Hike Beech Cliff Trail with Island Explorer Bus
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The iron ladders and exposed cliff sections are genuinely dangerous when wet — the rock gets slick after rain, and the rungs offer minimal grip. Skip this trail if it rained in the last twelve hours.
There are unguarded cliff edges at the top with sheer drops to the lake below. This is not a trail where you want to let kids wander ahead unsupervised, and vertigo-prone hikers should know what they're signing up for.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Take the Island Explorer bus (Southwest Harbor line) to the Echo Lake trailhead and skip the parking headache entirely — the Echo Lake lot fills early on summer mornings, often by 9 AM, and the bus drops you right at the beach.
Climb the ladders going up, not down. Start with Beech Cliff Trail for the ascent and loop back on Canada Cliffs Trail — the iron rungs are far easier to manage when you're pulling yourself up rather than lowering down wet rock.
The best photo spot is the open ledge about halfway along the Beech Cliff Loop, where you get Echo Lake framed by Cadillac and Dorr mountains — afternoon light hits the lake perfectly, but morning gives you fewer people on the ledges.
Photos
Photo courtesy of Maribeth Kambitsch. Used with permission.
