Cadillac Mountain Road

A 3-1/2 mile spur which leads to the top of Cadillac Mountain.

Plan Around Cadillac Mountain Road

A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.

Add to trip View park guide

Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.

Cadillac Mountain Road Details

This spur off of Park Loop Road leads to the Summit Trail, a half-mile paved loop circling the top of Cadillac Mountain. Preceded by Native American footpaths, logging trails, and a 19th-century road leading to a federal survey site at the summit, the present road was built between 1923 and 1930. You can stop at three pullouts to enjoy the magnificent views from the road. As you drive you'll pass through a mixed hardwood forest before the trees begin to thin out at higher elevations. Stop at the pullout at mile 21.7, which overlooks Eagle Lake, Pemetic Mountain, the Bubbles, and Sargeant Mountain. The pullouts at mile 21 and between miles 22.1 and 22.4 provide vistas of Bar Harbor, Frenchman Bay, the Porcupine Islands, and the Schoodic Peninsula. Be prepared for crowds from July to September and know that summit parking isn't always the easiest. If you want to escape the crowds, try summiting Cadillac at night and take in the night sky and panoramic view of the stars. Once at the top, be sure to explore only on designated trails and on granite surfaces to avoid trampling slow-growing sub-alpine plants. Help protect the historic Bates cairn trail markers by not adding rock pile graffiti to them.

Difficulty

Low

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

Region

Park Loop Road