6 Stunning Sunrise Hikes in Acadia National Park

Watching the sun rise is an incredibly popular activity in Acadia National Park.

The park is one of the first places to see the sun rise in the continental U.S. Plus, the sunrise is extra beautiful when you’re looking out over Acadia National Park’s beautiful coastal scenery.

There are plenty of places in Acadia where you can watch sunrise in your car, but you’re up for an even earlier morning, I highly recommend embarking on a sunrise hike. Hiking allows you to avoid Acadia’s new reservation system to get a coveted spot up on Cadillac Mountain as well as the looooong line of cars when everyone departs at once.

Here is a list of hikes where you can watch the sun rise in Acadia National Park, plus some tips to ensure you have an epic experience.

Tips for a Perfect Sunrise Hike at Acadia National Park

Before you pick a sunrise hike in Acadia National Park, keep in mind the following tips:

You’ll be hiking in the dark until the sun rises, so bring a headlamp with full batteries.
Look up what time the sun will rise on the day you plan to hike since it varies throughout the year. During peak visitation months, sunrise can be before 5am (around the summer equinox in late June) or as late as 7am.
Once you know the time of sunrise, read this to figure out how long it’ll take you to complete your hike so you arrive on time.
Check the weather forecast to make sure it’ll actually be a clear day. You don’t want to be disappointed that you woke up in the wee hours of the morning just to stare out into fog.
If there is fog in the forecast, head to one of the lower-elevation sunrise hikes on this list. You may be able to catch the sunrise below the clouds.
Bundle up! Acadia National Park can still be cold and windy in the summer, especially at higher elevation.
Pack breakfast/snacks, your headlamp, and everything you need before you go to sleep so you can hit the trail first thing in the morning. Here’s a list of things I pack on every hike.
Check out even more sunrise hiking tips here.

Ready to pick a trail? Here are 6 sunrise hikes in Acadia National Park.

There are a variety of lengths and difficulty levels among these trails. Some lead to the most popular spot to watch sunrise in Acadia and some are alternatives to avoid the crowds.

Sunrise Hikes in Acadia National Park

1. Cadillac South Ridge Trail

Distance: 7.1 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,500 feet

Cadillac South Ridge Trail is an out and back trail that takes hikers to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Cadillac Mountain is the most popular place to see sunrise in Acadia National Park. It is famous for being the first place you can see the sun rise in the continental United States, but in reality that is only true for part of the year. Cadillac Mountain only experiences the first sunrise in the U.S. from October to March, when very few people are visiting the park and witnessing the sunrise.

Regardless, Cadillac Mountain is still an awesome spot to see the sunrise in Acadia National Park because it is the highest point not just in the park but on the entire Eastern Seaboard. Up at 1,530 feet, you’ll see breathtaking views of the park, surrounding islands, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Cadillac South Ridge Trail begins about 100 feet south of the entrance to Blackwoods Campground along Route 3. (Read more about the campgrounds in Acadia National Park here.)

Allot at least 2 hours to reach the peak (which means you may need to begin your hike before 3am!) and another 1 to 2 hours to return to the trailhead after watching the sun rise.

2. Cadillac North Ridge Trail

Distance: 4.4 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,100 feet

Cadillac North Ridge Trail is another out and back trail that leads to Cadillac Mountain. It is shorter than the Cadillac South Ridge Trail, but steeper, so you’ll still want to begin your hike well before sunrise to allow time for breaks.

Some people consider Cadillac South Ridge Trail to be the better trail, but if you’re starting your morning closer to Bar Harbor you’ll be closer to the North Ridge trailhead. I’d recommend taking the North Ridge Trail in that case because less drive time + shorter trail = more sleep time!

There is a parking area for the Cadillac North Ridge Trail along Park Loop Road just past the start of the one-way section towards Sand Beach. Note that there is a limited number of parking spaces here, so if you’re starting this hike later in the morning, skip the need to park altogether by taking the Loop Road route of the Island Explorer shuttle to get here.

Once you’re parked, allow 1.5 to 2 hours to reach Cadillac Mountain and another 1 to 2 hours for the return hike.

It is totally worth waking up in the middle of the night for a sunrise hike to Cadillac Mountain if you want to check off an epic bucket list activity – but know that you’ll be sharing this beautiful moment with hundreds of other tourists trying to experience the same thing. If you want to see a beautiful sunrise without as many heads in the way, keep reading to discover less crowded sunrise hikes in Acadia National Park.

