# Precipice Trail (Acadia) – July 2011



## Magog Fishy (Jul 18, 2011)

Precipice Trail (Acadia) – July 2011

Hiked (more like climbed) the Precipice Trail at Acadia last week – supposedly it is rarely open in the Summer due to Peregrine Falcons' nesting. Not a hike for those out of shape or a fear of heights, narrow ledges, and steep cliffs – you can easily see why people have had to be rescued by helicopter and have died :-o climbing the trail.

Bottom three-fifth was not too bad, and the bushes/trees kinda hid the ledges – you do not realize that you might be 3’ from a 100’ cliff. The four-fifth segment is where it gets really dicey. Basically iron rungs, ladders, and narrow ledges for a few hundred feet – if you fall, let’s just say it is not going to be a pleasant death. The last fifth is pretty flat.

You can’t hike back down the trail – not enough room with people coming up; would be too dangerous; need to take a ridge trial. Temperature was in the mid-80’s – sweat can become a bit of an issue with your grip on the iron rungs; I would not climb the trail if it is raining. Definitely bring a gallon of water per person, and perhaps a harness in case someone freezes up. Second most dangerous hike I have ever done – I am pretty much a beginner climber. 

Photos are not the greatest – wanted to move quickly so that I did not freeze up; no photos of some of ledges. I don’t have photos of having to crawl under a huge boulder near the beginning.  They do have one or two death signs that warns you of the dangers. 

Yup, a trail up that cliff wall somewhere - trail is on lookers right on the lower headwall, and IIRC in the middle on the upper headwall:






About half way up, at the trail split:





You better be skinny: 





Let the fun begin – the beginning of the cliff section:





More cliffs:





And more cliffs:





A nice reward at the top:


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## deadheadskier (Jul 18, 2011)

how is the trip down?  different route?

I wouldn't have an issue climbing up, but going back down the same way would be a bit too much pucker factor for me unless I had ropes.


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## Cannonball (Jul 18, 2011)

Nice report.  Such an awesome trail.  The first time I did it, we came down it unintentionally.  You're not supposed to.  But it was off season (Oct/Nov I think) so there was nobody there to mention it, and it was so foggy we couldn't even see the trails signs that tell you not to go down.  Climbing down those cold, wet rungs into pea-soup fog was one of the scariest things I've ever done.  You could barely even see down to your own feet to see the next rung....it was all by feel.


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## bheemsoth (Jul 18, 2011)

Awesome report. My girlfriend and I were up there in June, but were unable to hike Precipice because of the Falcon nesting, so we hiked Beehive instead. Similar experience, but I do believe it may be a bit shorter.


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## riverc0il (Jul 18, 2011)

Nice! My family and I did the Beehive Trail when we were there many many years ago. Gotta get back there sometime soon....


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## Nick (Jul 18, 2011)

Awesome report! I love the climbing features, I dunno but that stuff is always so much fun for me. Not the full blown rock climbing but the chasm walk and the climbs up the metal stanchions. Good stuff.


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## Breeze (Jul 18, 2011)

One of  the jewels of Acadia, for  sure. 


You can grab  the 2-fer of Precipice  and Beehive  in a GREAT  day hike.    Park at  Precipice  lot and  go up Precipice,  follow the Champlain Ridge  Trail SOUTH  over and down to The Bowl .  The Bowl is a  little glacial-till spring fed  kettle pond.  Much of the perimeter  of the Bowl is ringed with flat granite rock slabs  extending  out into shallow  water.    Fabulous   place  for a  picnic  lunch and  some cooling-off  in the water.  Yes,   skinny dipping  happens  there.  Expect  it. 

You  pick up the Beehive  trail   from the south end of the Bowl and go up, over and down the Beehive,  iron ladders  and  all, which  brings you out  very close to Sand Beach Parking Lot, another  place to  cool off. 

   Yes it is a road  walk of  about a mile and a half back to your car at the Precipice  parking  lot, but  it is   an awesome   day if the  weather is  on your side.  Don't  do it  if   the weather  is against you.

Hiking   Climbing in Acadia  is very dicey in wet  weather, whether  fog, rain  or   run-off.   Slimey lichen on granite or  granite  schist ?   Nuff Said..   


 Both the Precipice  Trail and the   Beehive Trail  have some planned  limiting features,  some  natural, some man made.  Leg  reach is the biggie.  Kids on their   own legs who  need  significant help  early  in the  climb  will need  significant help thereafter and throughout.  If you are  a  short adult, you will   find that  challenge,  yourself. 


The  views from   the  trails  from  Precipice and Beehive out over  the  waters and islands  from  Bar Harbor to Petit Manan,  and nearly to the  Canadian Border  are  priceless.

 Breeze


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## Magog Fishy (Jul 18, 2011)

deadheadskier said:


> how is the trip down?  different route?



Trip down was somewhat surprisingly a piece of cake – Bear Brook Trail to Orange/Black trial, and then a short walk back to the Precipice parking area.



Cannonball said:


> Climbing down those cold, wet rungs into pea-soup fog was one of the scariest things I've ever done.  You could barely even see down to your own feet to see the next rung....it was all by feel.



I cannot fathom climbing down it in pea-soup fog plus being wet – certainly can see why it would be one of the scariest things you've ever done.  



Breeze said:


> Sand Beach Parking Lot, another  place to  cool off.
> 
> Both the Precipice  Trail and the   Beehive Trail  have some planned  limiting features,  some  natural, some man made.  Leg  reach is the biggie.  Kids on their   own legs who  need  significant help  early  in the  climb  will need  significant help thereafter and throughout.  If you are  a  short adult, you will   find that  challenge,  yourself.



Sand beach, hiking, biking the carriage trails, lobster, some cool villages, and crappy cell phone reception is why Mount Desert is my favorite place on the Maine Coast – much more so than the Camden area. 

Yeah definitely some limiting features. Probably good there are those few rungs at the very beginning, as it warns/weeds out those that cannot make it up that before they get themselves in to a more dangerous section.


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## wa-loaf (Jul 19, 2011)

Love the Precipice. Both up and down. I worked a couple summers in Acadia and got to know most of the trails. Beehive is a good warm-up if you aren't sure about doing it. The hike up the other side of Champlain is really nice (and much easier) too if you are intimidated by the Precipice.


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