Hiking the Jordan Pond Path in Acadia National Park
Distance: 3.3 miles / 5.3 km
The Jordan Pond Path, also called the Jordan Pond Loop Trail in Acadia National Park, is a relatively easy day hike along the beautiful shores of Jordan Pond—a naturally occurring, glacial-carved lake that sits beneath Penobscot Mountain to the west and Pemetic Mountain to the east.
This 3.3-mile (5.3 km) loop around Jordan Pond is located in the heart of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, and being that it’s so easy and centrally located, the Jordan Pond Path is one of the most popular day hikes in Acadia National Park!
This is important to keep in mind because parking at Jordan Pond—which includes the Jordan Pond House, Penobscot Mountain, Pemetic Mountain or even The Bubbles—can be among the most challenging of any trailhead in Acadia. Therefore, I highly recommend arriving early and reading my advice below regarding the trailhead parking at Jordan Pond.
Jordan Pond Path Trailhead Parking
It’s almost safe to say that if you don’t arrive early during the busy summer travel season, parking can be impossible to come by at Jordan Pond.
That being said, there are four common places to park at Jordan Pond. First, there is the Jordan Pond Trailhead at the Jordan Pond House, linked below. Then, there is the overflow parking lot, just to the north of the main parking lot. Third, there is a very small roadside parking area used commonly for Pemetic Mountain and Triad Peak, and finally, there is a small parking lot for The Bubbles, about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) north of the Jordan Pond House. This fourth option is great for beginning the Jordan Pond Path from the north, with plans to combine the hike with The Bubbles either before or after.
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: Jordan Pond Path 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 Jordan Pond Path
From the Jordan Pond House Restaurant, the Jordan Pond Path begins on the west side and heads directly for the shoreline.
This trailhead is also the beginning of the Spring Trail to Penobscot Mountain, but that’s a hike for another day.
Read My Separate Post: Penobscot Mountain Trail (Coming Soon)
At this first split, continue straight (left) toward the water, and the loop around Jordan Pond will split shortly ahead.
Jordan Pond Loop Trail
After just 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Jordan Pond Path splits to the east and west around Jordan Pond.
I chose to go right, in the counterclockwise direction, but I truly don’t believe it makes a difference in terms of difficulty or scenery, whichever way you decide to go.
This next split is nothing more than a path that leads back to the Jordan Pond House.
That being said, go left to continue on the Jordan Pond Loop Trail.
Jordan Pond Boat Launch
Almost immediately after the split above, the Jordan Pond Path passes by the Jordan Pond Boat Launch, which is best accessed from the north overflow parking lot if you're interested in getting out on the water.
In any case, the Jordan Pond Path continues straight toward Pemetic Mountain.
In the fall, it’s very common to pass by a Woolly Bear Caterpillar or two on the trails around Acadia National Park.
With that in mind, I personally like to help them across the trail because, for every live one on a popular hike like the Jordan Pond Path, there’s always a number that aren’t so lucky.
Jordan Pond-Overflow Parking Junction
This next split is the 0.2-mile (0.3 km) connector trail between the Jordan Pond Path and the north overflow parking lot, which is the parking lot I recommend utilizing for a hike up Pemetic Mountain or Triad Peak from the north.
At this split, go left to continue along the shoreline around Jordan Pond.
Jordan Pond-Pemetic Mountain Junction
After the Jordan Pond Path crosses over the marsh on the southwest side, the loop almost immediately splits, with the trail continuing across Park Loop Road toward Pemetic Mountain and The Triad.
These are two great day hikes I recommend for another day—especially Triad Peak for sunset—but, to continue around the Jordan Pond Loop, go left.
Read My Separate Posts: Pemetic Mountain Trail / Triad Trail (Coming Soon)
After the junction with Pemetic Mountain, the Jordan Pond Path doesn’t split again until it reaches The Bubbles Trail at the northern end of the lake.
One of the best things about the Jordan Pond Path in October is all the different patches of fall foliage that the loop passes through!