3. Dorr Mountain South Ridge Loop

Distance: 3.2 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 1,150 feet

There are several combinations of trails you can connect to hike up to Dorr Mountain. The National Park Service recommends a series of trails called the Dorr Mountain South Ridge Loop.

A sunrise hike to Dorr Mountain is an excellent alternative to Cadillac Mountain because you’ll still see spectacular views at 1,260 feet with a fraction of the tourists. Shortly after sunrise, you can take the Gorge Path to connect to Cadillac Mountain and soak in even more panoramic views after the sunrise crowds have dispersed.

The Dorr Mountain South Ridge Loop begins on Ladder Trail, which has a parking area just past the Tarn and Sieur de Monts Entrance along Route 3. Ladder Trail will connect to Schiff Path, which you will take uphill until you reach an intersection; turn left to arrive at Dorr Mountain. If you aren’t continuing on to Cadillac Mountain at this point, finish the South Ridge Loop by taking the Dorr South Ridge Trail to the Canon Brook Trail.

This entire hike takes up to 2 hours to complete the loop. For a sunrise hike, allow 45 minutes to an hour to complete the first leg up to Dorr Mountain.

The aptly-named Ladder Trail requires some climbing on iron rungs and ladders. Note that although Acadia National Park is generally a dog-friendly park, dogs are not allowed on this trail (I imagine the ladders kind of preclude dogs anyway).

4. Ocean Path Trail

Distance: 4.4 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 375 feet

The Ocean Path Trail is one of the easier sunrise hikes in Acadia National Park because there is so much less elevation gain. This means you won’t take in the same panoramic views as you’d get at the summit of Cadillac Mountain, but with no crowds you’ll probably get a more incredible view anyway.

Another benefit of choosing the Ocean Path Trail for your sunrise hike is that you’ll avoid the crowds that form on this trail later in the day.

Start this out and back hike at Sand Beach and take it to either Otter Cliffs or all the way to Otter Point for the best sunrise views. These are two spots that Acadia National Park’s rangers recommend to watch the sunrise.

For a shorter sunrise hike, you could get on the trail at Thunder Hole instead of Sand Beach or just hike the section between Otter Cliffs and Otter Point. Reserve about an hour if you’re doing the full hike from Sand Beach to Otter Point, and another 45 minutes to an hour to return to the trailhead.

5. Gorham Mountain Loop

Distance: 3.5 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 600 feet

The Ocean Path Trail is one of the trails making up the Gorham Mountain Loop, so this loop is a great choice if you want to see a similar section of Acadia National Park on your sunrise hike but go on a bit more challenging of a hike.

To start your sunrise hike, head to the Gorham Mountain parking lot first thing in the morning. This parking lot is located near Monument Cove along Park Loop Road.

Know that there is a “false summit” a few hundred feet before the actual summit. This is also a great viewpoint but know that you are not finished the hike at this point.

The entire loop takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete on average.

6. Ship Harbor Trail

Distance: 1.3 mile loop
Elevation gain: 65 feet

Ship Harbor Trail is the only hike on this list that’s on the west side of Mount Desert Island. While many visitors head to this area to catch sunset at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, sunrise can also be nice from here.

It’s a great choice for a sunrise hike in Acadia National Park if you’re staying at Seawall Campground or anywhere else on the “quiet side” of the island. It also makes a good sunrise hike if you have kids or just don’t want to wake up as early to do a longer hike.

The beginning of the Ship Harbor Trail is just about a mile away from Seawall Campground along Maine 102A.

The trail is a figure-8 that takes you out to the edge of Mount Desert Island for views of the Atlantic Ocean as you watch the sun rise. You may not get the same panoramic views as you would at higher elevations, but you’ll still witness a pretty coastal sunrise without the crowds.

An average hiker can finish the entire trail in about half an hour, so you’ll want to start your hike at least 15 to 20 minutes before you plan to arrive at the far end of the figure-8 for sunrise.

I hope you enjoy your sunrise hike in Acadia National Park!

Need more help planning your trip to Acadia National Park? Check out these related articles:

As always, enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Leave no trace on all of your adventures.