Last Updated on September 12, 2023 by
Day Mountain trail is definitely off the beaten path, so much so I think it actually begins outside of Acadia National Park. While not a terrible trail, in competition with all of the other available hiking, it barely garners an honorable mention. We largely hiked this trail because we happened to be in the area after being thwarted from parking within 3 miles of another trail we were hoping to hike. Not a great endorsement, I know, but it is one of the easiest hikes we made to get a gorgeous view of the entire bay and Sutton Island.
Trailhead -We started at the Hunters Beach Trail. There is a small parking lot just off of Route 3 on Cooksey Drive. Once you walk down to Hunters Beach, there are trail signs that will take you along (but not very close) to Hunters Cliffs where you will cross Cooksey Drive and eventually end up on Rte. 3 and the actual Day Mountain Trailhead.
Trail Stats
Length – 3.4 miles (Round Trip)
Difficulty – Easy to moderate
Elevation Gain – 350 Feet
Route Type – Out and Back
We started our hike in Seal Harbor at the Hunters Beach trailhead. It is a short quarter mile walk down from the small parking lot and did offer a nice side trip down to the bay to sit and enjoy the gently rolling tide over a great collection of smoothly sanded stones of all sizes. If I haven’t mentioned it before, Angela is infinitely intrigued by rocks of all sorts and probably could have spent the day right there looking for the one perfect rock to add to her collection. A little fog added to the vibe of the morning hike.
From there, it is another three quarters of a mile to link up with the actual Day Mountain trailhead on Route 3. The trail from Hunters Beach to Day Mountain is pretty loosely marked and frankly, we were guessing for some portions of it. Fortunately, you have the cliffs to your left and you can almost see Cooksey Drive so the worst you can do is accidentally hike yourself to another small parking lot on Cooksey Drive. You do have to cross both Cooksey Drive and Route 3 on this hike, so please do not become so immersed in forest bathing you forget to check both ways before crossing!
Champlain Monument
Very innocuously placed marker directly across the street from the Day Mountain trailhead parking lot. Allegedly marks the spot where explorer Samuel de Champlain landed and named the area Mount Desert Isle, or more accurately, “Isle des Monts Déserts” in 1604.
Once you get to the Day Mountain trailhead and parking lot, it is a fairly easy mile climb to the top of Day Mountain. If you want to add some distance, there are 2 or three half mile spurs along the route and you can always take the carriage road of the same name to make it a MUCH longer hike.
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
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