Hiking the Beech Cliffs Trail in Acadia National Park
Distance (Beech Cliffs & Loop): 1.6 miles / 2.6 km
The Beech Cliffs Trail in Acadia National Park is one of my favorite hidden gems compared to other, similar trails, such as the Beehive and Precipice Trail.
By this, I mean that both the Beehive Trail and Precipice Trail off of Park Loop Road are the two big names in Acadia National Park when it comes to climbing rungs and ladders up the park’s steep granite cliffs.
However, the Beech Cliffs Trail at Echo Lake is a fun and very similar day hike that most visitors don’t consider, as many aren’t aware there’s more than just Precipice and Beehive for climbing ladders in Acadia.
For this reason—and because of the beautiful views along the Beech Cliffs Loop Trail at the top—I highly recommend adding the Beech Cliff Trail to your Acadia bucket list, especially because parking is much easier to come by!
Beech Cliffs Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Beech Cliffs Trail is located in a large parking lot at Echo Lake on Mount Desert Island.
Remember to purchase your National Park pass in advance and display your pass or entrance receipt here and at every trailhead in Acadia National Park, whether you went through an official entrance station or not. Yes, law enforcement officers check parked cars throughout Acadia, and I have seen tickets handed out to vehicles not following the rules of a U.S. fee area.
On a different note, be aware that Acadia National Park is one of the busiest parks in the country, and finding a place to park, even at less-known trailheads, can be incredibly challenging during the busiest times of the year.
Google Maps Directions: Beech Cliffs Trailhead (Echo Lake)
Hiking Checklist - Acadia
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Acadia National Park.
Hiking the Beech Cliffs Trail
The Beech Cliffs Trail begins on the far northern side of the Echo Lake parking lot, past the short path that leads down to Echo Beach.
While the ladders on the Beech Cliffs Trail are certainly not of the same difficulty as the Beehive or Precipice Trail, some hikers may still find the sections up ahead to be challenging, regardless that they are generally considered easier overall.
Apart from the ladders, the initial incline is fairly steep, and some hikers may prefer to carry trekking poles for the hike back down.
Beech Cliff-Echo Lake Overlook Junction
As the Beech Cliffs Trail nears the first ladder, it splits, with a short trail leading to an overlook above Echo Lake.
This is the path shown below.
Echo Lake Overlook
The Echo Lake Overlook is truly just the beginning compared to how much more beautiful the views are from the Beech Cliffs Loop Trail up above!
Ladder 1
This is the first of four different ladders on the Beech Cliffs Trail, with the final three all back-to-back just before the top.
Ladder 2
The second ladder is the tallest, meaning it’s the longest and most exposed of the four.
Ladder 3 & 4
Finally, the Beech Cliffs Trail ascends the final two ladders just prior to the top, with one located right after the other.
Beech Cliffs-Canada Cliffs-Beech Cliffs Loop Junction
The top of the Beech Cliffs Trail is the beginning of the Beech Cliffs Loop Trail and the optional Canada Cliffs Trail, which some hikers prefer to descend to avoid climbing back down all four ladders.
That being said, I highly recommend continuing further on the Beech Cliffs Loop before hiking back, as the best views on the entire trail are undoubtedly off the Echo Lake side of the cliffs up ahead.
Beech Cliffs Loop Trail
After just 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Beech Cliffs Loop Trail splits, with the path to the left leading to the joint Beech Cliffs-Beech Mountain Trail and the start of the loop located to the right.
Here, I chose to go right around the loop in the counterclockwise direction, in order to enjoy the views above Echo Lake first!
Read My Separate Post: Beech Mountain Trail
This view above Echo Beach is easily my favorite on the entire Beech Cliffs Trail!
Views similar to this only get better if you choose to continue up the Beech Mountain Trail, which I explain in more detail at the end of this article.
Beech Cliffs Loop Junction
One of the best things about the Beech Cliffs and Beech Cliffs Loop Trail is that, after hiking up, visitors have the option to continue further to Beech Mountain without having to deal with the competitive parking situation at the joint Beech Cliffs-Beech Mountain Trailhead.
This is the option I personally recommend, making the total distance 2.8 miles (4.5 km) when the two are combined. This is the direction shown below.
This is all to say: go left to return by way of the Beech Cliffs or Canada Cliffs Trail, or go right to hike toward the beginning of the Beech Mountain Trail, about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) away.
Read My Separate Post: Beech Mountain Trail
Beech Cliffs Loop-Beech Mountain Trailhead
This is the end of the Beech Cliffs Trail at the joint Beech Cliffs-Beech Mountain Trailhead, with the Beech Mountain Trail beginning directly across from the parking lot from this point.
With that in mind, you can learn more about the full Beech Mountain Trail, beginning from this trailhead, in my separate article linked below.
Read My Separate Post: Beech Mountain Trail
