Last Updated on September 12, 2023 by
This trail started along Echo Lake on the eastern side of Mt. Desert. My parents are Acadia professionals, so this was a less travelled portion of the national park that still offered the great hiking and payoff views you expect from the more populated areas of the park. The St. Sauveur portion of the hike was pretty straightforward with some pretty good elevation gains and steady climb throughout.
St. Sauveur and Acadia Mountain Quick Facts
Trailhead – Following route 102 along Echo Lake, you will come to a parking lot just south of Hall Quarry Road. Do not stop at the first lot if you are traveling south, continue on for several hundred yards to the second lot. The trail is directly adjacent. Use caution – you have to cross the road to get to the trailhead.
Trail Stats
Length – 4.92 miles
Difficulty – Fairly Strenuous
Elevation Gain – 1,352 feet
Route Type – Loop
Of note, Acadia hiking means rocks and roots. There are very few, if any, trails within the park that are loam or dirt. In fact, as we discovered over the course of the next several days, many of the trails are actually in, or adjacent to, water runoff routes from the mountains. Just something to be prepared for if you plan to hike Acadia.
Once we summitted St. Sauveur, we turned our sights to Acadia Mountain and that’s where the trail changed dramatically. I would describe it as a climb more than a hike from this point forward, but it is absolutely my favorite type of ‘hike’ going up. Huge boulder falls created a rock scramble route to the summit over the course of about a mile and a half. I will say that I am glad we elected to hike this route counterclockwise, providing the opportunity to experience the rock fall going up rather than down. Rock scramble down is definitely not my favorite hike.
The back half of the loop is a return to ‘normal’ hiking with a steady descent through pine forest. The last quarter of a mile or so provides 3 different options, but they all return back to within 100 yards of the parking lot. There are also a couple of ‘rogue’ trails for folks who felt straight up rather than taking the established switchback was the best course of action, which seems like a good time to remind everyone:
Seven Principles of Leave No Trace
Courtesy: Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
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
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