Gorham Mountain

Last Updated on September 12, 2023 by

Shawn and I chose not to get too greedy on our first hike out in a while and picked Gorham Mountain – elevation 525 ft and approximately 3.5 miles. Funny thing here – we have climbed 1000 feet and more many times, so 525 seems like a piece of cake. Oh so wrong.

Unfortunately a phone malfunction failed to record our actual hike in AllTrails. The generic trail is provided for reference.

We thought we could add an additional 3 miles down to Otter Cliffs and back if we felt up to it when we were done with the mountain hike depending on the weather (and my old body). Keeping our options open. We took the loop road past the mountain and parked below it thinking we’d come down off the mountain below The Beehive Trail and walk down the Ocean path back to the car. However, we had to find parking on the road which on this part of park loop was not too bad as the entire right lane ends up being a parking lot. Emphasis on parking lot. Word to the wise – the east side (or busy side as anyone who visits here soon discovers) is the heavily touristed section. Much like many of the National Parks, there is really only one primary road through the park. After 10AM seven days a week, expect heavy congestion and severely limited parking all along the park loop road. If you have your heart set on some of the highlight hikes (Beehive, Precipice, Cadillac) either come early or prepare for disappointment.

Relatively soon after we started up the mountain we came to the junction of Gorham Mountain and Cadillac Cliffs Trail and discovered a rather large bronze placard inset into a wicked big granite stone that had another wicked big granite stone cantilevered across the top of it in the middle of the trail. Three days in and she’s reverted to the native tongue. Upon it was blazoned, “Waldron Bates, In Memoriam, MCMX, Pathmaker”. So, of course, I had to look up who he was and what it meant. Acadia history lesson #1 (and number 2 if you count the cairns as a separate lesson. You decide):

Mr. Bates was a Bostonian, a Harvard graduate, a lawyer and yes, a Path Maker. He began exploring MDI (Mount Desert Island) in the 1880s during family trips and became chairman of the Path Committee of Bar Harbor Village Improvement Assoc (VIA) from 1900 to 1909. Beginning in the 1890s, VIAs in each of the four island towns created most of the island’s hiking trail system as we know it today. Twenty five miles of trails were added under Mr. Bates’ leadership. Hiking maps of the park that are used today are descendants of the very first comprehensive map published in 1896 of which Mr. Bates was the lead author. He also developed the cairn systems used today in this and other National Parks. (We did not learn about the “Pointer” rock on top of the cairns until much further into our month here. It’s pretty useful information.) Point of clarity – I was well aware of the pointer stones function – it was the blue blaze I couldn’t figure out. I tip my hat to Mr. Bates and thank him for this and the other hikes I will partake in while I am in Acadia. There are just as many days I want to curse him for ever having thought of climbing mountains as a past time – right up until I reach the summit and get rewarded with a breathtaking view and sense of accomplishment.

We continued on, past a ruffled grouse looking for a mid morning snack (new bird for us), sidled up on a sheer granite cliff wall and we were not on the trail much longer before we peaked the mountain to some great views of Frenchman’s Bay to the east and several of the mountains we will hike while here to our west. We are here for the foliage which hasn’t quite started turning, but still…Pretty amazing. No, that isn’t a grave marker, it’s the semi-official mountain peak and trail marker.

After descending the mountain, we moved on to the tourist-y part of the day and went down to Sand Beach which was pretty empty for one of the major tourist attractions in this park. Yay us! We walked along Ocean Path to Thunder Hole which was quite packed and not too thunderous today. That’s what happens when it’s not high tide. Though someone did take our picture for us instead of our usual selfie and don’t we look cute?! Like we’re having a blast. And, we are. We (I) thought we could make it down to Otter Cliffs (another 1.5 miles), but got partway there and started petering out. Thank goodness for Shawn. He ran back to the car with the pack and grabbed the lunch box and we ended up having lunch overlooking the ocean side/cliffs before heading back to the car.

On our way out the loop road we crossed Otter Cove where there is a small beach and a bridge built by the CCC. Gotta love the Civilian Conservation Corps who helped shaped the modern national and state park systems we enjoy today by planting more than three billion trees and constructing trails and shelters in more than 800 parks nationwide during its nine years of existence. What happened to guys like that?

Always Remember the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace

Plan Ahead and Prepare, Stay on Designated Trails, Dispose of Waste Properly, Don’t Take Anything You Didn’t Bring with You, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Courtesy: Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics