The Beehive and Gorham Mountain

Start at the Sand Beach parking lot on the Park Loop Road. Cross the road to the Bowl Trail and turn onto the Beehive Trail, which climbs the cliff above the beach on ledges, stone steps and iron rungs. From the summit, carry on down the back of the Beehive to the Bowl Trail, then follow the Gorham Mountain Trail south over the open granite of Gorham Mountain and down to the Gorham Mountain parking area. The Ocean Path leads back north along the shore, past Thunder Hole, to Sand Beach.

The loop is 3.2 miles (5.2 km) with 570 feet (174 m) of climbing; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Moderate: the loop is short, but the Beehive needs hands, care and a head for heights.

The Beehive has steep drop-offs with no railings, and in places you step across iron bars rather than rock. Go up it, not down: the park advises against descending the rungs, and this loop is laid out to avoid that. Wet granite is extremely slippery, so skip the Beehive in rain. Pets are not allowed on Acadia's rung trails. The Park Loop Road is closed from mid-December to mid-April.

Parking at Sand Beach is congested from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in summer.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.