Hiking the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park
Distance: 1.5 miles / 2.4 km
The Beehive Trail is the best of the best in Acadia National Park!
The reason I say this is because the Beehive Trail is the best for sunrise, its the best for its dramatic cliffs and beautiful views, and its one of the best day hikes for fall colors across all of Acadia!
That being said, the Beehive Trail, often referred to as 'Maine’s via ferrata,' is to Acadia what Angels Landing is to Zion or the Delicate Arch is to Arches National Park.
It’s the single most popular day hike in Acadia National Park, and using the word 'busy' to describe the Beehive Trail is an understatement! This is why all of the best and most beautiful photos are taken shortly after sunrise, and it’s why my top recommendation for the Beehive Trail is to hike it at or before sunrise!
This is all to say that parking will be easier by starting early, and it only takes one slow person to start a bottleneck on one of the many steep, narrow sections, which can cascade into hours, if not the entire day, of hikers waiting for their turn to climb up the Beehive!
Beehive vs. Precipice Trail
The Beehive and Precipice Trail are like sister hikes that share the nickname 'Maine’s via ferrata,' as they are both comparable to one another because of how they ascend Acadia’s steep granite cliffs through a series of iron rungs, railings, bridges, and ladders.
That being said, the Precipice Trail is notably more difficult than the Beehive Trail, due largely to a number of narrow, highly exposed ledges. This is not to say that a fall on the Beehive Trail would be better in any way, but the exposure on the Precipice Trail is just that much more apparent and prolonged.
With that in mind, climbing vertical, exposed ladders along with walking along narrow ledges—where a fall would likely be fatal—are things you must be comfortable with before considering either. Neither the Beehive nor Precipice Trail should be the place where you first discover your comfort and ability with climbing and exposure, as both trails are very popular, meaning it can be very inconsiderate to be the one creating a backlog of other hikers when there is hardly any room to pass on the narrow ledges.
All this is to say that the risks associated with falling on both the Beehive and Precipice Trail are very high, and whether one is considered 'easier' than the other, neither is suitable for all people, of all abilities. There’s simply no nice way to say it.
Read My Separate Post: Precipice Trail
Beehive Trailhead Parking
Regarding everything mentioned above, the Beehive Trailhead and Sand Beach are two of the most competitive parking areas in all of Acadia, comparable only to Jordan Pond.
During the busiest times of the year, cars can be seen parked for miles in either direction, as parking is allowed in the right lane on Park Loop Road near the trailhead.
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: Beehive Trailhead
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 Beehive Trail
The Beehive Trail begins on a relatively flat path off Park Loop Road, before it begins climbing steeply up toward the base of the 'Beehive' within the first 0.1 miles (0.2 km).
This is where the Beehive Trail begins to make its way up the steep, rocky hillsides below the cliffs, and it’s because of areas like this—among many others—that some hikers may prefer to carry trekking poles on the Beehive Loop.
Beehive-Bowl Junction (Beehive Loop Trail)
After just 0.2 miles (0.3 km), the Beehive Trail splits with Bowl Trail, effectively creating what’s commonly referred to as the Beehive Loop Trail.
This is because the Beehive Trail is widely considered to be a one-way hike, due to its narrow, exposed ledges, steep iron-rung ladders, and the number of hikers trying to ascend safely through these sections. This is all to say that it would not only be less than ideal to try and climb down the Beehive Trail, but also inconsiderate, as descending the very congested Beehive Trail would only exacerbate the backlog of hikers trying to reach the summit.
That being said, go right to continue up the Beehive Trail, with the plan to return to this junction on the Bowl Trail at the end.
If my thoughts above weren’t enough, consider what the National Park Service has to say.
In the beginning, the Beehive Trail continues up a relatively steep, but well-marked and maintained path, with the iron rungs starting about one-third of the way up the mountain.
If sunrise on the Beehive Trail is your goal— which I highly recommend considering because of how popular the hike is— I recommend allowing yourself more time than you think. This way, you can make it above all the forested sections in the beginning to enjoy the view on the upper half of the Beehive Trail, where the sunrise is more visible!
With that in mind, I recommend traveling to Acadia with a quality headlamp, which would be very useful here and on the Precipice Trail to avoid the crowds!
Take your time on these metal rungs, as they can be very slippery depending on the conditions.
This is the start of iron rungs that ascend the upper half of the Beehive Trail.
Warning
There’s no easy way to say it, but I want to stress again that not all people of all abilities should continue past this point.
The Beehive Trail only gets more and more challenging the higher it goes, and climbing back down will always be more difficult than continuing up. This is another reason why the Beehive Trail should be seen as a one-way hike—especially for those who have a fear of heights!
This awkward iron rung is one of the more exposed areas on the Beehive Trail, but it is certainly not the only one.
