Posted on February 26, 2022 and last updated on February 26, 2022

Great Meadow Loop, Jesup and Hemlock Paths, Acadia National Park

QUICK TRAIL FACTS

  • Preserve Size: 47,000 acres
  • Trail Mileage: ~4.3 in network
  • Pets: yes
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Sights: bog forest, birch-lined paths, garden and museum

These easy trails—much of which are wheelchair accessible—offer a beautiful stroll near town and under the peaks of Dorr and Kebo Mountains. Specifically, the park rates the 1.5-mile Jesup and Hemlock loop as universally accessible.

These pathways include a few novel attractions: birch-lined trails with views of the hills, a long boardwalk through a “boggy white birch forest,” the amazing Wild Gardens of Acadia (where I found a matsutake mushroom years ago), and the octagonal Abbe Museum dedicated to Wabanaki culture.

You can extend your walk here (when can you not in this park that seems to have no bounds!) to take in the gorgeous views at The Tarn, or to summit nearby Dorr, Cadillac, or Champlain Mountains.

Directions: You can park in a small lot at the corner of Kebo Valley Golf Course on Cromwell Harbor Road and walk around the course to the trail system. I noticed some people also park along Kebo Street (in the wintertime. Not sure what the summer policy is). In the summertime, you can park close to the Nature Center or Abbe Museum off the Park Look Road. Or take the bus!

Let me know if you have any trail updates or corrections!