Acadia National Park | FLYING MOUNTAIN TRAIL LOOP HIKE

Flying Mountain Trail map (click to enlarge)

Flying Mountain 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.


FLYING MOUNTAIN TRAIL LOOP HIKE

Length: 1.4-mile loop
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate (compared to most mountain hikes at Acadia National Park)

Flying Mountain is located on the west side of Acadia National Park’s Mount Desert Island along the coast of Somes Sound. A loop hike to the summit can be made by combining the Flying Mountain Trail with a section of Valley Cove Road. A parking lot is at the south end of the mountain on Fernald Point Road. The lot only holds a dozen vehicles, so you must park along the road once it fills. The trailhead is at the parking lot.

Southern trailhead for the Flying Mountain Trail in Acadia National Park

Southern trailhead for the Flying Mountain Trail in Acadia National Park

As far as mountain hikes at Acadia National Park go, the hike up Flying Mountain is one of the easier ones. The mountain is only 284 feet tall to begin with, and the trailhead is at an elevation of 60 feet, so the .3-mile hike up the south face to the summit rises only 225 feet, an average grade of 14%. The climb from the north end is similar. Of course this is just an average and does not reflect grades as steep as 50% here and there. I highly recommend using hiking poles if you have them.

The trail starts off up a wooden staircase, then covers the typical rock and root terrain found on nearly all trails at Acadia National Park. However, these aren’t large boulders that you must pull yourself up and over, just small rocks that tend to be very annoying. You must watch your every step because it is easy to twist an ankle on such terrain.

Typical terrain on the lower section of the Flying Mountain Trail in Acadia National Park

Typical terrain on the lower section of the Flying Mountain Trail in Acadia National Park

Most of the steep sections of the hike are tackled by stairs, but near the top are some large boulders that you must climb over on your own. Other than that, the south-face ascent of Flying Mountain is only moderate in difficulty. It’s pretty much just a steady uphill climb until the large boulders appear.

Terrain near the top of Acadia National Park's Flying Mountain

Terrain near the top of Acadia National Park’s Flying Mountain

At the top of Flying Mountain is an overlook where you can get some nice views of Somes Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. You may mistake this for the summit, but the official summit is marked with a sign that states its elevation—284 feet.

Sign at the summit of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

Sign at the summit of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

Southern view of Somes Sound and the Atlantic Ocean from the summit of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

Southern view of Somes Sound and the Atlantic Ocean from the summit of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

View looking east across Somes Sound from the top of Acadia National Park's Flying Mountain

View looking east across Somes Sound from the top of Acadia National Park’s Flying Mountain

If all you want to do is hike to the summit for the views, might as well turn around now and head back down. While the trail is easy compared to many trails in Acadia National Park, the hike down the north side of the mountain is a little tougher than the hike up.

From the summit, other than a short, steep section that you come to immediately, you have a relatively easy hike for .4 mile along the top of Flying Mountain before starting the descent. There are still rocks and roots on the trail, so watch your step.

Typical terrain along the top of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

Typical terrain along the top of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

There is detour to a second overlook area farther down the trail. I didn’t find it worthwhile because the view is just another look east across the Sound. However, its only a minute’s walk from the Flying Mountain Trail, so check it out unless you are in a hurry.

View east across Somes Sound from the second overlook on Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

View east across Somes Sound from the second overlook on Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

The hike down the north face of Flying Mountain is also .3 mile. There are some very steep sections here and there, most of which are tackled by using stone stairs and switchbacks, but these are short and typical of trails in Acadia National Park.

Steep section on the north-face of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

Steep section on the north-face of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

Easier terrain on the north-face of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

Easier terrain on the north-face of Flying Mountain in Acadia National Park

On the way down I began to think I had missed a turn. Most of the trails are marked with blue blazes on the trees—paint splotches that serve as Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs to follow—and I hadn’t seen any in a long time, which isn’t typical of the trails at Acadia National Park. Then, just when I was about to give up, I turned a corner and there was a sign for Valley Cove Road and a set of wooden steps leading up the hill; the intersection is at the top of the steps. At this point there is a nice view of Somes Sound from water level.

Yacht and dinghy on Somes Sound in Acadia National Park

Yacht and dinghy on Somes Sound in Acadia National Park

Wooden staircase to the intersection with Valley Cove Road and the Flying Mountain Trail, Acadia National Park

Wooden staircase to the intersection with Valley Cove Road and the Flying Mountain Trail, Acadia National Park

The intersection at the top of the stairs is actually a three-way intersection. To the right is the Valley Cove Trail, which leads up to Acadia Mountain. A left puts you on Valley Cove Road and on your way back to the Flying Mountain parking lot a half mile away. The hike has covered .9 mile up to this point.

In fifty feet you will be on a gravel road, and from here on out it is as easy a hike as you will find at Acadia National Park. The road runs uphill for the first tenth of a mile, then it makes a gradual descent all the way back to the parking lot. The only complaint I have was that I was pestered by mosquitoes, something that I did not run into on the Flying Mountain Trail.

Typical terrain on Valley Cove Road in Acadia National Park

Typical terrain on Valley Cove Road in Acadia National Park

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Last updated on January 19, 2024
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