Hiking Acadia: The Beehive
Part III of the Hiking Acadia Series.
Click here for Part I: Jordan Cliffs to South Bubble
And here for Part II: The Most Dangerous Hike in Acadia: Precipice Trail
The quintessential Acadian trail, Beehive is a must-do for any Maine bound hiker looking for a quick shot of adventure followed by a tracer of breathtaking views.
With exposed cliffs and a hike only a mile long (at its shortest), this 518ft mountain packs a lot of punch for its size.
But despite its size, this hike should not be underestimated. Heed the warning signs when they say:
WARNING:
This Trail follows a near vertical route with exposed cliffs that requires climbing iron rungs.
Falls on this mountain have resulted in serious injury and death
Small children and people with a fear of heights should not use this trail.
That being said, I would put this trail squarely in the middle of the danger and excitement-o-meter of Acadia’s more adventurous hikes.
If you feel like you’ve graduated from nature walks and want some adrenaline, but aren’t quite all about that cliff climbing life yet, check out Jordan Cliffs as a nice way to ease into it.
If you’ve done Beehive a dozen times and need something more aggressive to get your blood pumping, check out Precipice Trail.
Smacked somewhere in between the two lies the Beehive.
The Hike:
The parking lot for this trail is wedged between two of the most popular destinations in Acadia, this hike, and Sand Beach. So get there early if you don’t want to fight for a spot.
From there, walk a few yards north and cross park loop road to find the trailhead sign.
Continue east on the stoney path and you'll soon see the Beehive shaped mountain poking through the trees, with lines of hikers swarming around it.
Keep right and look for the large black and yellow warning sign.
At the base of the mountain is where things start to get interesting.
From here the trail finds its way up faults and breaks in the granite. And unless you’ve already turned around, with the help of iron rungs, you’ll find your way up too.
This will continue on as the trail zigzags up the cliffs, giving you increasingly better views of Sand Beach.
None of the obstacles are particularly difficult, but many of the scrambles have to be done fully exposed to the open air below you.
To channel my inner FDR, Fear is your biggest obstacle here.
After 0.4 miles, the climb yields and you’ll be standing on top of the Beehive with incredible panoramic views of not only Sand Beach, but also of Enoch Mountain, Frenchman Bay, the Porcupine Islands, and Champlain Mountain.
After catching your breath at the summit and maybe having some lunch, continue northwest on the trail to head down the much gentler side of Beehive.
From here it is up to you where you want to go. If you’ve had enough for the day, turn left at the junction of the Bowl Trail, and head back around the south base of the mountain back to the trailhead.
If you want some lake views, continue on straight to ‘The Bowl’ before looping around.
If you feel like one summit wasn’t enough and you don’t mind adding another 2 miles to the trip, head south on the Gorham Mountain trail, and then back around on the Ocean Path for some coastal views (and witness the great Thunder Hole if the tides are right).
No matter what you do, before you drive off, make sure you check out Sand Beach for some rest and relaxation if you haven’t already.