The Flying Mountain Trail in Acadia National Park is a relatively easy 1.5 mile loop hike on the quiet side of Mount Desert Island.
The hike should take about 1 hour and has only about 300 feet in total elevation, so it’s family and pet friendly.
There are a few nice views of Somes Sound from the trail and at low tide you can explore a small beach before returning to the trailhead on a flat trail through the woods.
Directions to Flying Mountain Trailhead
The parking lot and trailhead for Flying Mountain is on Fernald Point Rd off of Route 102 on the quiet side of Acadia National Park.
The Hike
At the trailhead, take a right to ascend the small mountain.
The trail is very well groomed with many wide steps built into the trail.
The views of Somes Sound open up after just a quarter mile on the trail and then you’ll make your way down to a small beach that you can explore at low tide. From the beach you’ll see Valley Peak, part of Saint Sauveur Mountain.
The Valley Cove Trail follows along the coast underneath Valley Peak but this portion of the trail has been closed for some time for repair due to dangerous conditions. You will take the open portion of Valley Cove Trail, which is an easy stroll on a wide path through the woods, back to the parking lot.
If you would like to extend the hike, the Valley Peak Trail intersects with the Valley Cove Trail close to the Flying Mountain parking lot, and that could take you up to Valley Peak and Saint Sauveur Mountain, adding another 1.5 miles to your hike and significantly more elevation gain, but better views of Somes Sound. Below is a trail map of that longer loop hike.
Looking for more? Other great hikes nearby include Acadia Mountain and the Beech Cliff Ladder Trail.
Check out these other hikes at Acadia and in the Down-East region of Maine:
