may last a few hundred feet. The tallest mountain in Acadia is only 1,530 feet, so even if the grade was 60% from bottom to top, the hike would still only be half as long as the Everest summit hike.


BEEHIVE AND BOWL TRAILS LOOP HIKE

Length: 1.6-mile loop
Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Beehive Trail is arduous; Bowl Trail is moderate

The Beehive Trail is another extremely difficult trail full of ladders and rungs and narrow ledges flanked by deadly drops just like the Precipice Trail. The enticing tales of danger seem to draw everyone in Acadia National Park from serious hikers to completely unprepared curiosity seekers. I’m surprised that more people don’t get killed, because I saw it all here: a man attempting to hike the trail with two boys who couldn’t have been older than seven; plenty of people hiking in sandals; a teenage girl trying to climb a ladder up the side of the mountain with a cell phone in one hand; an obese family that hiked to the top and then turned around and came back down, making it difficult for those hiking to the summit; two shirtless guys in bare feet who ran up the trail without water or anything else. The man with the two boys finally turned around after endangering their lives for much of the way. When the obese family came down all I could think was that when push comes to shove, the human spirit perseveres, because I don’t know how they made it—wrong way or not—without having a heart attack.

A loop hike to the top of Beehive Mountain (aka The Beehive) can be formed by combining the arduous Beehive Trail with the only moderately difficult Bowl Trail. The hike is designed to ascend to the summit on the Beehive Trail, not only because it is safer to climb up a steep mountain—just imagine tripping while walking up a staircase versus walking down one—but also because the trail isn’t wide enough for a steady stream of two-way traffic. It’s not officially a one-way trail, but you are sure to get plenty of dirty looks if you get caught coming down.

Finding a place to park is nearly as difficult as hiking the trail because the trailhead is next to Sand Beach, one of the most popular attractions at Acadia National Park. In fact, the trail does not have its own parking lot, but instead shares the Sand Beach lot, which is full by early morning during the summer. You will most likely have to park on the road and walk up to a half-mile back to the trail. Parking is allowed anywhere in the right hand lane. An alternative is to take the free Island Explorer Shuttle Bus—it stops at Sand Beach.

If you typically use hiking poles, do not bring them with you unless you have some place to securely pack them away. You will not be able to use them on the rungs and ladders, as well as on sections where you must scramble over rocks. It is very difficult and dangerous to climb with the poles in your hand.

Rungs are common on the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Rungs are common on the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

From the trailhead you have a .2-mile walk up a rocky hill before coming to the Beehive-Bowl trails intersection where the loop starts. The trail looks like a rockslide, and probably is. A sign marks the intersection, so just follow the directions to the Beehive.

Terrain and the start of the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Terrain and the start of the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Start of the Beehive-Bowl trails loop hike at Acadia National Park

Start of the Beehive-Bowl trails loop hike at Acadia National Park

I had just come from hiking the Precipice Trail, so making comparisons to it and the Beehive were fresh on my mind. Per foot, the Beehive is nearly as strenuous as the Precipice Trail, but it’s only half the length. When you reach the summit of The Beehive (520 feet), realize that you would only be halfway to the top of Champlain Mountain on the Precipice Trail (1,058 feet). The average grade of the Beehive Trail to the summit is 16%, and sustained slopes with grades between 20-30% are common (and of course there are the rock walls that have grades approaching infinity). The Precipice Trail averages 20% to the summit of Champlain Mountain, and in addition to some nearly-vertical rock walls, it has a few sections with grades as high as 140%, and often has sustained slopes as steep as 30+%, but these come at the higher elevations.

Hikers on Acadia National Park's Beehive Trail climbing a rock wall with help from iron rungs

Hikers on Acadia National Park’s Beehive Trail climbing a rock wall with help from iron rungs

The views from the Beehive Trail are my favorite among the mountain summit hikes in Acadia National Park. A stretch of the trail runs along a one-wrong-step-and-you-are-dead ledge, and there is a constant view of Sand Beach and the lagoon that has formed behind it, arguably the most spectacular scene on the east coast of the United States.

View of Sand Beach and lagoon from Acadia National Park's Beehive Trail

View of Sand Beach and lagoon from Acadia National Park’s Beehive Trail

Just short of a half mile into the hike, you will reach what appears to be the top of the mountain, but this is not the case. The official summit is marked with a sign that states the elevation.

Near the top of Beehive Mountain on the Beehive Trail, Acadia National Park

Near the top of Beehive Mountain on the Beehive Trail, Acadia National Park

When you reach the top of The Beehive you will most likely see many people sitting around taking a break. It’s like Grand Central Station on the trail, so you will not find any solitude here.

