Hiking the Ship Harbor Trail in Acadia National Park
Distance: 1.4 miles / 2.3 km
The Ship Harbor Trail, also called the Ship Harbor Loop Trail, is one of the most beautiful, easy coastal hikes in Acadia National Park!
Interestingly, the name Ship Harbor stems from the legend of the "Grand Design," a shipwreck off the coast that may or may not have occurred. This was never proven, but nevertheless, the name stuck!
Today, visitors can enjoy the Ship Harbor Trail, which traverses two separate loops—one along Ship Harbor itself and the other through the forest of Mount Desert Island’s southernmost coastline—making it a great, uncrowded Acadia destination to catch the sunrise!
Ship Harbor Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Ship Harbor Trail is located directly off Highway 102A, on the right-hand side when coming from Tremont.
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: Ship Harbor 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 Ship Harbor Trail
The Ship Harbor Trail traverses a relatively flat path, which splits into the Ship Harbor Loop Trail after just 0.1 miles (0.2 km).
North Ship Harbor Loop Junction
Unlike traditional loop trails, the Ship Harbor Trail is actually two separate loops that meet shortly ahead, hence the name North Ship Harbor Loop.
That being said, I personally recommend going left first to hike both loops in the clockwise direction because the Ship Harbor side of the trail is, by far, more beautiful, which I think makes for a better way to end the hike!
Regarding my thoughts above, I chose to go left.
South Ship Harbor Loop Junction
About 0.25 miles (0.4 km) past the beginning of the North Ship Harbor Loop, the two loops come together once again to begin the South Loop.
Here, I chose to go left once again, to hike the forested side of the Ship Harbor Trail first.
The South Ship Harbor Loop Trail is slightly longer than the North Loop, at 0.7 miles (1.1 km), compared to 0.5 miles (0.8 km).
Ship Harbor-Wonderland Junction
At the very southern end of the Ship Harbor Loop, the trail makes a hard right turn to begin the hike back.
It is also here that the Wonderland Trail, just up the coast, can be connected with Ship Harbor, which entails about 0.6 miles (1.0 km) of walking along the rugged coastline to get between the two.
Furthermore, this southernmost area of the Ship Harbor Trail is the best place to catch sunrise—much like the far reaches of the Wonderland Trail. That said, remember to bring a good headlamp when traveling to Acadia, if this is something you’d be interested in.
Read My Separate Post: Wonderland Trail
The hike back along the western side of the Ship Harbor Loop begins what I see as the most beautiful half of the full 1.4-mile (2.3 km) loop.
Along with sunrise, this rocky section along the mouth of Ship Harbor can be a great place to catch the sunset, with sunsets closer to the winter solstice being better than those in summer because of the sun’s position.
Ship Harbor Access
Just before the end of the South Ship Harbor Loop, the trail comes to a little access trail down to Ship Harbor itself.
Ship Harbor
The shores of Ship Harbor can be a great place to explore at low tide, and the National Park Service boasts an abundance of birds that visitors can look out for, including Loons, Eiders, Great Blue Herons, Black Guillemots, Ospreys, and Eagles!
South Ship Harbor Loop Junction
After completing the South Ship Harbor Loop, I chose to go left to return along the Ship Harbor side of the North Loop.
North Ship Harbor Loop Junction
This is the original Ship Harbor Trail split from the beginning of the hike, with the trailhead located just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) away to the left.
Mount Desert Island
Schoodic Peninsula