After the initial climb, the Beehive Trail follows a slightly wider ledge before switching back onto a very narrow section of the trail.
Once on the next ledge, the Beehive Trail hugs the granite cliffs along the narrowest section of the entire hike.
After the very narrow ledge, the Beehive Trail ascends the longest and steepest section of the entire climb, which is also the last of the steep iron rungs up to the top.
Yes, she’s steep, and this would easily be considered a Class 3 climb if not for the rungs in place.
After the steep sections shown above, the Beehive Trail simply navigates its way up the remaining ledges to the summit.
This area, near the top of the Beehive Trail, is one of the most popular among hikers to sit back and enjoy the sunrise, but I personally love to catch it from one of a few places along the cliffs below.
This is just one person’s opinion, but I love all the unique angles for photos that can be created along the iron rungs!
Once at the top of the initial incline, the Beehive Summit can be found through the trees.
Beehive Summit
According to the National Park Service, the summit of the Beehive Trail measures about 535 ft. (163 m) above the ocean below, which is based on the official map, not the summit marker here.
Past the summit, the Beehive Trail continues down a much more gradual path toward the Bowl Trail, which is notably a faster and easier route on account of all the people climbing up the cliffs below.
The views on the backside of the Beehive Trail look directly toward Champlain Mountain to the north and Cadillac Mountain off in the distance to the west.
Beehive-Bowl Connector Junction
After roughly 0.25 miles (0.4 km) from the summit, the Beehive Trail reaches the first of two different routes that lead back to the trailhead near Sand Beach.
That being said, this first path to the left is the much more popular route back down because it shortens the overall hike by about 0.3 miles (0.5 km), or there is the option to continue on the Beehive Trail to The Bowl, which was the option I chose on this hike.
To skip ahead to the Bowl Trail that utilizes the shorter route back down, click here.
Past the first Bowl junction, the Beehive Trail simply continues down the same granite slopes to The Bowl, about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) away.
The Bowl
The very end of the Beehive Trail parallels The Bowl, a small pond located between Beehive Mountain and Champlain Mountain, which is the summit of the Precipice Trail.
Beehive-Bowl-Champlain South Ridge Junction
At the end of the Beehive Trail, go left to begin the Bowl Trail that leads back to the trailhead near Sand Beach.
The trail going forward is nothing more than one of three ways up the backside of Champlain Mountain. However, if you’re planning to summit Champlain, I think it should go without saying that the Precipice Trail is the way to go!
Not long after beginning the Bowl Trail, the Beehive Loop Trail begins a nearly constant descent back down to the trailhead off Park Loop Road.
Bowl-Bowl Connector Junction
This is the lower junction of the short 0.1-mile (0.2 km) connector between the Beehive Trail and the Bowl Trail, with the upper split being the first junction after leaving the Beehive Summit, as shown above.
That being said, go right to continue down the beginning.
After the junction above, all the remaining sections are exactly the same, regardless of which route you took after the Beehive Summit.
Upper Bowl-Gorham Mountain Junction
The next junction on the Beehive Loop is where the Bowl Trail meets the Gorham Mountain Trail, here at the upper junction, and the lower junction shortly ahead.
In any case, go straight (left) to continue on the downhill path to return to the beginning of the Beehive Loop.
Read My Separate Post: Gorham Mountain Trail
Lower Bowl-Gorham Mountain Junction
This is the second Gorham Mountain junction, about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) down the trail from the first.
Here, go left once again, and the beginning of the Beehive Loop will be found about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) ahead.
Read My Separate Post: Gorham Mountain Trail
Beehive-Bowl Junction (Beehive Loop Junction)
Finally, the Bowl Trail meets back up with the beginning of the Beehive Trail, effectively completing the full 1.5-mile (2.4 km) Beehive Loop Trail, or the 1.2-mile (1.9 km) loop if you decided against hiking toward The Bowl after leaving the summit.
Regardless, I recommend taking a step back at this junction to look up at the mountain, as this granite opening offers a unique perspective to see all the hikers ascending the narrow ledges and ladders up the Beehive!
My overall opinion is that the Beehive Trail is easily one of the best and most beautiful day hikes in all of Acadia National Park, but this sentiment cannot be expressed without mentioning the trail’s popularity.
I continue to stress this again and again because the crowds are just that evident, which is especially the case given that the Beehive Trail is seen as the easier option between this and the Precipice Trail to Champlain Mountain.
That being said, there is a somewhat similar adventure that receives almost none of the same attention as both Beehive and Precipice, yet offers just as beautiful, if not better, views from the summit.
This hidden gem is known as the Beech Cliffs Trail near Southwest Harbor, and it’s an even easier option than both the Beehive and Precipice Trails, without the crowds!
Read My Separate Post: Beech Cliffs Trail
