Length: 6.7-mile loop
Time: 8 to 10 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous
An extremely challenging hike to six mountain summits within Acadia National Park can be fashioned from a variety of trails just west of Jordan Pond. The summits include Bald Peak, Parkman Mountain, Gilmore Mountain, Sargent Mountain, Penobscot Mountain, and Cedar Swamp Mountain. None are Mount Everest, but you will feel as if you have accomplished something extraordinary nevertheless. The hike took me ten hours, but I am not very fast and often stop to take photos, plus I stopped for lunch and snacks along the way. Be sure to start early and pick a day with an adequate amount of sunlight. I began at 9 AM and finished around 7 PM when the sun was already going down (late August).
The downhill hikes between mountains are often along trails that are nothing but rockslides. You must step from boulder to boulder, with drops of up to three feet. This often involves either jumping down or sitting and sliding down rocks. Those with bad backs should not attempt this hike. Furthermore, if you do not have on long pants, your legs are bound to get torn up. I also recommend hiking poles, especially if you have bad knees as I do. I can’t imagine coming down these mountains without the aid of poles.
The hike begins on the Hadlock Brook Trail, which is located just north of Upper Hadlock Pond on Highway 3—if you are heading south and reach the pond, you have gone too far. There is a southbound roadside parking lot across the street from the trailhead.
See the following web pages for details on each segment of the hike (there is a link to the next segment at the bottom of each trail review):
- Hike to Bald Peak
- Bald Peak to Parkman Mountain Hike
- Parkman Mountain to Gilmore Peak Hike
- Gilmore Peak to Sargent Mountain Hike
- Sargent Mountain to Penobscot Mountain Hike
- Penobscot Mountain to Cedar Swamp Mountain Hike
- Cedar Swamp Mountain to Parking Lot Hike
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 June 21, 2020