East Trail near the top of Schoodic Head, Acadia National Park

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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.

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EAST TRAIL

Length: .5 mile one-way to the summit of Schoodic Head
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Extremely strenuous

Southern Schoodic Peninsula Trails (click to enlarge)

The East Trail is located on the Schoodic Peninsula, a unit of Acadia National Park. It runs from a roadside parking area on the east side of Schoodic Loop Road to near the summit of Schoodic Head, a half-mile hike that climbs nearly 400 feet (average grade of 15%). However, most of the elevation is gained on the upper .2 mile of the trail where grades rarely fall below 25%, and some spots are as steep as 60%. Just starting the hike is difficult—from the parking lot you must climb about twenty feet over waist-high rocks before you can start walking normally.

View of the parking area for the East Trail on the Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park

The trail does utilize switchbacks—gradual S-shaped routes—to make the hike a little more manageable. But even so, at some points when I was coming down I felt that I’d be better off sitting and sliding.

East Trail on the Schoodic Peninsula, Acadia National Park

The hike on the East Trail is over extremely rocky terrain—par for the course at Acadia National Park. The upper half of the trail is like climbing a rockslide. Every step must be calculated to avoid twisting or breaking an ankle. Hiking poles are highly recommended.

Rocky terrain on the East Trail, Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park

The trail route is marked in a number of ways. 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 blaze on a tree along the East Trail on the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park

Cairn marks the path of the East Trail on the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park

At times there is no discernible trail at all, just an area of rocks and trees. I was constantly asking myself, “Is this a trail?” and then I’d see a blaze. Ultimately, there is only one way up, so you can’t get lost despite the fact that you feel lost the entire time.

Where is the East Trail? Blue blaze on a tree to the left. Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park

About halfway up Schoodic Head are some views of Buck Cove. The island to your 2 o’clock position is Rolling Island, which is also part of Acadia National Park.

View of Buck Cove from the East Trail on the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park

Near the top of the mountain is the intersection with the Schoodic Head Trail. This is the official end of the East Trail, but if you have hiked this far you certainly want to reach the summit of Schoodic Head, which is just .1 mile farther. Thus, take a right, following the sign pointing to Schoodic Head.

Intersection with the Schoodic Head Trail and the East Trail, Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park

The Schoodic Head summit is marked with a sign stating its elevation (442 feet). This is also the southern terminus for the Buck Cove Mountain Trail that begins at the Schoodic Woods Campground, passing Buck Cove Mountain on the way.

Sign marking the summit of Schoodic Head, Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park

There are no views at the summit, but if you follow the directional sign to the Overlook, you will be rewarded with some great views of Buck Cove to the east and numerous islands to the west. The overlook is approximately 100 yards from the summit.

Granite trail at the summit of Schoodic Head leads to an overlook of Buck Cove, Acadia National Park

Panorama of Buck Cove on the Schoodic Peninsula at Acadia National Park (click to enlarge)

View west from the summit of Schoodic Head, Acadia National Park

When done, you can head back down to the parking lot the same way that you came or make the loop hike around the Schoodic Head area. To hike the loop, return towards the summit on the Schoodic Head Trail and follow it all the way back down the mountain to its southern terminus on Blueberry Hill Road. Take a left and walk down the road a short ways to the Alder Trail. This is an easy trail that leads to Schoodic Loop Road. Take another left on the road and walk a tenth of a mile to the start of the Anvil Trail. This leads back to the summit of Schoodic Head, dead ending into the Schoodic Head Trail. Take the trail towards the summit and you will return to the East Trail intersection, which you then take back down to the parking area. As just described, the route is roughly 3.75 miles long and takes about 3.5 hours.

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