Intersection of the Long Pond and Great Notch trails at Acadia National Park

---

I hiked the Long Pond Trail as part of a 5-mile loop to the summit of Acadia National Park’s Mansell Mountain via the Perpendicular, Mansell Mountain, Razorback, and Great Notch trails. If you decide to do it as well, hike up the mountain on the Perpendicular Trail and return on the Long Pond Trail.

The following review of the Long Pond Trail starts from the top of the mountain at the intersection with the Great Notch Trail. See the Perpendicular Trail Loop Hike web page for information on the first leg of the journey.

---

Length: 2.9 miles one way
Time: 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy but very rocky along the shore; moderate on the hike to the Great Notch Trail

The hike on Long Pond Trail can be divided into two sections: the trip along the pond itself and the uphill trek from the pond to the Great Notch Trail. As mentioned, I started at the top after hiking the Perpendicular Trail to the summit of Mansell Mountain. From Great Notch, the hike is downhill all the way to the water, but the descent is gradual and only moderate in difficulty, making the Long Pond Trail one of the easier trails in Acadia National Park.

Perpendicular Trail – Long Pond Trail map (click to enlarge)

The upper elevation of the trail runs through the forest, and due to a dearth of topsoil, the tree roots can’t grow very deep and therefore tend to populate the trail surface. There are also a lot of small rocks on the trail, but no large boulders to climb or scramble over.

Typical terrain on the mountain section of the Long Pond Trail in Acadia National Park

Typical terrain on the mountain section of the Long Pond Trail in Acadia National Park

While easy, there is nothing particularly interesting about hiking the mountain section of the Long Pond Trail. The only thing worth reporting is that there is a bridge that spans Great Brook, a mere trickle of water in late August. The bridge comes .75 mile from the Great Notch Trail intersection.

Bridge on Acadia National Park’s Long Pond Trails spans Great Brook

Long Pond is less than a half mile from the bridge. As you approach the water the mosquitoes begin to appear, though not enough of them to warrant applying insect repellent if you don’t like to use it.

Another thing to be aware of as you walk along the shore is that the log planks that span mud holes are often loose and wobbly; some even look like they are about to rot in half. Be prepared for a possible shift when stepping on them.

Log bridge across a muddy area on the Long Pond Trail in Acadia National Park

The trail runs along the pond, at some points so close that if you tripped you’d fall in. However, views are often obscured by trees, though the water can still be glimpsed through the leaves and brush for most of the hike.

Trees between the Long Pond Trail and Long Pond obscure the view for much of the way, Acadia National Park

Section of Acadia National Park’s Long Pond Trail that runs right along the water

Most of the trail along the pond is nearly level with stretches of trail surface as smooth as any you will find within Acadia National Park, but there are still many sections that are littered with rocks, so you can’t hike as fast as you would expect to hike along a pond. Multiple rock slides have fallen across the trail, and at one point you have a very short but steep climb over a rocky section. And just when you think it can’t get any worse, it gets worse. The hike is never tough cardiovascular-wise, but there is a great risk of twisting an ankle if you aren’t careful.

Rocky section of the Long Pond Trail in Acadia National Park

Landslide of rocks along the Long Pond Trail in Acadia National Park

Other than views of the pond, the hike is uneventful. It was getting dark when I finished, so my photos are drab and unflattering of the beautiful scenery of Long Pond.

Long Pond in Acadia National Park

Unless you are just looking for a fishing spot, I can’t see any reason to hike the Long Pond Trail on its own. Making it part of a loop with other trails, whether it be my suggested route or one of your own choosing, is the only thing that would make hiking the trail all the way to Great Notch worthwhile.

Back to the Top