Hikers take a break at the top of Beehive Mountain (aka The Beehive) in Acadia National Park

Hikers take a break at the top of Beehive Mountain (aka The Beehive) in Acadia National Park

Summit marker for The Beehive at Acadia National Park

Summit marker for The Beehive at Acadia National Park

Unlike the top of most mountains in Acadia National Park where multiple trails intersect and directional signage points to the different destinations, the Beehive Trail is the only trail at the top of Beehive Mountain, so there are no signs. This causes a little confusion as to which way to go in order to continue the hike, so it is important that you understand how the route is marked. Blue paint splotches called blazes are either painted on the rocks or on the trees. These function as Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs, so when in doubt as to which way to go, look for the blazes. In areas where there are no trees, cairns are also used to mark the trail. These are distinct piles of rocks placed on barren surfaces. You typically can see from one blaze or cairn to the next, and if not, you should see one within a few minutes of hiking if you are going in the right direction.

Blue blazes and cairns mark the route of Acadia National Park's Beehive Trail on rocky surfaces

Blue blazes and cairns mark the route of Acadia National Park’s Beehive Trail on rocky surfaces

Shortly after departing from the summit is an intersection with a shortcut trail that leads over to the Bowl Trail, allowing you to head back to the parking lot without hiking over another small mountain that lies ahead. The Bowl is a mountain lake that is over 400 feet above sea level, and if you take the shortcut you a) won’t see the lake and b) won’t hike the Beehive Trail to the end. While every mountain trail in Acadia National Park is strenuous, some are strenuous-er. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve tackled the strenuous-er part, so might as well hike the trail in its entirety. The lake, and the end of the Beehive Trail, is less than a quarter mile away.

Mini mountain between the Beehive Trail and the Bowl at Acadia National Park

Mini mountain between the Beehive Trail and the Bowl at Acadia National Park

When you get to the top of the mini-mountain, .75 mile into the hike, you’ll get your first view of The Bowl. Look to the right for a boulder with a large rock on top of it and head in that direction. This is off the main trail, but it is where the overlook of The Bowl is located.

Boulder with a rock on top marks the overlook on the Beehive Trail of The Bowl, Acadia National Park

Boulder with a rock on top marks the overlook on the Beehive Trail of The Bowl, Acadia National Park

The Bowl at Acadia National Park

The Bowl at Acadia National Park

From the overlook it is a .1-mile downhill hike to the lake. The Beehive Trail continues along the shore to the left, but you can also take an unmarked trail to the right. I saw a group of teenagers at a spot along the shore in that direction, but I don’t think they could get much farther due to the thick vegetation. When done exploring, continue on the Beehive Trail.

Shore of The Bowl at Acadia National Park

Shore of The Bowl at Acadia National Park

A short ways down is a three-way intersection. From the direction you’ll be coming, the directional sign only indicates that the Champlain South Ridge Trail is straight ahead, but if you walk around to the other side of the sign, it indicates that the Bowl Trail / Park Loop Road is to the left.

Intersection of the Beehive and Bowl trails near The Bowl, Acadia National Park

Intersection of the Beehive and Bowl trails near The Bowl, Acadia National Park

The trail begins up a slight hill on rocky terrain, but this only lasts a tenth of a mile. Once at the top, it’s downhill all the way back to the parking lot. Along the way are three more intersections. The first is the shortcut trail that leads back over to the Beehive Trail. The other two are for the Gorham Mountain Trail. At each intersection is a sign, so keep in the direction of the Loop Road / Sand Beach.

Start of Acadia National Park's Bowl Trail near The Bowl

Start of Acadia National Park’s Bowl Trail near The Bowl

While it is a downhill hike, grades are typically around 10%, and any steep drops last for only a few moments. Some parts of the trail are so smooth that I thought I must have hiked right out of Acadia National Park, but there are still plenty of rocky areas that reminded me exactly where I was. You’ll be back at the start of the loop at 1.4 miles into the hike. It is another .2 mile back to the Park Loop Road.

Smooth stretch of terrain on the Bowl Trail in Acadia National Park

Smooth stretch of terrain on the Bowl Trail in Acadia National Park

Rocky terrain on the Bowl Trail is typical of Acadia National Park trails

Rocky terrain on the Bowl Trail is typical of Acadia National Park trails

If you are interested in hiking the Precipice Trail, I highly recommend doing the Beehive first so you know what to expect. You’ll either never want to hike another trail like it, or you will be gung-ho about attempting the Precipice Trail. I did both back-to-back, and I am in no great shape. If you want to hike either trail, wear proper footwear, don’t be afraid of heights, be able to hike for two miles on mountainous terrain, and be able to pull yourself up rungs, ladders, and large rocks. If you can do that, you can make it.

Back to the Top


With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.

Last updated on August 11, 2023
Share this article