14 Alternatives to Hiking Acadia

Many people dream of hiking Acadia National Park, having the rocky wilderness to themselves while enjoying those jaw-dropping views. The reality is that the trails can be crowded, and that’s after fighting traffic or walking a few miles just to get to the trailhead since the parking lots are full. 

What you might not realize is that Acadia National Park just scratches the surface of trail systems Downeast. In fact, there are places to hike where the solace dream becomes a reality, and the views are just as good. 

Let’s look at the top alternatives to hiking Acadia. 

Indian Point Blagden Preserve

While Acadia National Park covers most of Mt. Desert Island (MDI), there are still some places that remain far from the maddening crowds. One of those is Indian Point Blagden Preserve. This 110-acre parcel is under the oversight of The Nature Conservancy and sits just 10 miles west of Bar Harbor.

Indian Point Blagden Preserve has about five miles of trails. What makes this landscape particularly unique on MDI is that it escaped any damage from the 1947 wildfires. You’ll experience towering old growth, mossy ground cover, and a wild, undisturbed shoreline on Western Bay.

Whether you’re into birding, seal sightings, or porcupines, the preserve is teeming with wildlife, too. (No, you won’t see a moose.)

Lamoine State Park

Lamoine State Park gives you the best of coastal Maine without the crowds that clog Acadia’s trailheads. It sits just across Frenchman Bay, so you still get postcard views of Mount Desert Island, but in a quieter, laid-back setting.

The park has an easy one-mile woodland trail that winds through the trees and offers glimpses of Frenchman Bay. It’s not the rugged summit climb you’ll find on Mount Desert Island, but that’s the point. You can hike, picnic, launch a kayak, or just relax without navigating the crowds that fill Acadia’s busier trails.

Bean Island

Parlay a day of hiking into a kayaking and trekking adventure by paddling out to Bean Island. As part of the Frenchman Bay Conservancy, this 27-acre wooded island offers a one-mile trail and water views that will make you wish you’d gotten permission to camp overnight. 

What’s more? You don’t even have to go to Bar Harbor or MDI to get there. The launch point is in Sorrento.

Baker Hill/Long Ledges 

This might be the single best alternative to hiking Acadia if you want to see MDI and Schoodic Mountain. Two trails loop the Baker Hill preserve in Sullivan. Add the Long Ledges Trail system to lengthen the hike, while still getting granite peek-a-boos and glacial erratics along the way. 

The 4.4-mile trail system offers a more challenging landscape, too. Hiking here will feel like being in Acadia National Park… 50 years ago, before it became so popular.

Swans Island

If you make your way to Bass Harbor, but can’t stomach the thought of MORE traffic and crowded trails, hop the ferry to Swans Island. You can spend the day exploring a series of trails, secret beaches, and even a famous lighthouse open seasonally for tours.

The shorter trails might not get you too excited, but so much variety if you tackle them all:

• Noah’s Ballast: One mile trail takes you to stunning ocean views with MDI in the distance.
• Back Cove: Birders will love Back Cove, with an easy trail away from any crowds.
• Buckle Island Harbor: Scour the shoreline for tide pools and shells with a forested trek that feels like Seawall without the stop-and-go traffic.
• West Sister Island: Hike through a hardwood forest to an underrated cobble beach.

Burnt Coat Harbor lighthouse is another must-see spot on Swan’s Island, with another two miles of trails and beach hideaways. Bring a bike with you to get around faster or rent one when you arrive.

Branch Lake

Itching for that glacial lake vibe of Jordan Pond or Echo Lake? You don’t have to go to MDI to get that. Just north of Ellsworth is Branch Lake, a locals’ favorite for fishing and paddling, with crystal-clear water and quiet coves that feel worlds away from the crowds at Acadia. 

The sandy public beach makes it easy for families to swim, while boat launches give anglers quick access to deep, cold water stocked with trout and salmon. Pack a picnic, rent a kayak, or just float around and take in the scenery.

Day Ridges Preserve

Skip the Acadia crowds and head to Gouldsboro’s Day Ridges Preserve instead. The two-mile loop takes you over bog bridges, past a cedar swamp, and around glacial boulders, with a side view of a beaver pond. 