To learn more about how to time the fall colors in Acadia National Park, I highly recommend checking out the fall foliage map linked below, as peak season on the coast tends to be a bit later than areas further inland.
Explore Fall: Fall Foliage Map
Jordan Pond-Bubbles Junction
After roughly 0.9 miles (1.4 km) since the Pemetic Mountain junction, the Jordan Pond Path reaches the beginning of The Bubbles Trail, a day hike that I highly recommend checking out, whether at the same time as Jordan Pond or on a different day, in order to hike all three Bubbles.
Either way, go left to continue on the Jordan Pond Path, with about 2.1 miles (3.4 km) left to complete the loop and reach the Jordan Pond Trailhead.
Read My Separate Post: Bubbles Trail (Coming Soon)
The very northern end of the Jordan Pond Path is North Beach, which can be seen from about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) on the trail.
Jordan Pond North Shore
The northernmost reaches of Jordan Pond are often referred to by the National Park Service as the 'North Shore' or North Beach.
It’s a great place to walk around and enjoy this quieter side of the lake, but remember that swimming is not allowed in Jordan Pond at anytime.
Jordan Pond-Bubbles Divide Junction
At almost exactly the halfway mark around Jordan Pond, the loop splits with the Bubbles Divide Trail—a short, 0.6-mile (1.0 km) trail that begins at North Beach and passes between the North and South Bubble to connect with the trailhead off Park Loop Road.
In my opinion, the Bubbles Divide Trail is not an adventure worth hiking on its own, which is why I recommend beginning the Bubbles Trail from the South Bubble at the junction shown above.
Read My Separate Post: Bubbles Trail (Coming Soon)
Jordan Pond-Deer Brook Junction
On the far side of North Beach, the Jordan Pond Path meets the Deer Brook Trail, a connector trail that is commonly used to ascend Penobscot Mountain to the south or Sargent Mountain via the Sargent East Cliffs.
That being said, I personally recommend against both of these routes because I feel that Penobscot is best hiked from the Spring Trail to Jordan Ridge, and Sargent Mountain is best hiked from the west in order to see Parkman, Gilmore Peak, and Bald Peak all in one hike.
This is all to say: go left to continue around Jordan Pond, but you can learn about both of these different adventures in my separate articles linked below.
Read My Separate Posts: Penobscot Mountain Trail (Coming Soon) / Sargent Mountain Trail
After the Penobscot-Sargent junction above, there are no more splits on the west side of the Jordan Pond Path until the trail returns to the beginning.
With about 1.0 mile (1.6 km) left before reaching the end of the Jordan Pond Loop, the trail follows a 0.8-mile (1.3 km) raised boardwalk, which is in place to protect the fragile, soft-soil ecosystem along the shores of Jordan Pond.
That being said, the boardwalk can make trail running on the Jordan Pond Path much more challenging when it’s wet, even if you’re wearing good shoes like my preferred trail runners linked below.
This is where the raised boardwalk ends, with only 0.2 miles (0.3 km) remaining to return to the beginning of the Jordan Pond Loop.
Jordan Pond-Carriage Road Junction
When the Jordan Pond Path meets the Carriage Road at the far southern end, go left to cross over Jordan Stream and return to the beginning.
On the far side of the bridge, go left once again to complete the loop.
Jordan Pond Loop Junction
This is the original loop split, where the Jordan Pond Path left the Jordan Pond House Restaurant, located just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) away to the right.
Overall, I think the Jordan Pond Path is a fun, easy, and beautiful day hike to see some of the best that Acadia National Park has to offer—especially when the loop is combined with one of a number of different separate hikes, like The Bubbles.
However, it’s almost impossible not to talk about Jordan Pond without first mentioning the crowds that it inevitably attracts. For this reason, I highly recommend hiking the Jordan Pond Path and other trails in the area early in the day, so that you can branch out and enjoy other, less busy places in Acadia afterward.
