Bowl Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Lake · Swimming · Views · Wildlife

This is a fun trail with a great reward at the end - one of Acadia’s most well-known and photographed mountain ponds, not to mention some pretty nice views of the backside of The Beehive. “The Bowl” refers to the pond, which is nestled between several peaks, including Champlain Mountain, Enoch Mountain, Halfway Mountain, and The Beehive.

This run’s trailhead is located northwest of The Beehive parking lot just off the Park Loop Road. During the summer months, this lot can get crowded, but while most people head down to Sand Beach below, you can run up to The Bowl and cool your heels there. That’s not to say that the path will be traffic free, but it usually isn’t nearly as congested as the beach.

This path climbs gradually at the beginning. At 0.2 miles, you’ll come across the Beehive Trailhead. Shortly after, you’ll see Kief Pond immediately to the south, before you start turning toward the northwest. Right after Kief Pond, you’ll come across the Gorham Mountain Trail joining your path from the southwest. Continue on for another 0.3 miles (which will be just a little steeper than before), and you’ll reach your destination. After enjoying a picnic or swim at The Bowl, you can simply retracing your steps back to the parking lot, or you might want to extend your day by taking one of the other trails that links to this path, including the Champlain South Ridge Trail to the northwest. Unlike several of the other runs in the immediate area, most of this path is covered by a forest canopy.

Overall, this trail is a relatively short jaunt up the mountain and it offers you a wonderful little pond at its northern end, while also providing you with access to several other trails along the way.

Birch trees.