The easiest hikes in Maine, by the numbers
Of the 147 trails in Maine in our dataset, 46 (31 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; these are the 25 with the lowest rating.
Paradise Hill has the lowest rating: 65 ft of gain over 1.1 miles, 59 ft per mile.
Across the 25, gain runs from 65 to 326 ft and distance from 1.1 miles to 3 miles; the median gain is 176 ft and the median distance 1.3 miles.
19 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (4) or out-and-back (2).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paradise HillAcadia NP | 1.1 | 65 | 59 | 6% | 182 to 264 | 12 | |
| 2 | Amphitheatre EastAcadia NP | 1.1 | 95 | 86 | 7% | 284 to 376 | 14.5 | |
| 3 | AmphitheatreAcadia NP | 1.3 | 90 | 69 | 6% | 303 to 371 | 15.3 | |
| 4 | Jordan / WildwoodAcadia NP | 1.3 | 100 | 77 | 8% | 275 to 357 | 16.1 | |
| 5 | Hadlock Ponds TrailAcadia NP | 1.5 | 123 | 82 | 14% | 191 to 296 | 19.2 | |
| 6 | Nat Merchant TrailAcadia NP | 1.1 | 176 | 160 | 8% | 49 to 226 | 19.7 | |
| 7 | Jordan Pond CarryAcadia NP | 1.1 | 178 | 162 | 13% | 279 to 462 | 19.8 | |
| 8 | Jordan StreamAcadia NP | 1.3 | 152 | 117 | 10% | 148 to 287 | 19.9 | |
| 9 | Bar Island TrailAcadia NP | 1.5 | 132 | 88 | 17% | 3 to 135 | 19.9 | |
| 10 | Great Meadow LoopAcadia NP | 2.2 | 94 | 43 | 5% | 41 to 114 | 20.3 | |
| 11 | Lower AmphitheatreAcadia NP | 1.3 | 194 | 149 | 13% | 136 to 324 | 22.5 | |
| 12 | Shackford Head Trail | 2 | 129 | 65 | 14% | 16 to 154 | 22.7 | |
| 13 | Duck Harbor Mountain TrailAcadia NP | 1.1 | 236 | 215 | 29% | 33 to 296 | 22.8 | |
| 14 | Seven Sisters / BridgesAcadia NP | 1.2 | 233 | 194 | 8% | 237 to 469 | 23.6 | |
| 15 | Western Head TrailAcadia NP | 1.5 | 194 | 129 | 14% | 7 to 87 | 24.1 | |
| 16 | Redfield HillAcadia NP | 1.9 | 160 | 84 | 11% | 134 to 251 | 24.7 | |
| 17 | Kebo Brook TrailAcadia NP | 1.1 | 290 | 264 | 14% | 90 to 368 | 25.3 | |
| 18 | Stroudwater River TrailSouthern Maine | 3 | 113 | 38 | 10% | 23 to 74 | 26 | |
| 19 | Bubble RockAcadia NP | 1.2 | 288 | 240 | 50% | 471 to 749 | 26.3 | |
| 20 | Ocean PathAcadia NP | 2.1 | 165 | 79 | 12% | 31 to 105 | 26.3 | |
| 21 | Great Head TrailAcadia NP | 1.5 | 232 | 155 | 17% | 35 to 145 | 26.4 | |
| 22 | Post Office Trail | 1.1 | 326 | 296 | 10% | 32 to 358 | 26.8 | |
| 23 | Goat TrailAcadia NP | 2 | 181 | 91 | 26% | 9 to 81 | 26.9 | |
| 24 | Day Mountain TrailAcadia NP | 1.4 | 290 | 207 | 50% | 250 to 573 | 28.5 | |
| 25 | Day Mount SummitAcadia NP | 1.5 | 273 | 182 | 7% | 303 to 576 | 28.6 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Maine" here means the 147 trails in Maine in our dataset, not every trail in Maine.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Paradise Hill.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other states in our dataset.