If you’d rather paddle than hike, you can arrange to borrow a canoe and explore Upper West Bay Pond. It’s like the backwoods of Acadia without working your way through traffic or waiting for the next Island Explorer bus.

Great Pond Mountain

Great Pond Mountain in Orland gives you a lot of what people love about Acadia, closer to Bangor. The trail system here offers around four miles of hiking, with steady climbs that open onto big granite ledges and wide-open views of Penobscot Bay, nearby lakes, and rolling forest. 

The mix of exposed rock, sweeping water vistas, and quiet woods feels very similar to the Acadia experience, but you’re more likely to share the summit with ravens than tour buses. It’s a solid, rewarding hike that feels like a hidden win.

Cutler Coast Public Reserved Land

Cutler Coast is farther Downeast, but if you’re chasing drama (like Thunder Hole), it’s worth the drive. The trails here take you along the Bold Coast, where cliffs drop straight into the Atlantic and the views rival anything in Acadia. Hike the 3-mile loop for a taste or go big with the 10-mile coastal trek. 

Keep your eyes on the horizon and you might spot whales, porpoises, or soaring eagles. It’s rugged, wild, and still one of Maine’s best-kept hiking secrets.

Petite Manan National Wildlife Refuge

Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge is a quieter alternative to Acadia, with trails that trade crowds for seabirds and open sky. Overseen by U.S. Fish and Wildlife rather than the Park Service, it stretches across forest, blueberry barrens, marsh, and rocky shoreline. 

The Birch Point Trail loops 1.5 miles through spruce to the coast, while Hollingsworth adds wetlands and ocean views, and Gilley Point ends at a cobble beach. It’s low-elevation, easy hiking with the bonus of spotting eagles, warblers, and maybe even a seal haul-out along the shore.

Isle Au Haut

Isle au Haut is technically part of Acadia, but most visitors never make the ferry ride from Stonington to discover it. Your park pass works here, and it buys you access to some of the most rewarding hiking in the system. 

Trails wind through quiet spruce forest, across rocky headlands, and down to hidden coves that feel like your own private slice of Maine. With fewer people, you’ll hear surf and seabirds instead of chatter and car doors. Stay a night at Duck Harbor Campground, and you can stack on even more miles without rushing back to the ferry.

Barred Island Preserve

Barred Island Preserve (Deer Isle) might be what you’re looking for when you want “Sand Bar” action without the hordes at Bar Harbor or Sand Beach. It’s about a 1.5-mile one-way trail through a mossy coastal forest, roots, rocks, shallow soil, bog vegetation, and overlooks. At low tide, you get a sand bar you can walk across to Barred Island. The full adventure is about three miles.

Camden Hills State Park

If it’s the sweeping summit views that draw you to Cadillac Mountain, Camden Hills State Park offers a worthy alternative. Mount Battie and Mount Megunticook give you the same mix of ocean and mountain scenery, but without Acadia’s timed reservation system. 

You can hike up or take the auto road to Mount Battie’s stone tower, where the view stretches across Penobscot Bay and the Camden Harbor. It’s the kind of scene that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into the postcards sold in town.

Full disclosure: Camden Hills State Park does get crowded, but not to the extent of Acadia.

Tumbledown Mountain

Hiking Acadia’s Precipice Trail or The Beehive might be on your bucket list, but several elements can lead to trail closures. That includes peregrine falcon nesting season and winter weather. 

Allow us to introduce you to Tumbledown Mountain. It gives you a similar dose of adventure without the closures. You’ll find it in western Maine. The classic Loop Trail is only about 2 miles up, but it’s steep, rugged, and includes the famous chimney with iron rungs. 

At the top, you’re greeted by Tumbledown Pond, a high-elevation tarn perfect for catching your breath before exploring the surrounding ridges.

Acadia Hiking Alternatives Overview

Acadia might be the headline act, but it’s not the only show in town. From quiet preserves and island trails to bold coastlines and mountain climbs, Maine is full of places that deliver the same scenery without the crowds and parking battles.

Whether you’re after solitude, adventure, or just a fresh view of the coast, these alternatives prove you don’t have to be in Acadia to get an Acadia-worthy hike.