Hiking Beehive Loop Trail in Acadia National Park

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Total Miles: 1.7

Trails: Beehive Loop Trail

Elevation Gain: 445 feet

Date: July, 2013

Trail Head: Park Loop Road Near the Sand Beach Parking Area

 

One of our favorite hikes in Acadia National Park was the Beehive Loop Trail.  While the elevation change is pretty minimal, don’t let that fool you into thinking this is an easy stroll!  With steep ledges requiring climbs on iron rungs attached to the rock, this is not a hike for those with fear of heights or physical limitations. The trail begins as an easy trek before you begin to climb the Beehive at about a quarter mile in.  Right away you have to hoist yourself up on to several ledges.  This can be intimidating and Maya was a little scared at first, but continued on and this ended up being one of her favorite hikes ever.  We did see several families having to turn around once the climbing started as their little ones were too frightened to continue. Some things to be aware of: the trail takes you over an narrow iron grate “bridge” a short way in to your climb and there are also several iron rungs we had to use as both steps and handholds to climb up the trail. I made the mistake of carrying a bottle of water without a pack or pockets and it made for some tricky handholds! If you want to bring water or snacks, carry a small pack.

Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

The hike is more exhilarating then exhausting and even though it was steep climbing, I would still rate this as a moderate trail. The views climbers are rewarded with are spectacular and definitely worth conquering any fears you have that are making you unsure of hiking the Beehive! Once we left the top, the loop trail down was pretty tame and we reached the Sand Beach area quickly where we relaxed and had a picnic lunch. Overall we spent about an hour doing this hike.  It was a great way to spend the afternoon in beautiful Acadia National Park.

Bowl Trail on the Beehive Loop

Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Caution! Climbing ahead on the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Views From the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Views From the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

Views for the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

We did it! Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park

While a map is not necessary for hiking Beehive Loop Trail, throughout our visit to Acadia we used National Geographic Maps: Acadia which helped us plan our visit and hikes. We loved the hikes we took in Acadia and can’t wait to go back someday. Happy Travels!

Have you ever hiked the Beehive Loop Trail? What did you think?

Happy Travels!

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