Hike Gorge/Cadillac Mountain North Ridge Loop with Island Explorer Bus
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The upper gorge scramble involves climbing steep, smooth granite slabs that become dangerously slick when wet. After rain or morning dew, this section demands real caution — a slip here means tumbling down exposed rock, not sliding into soft dirt.
Dogs technically can come along, but the boulder scramble near the summit is genuinely difficult for most dogs. Unless your dog is comfortable being lifted over waist-high rock faces, leave them at camp for this one.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Take the Island Explorer bus one-way and hike up through the Gorge Path rather than down — the steep granite slab section is significantly easier to ascend than descend, especially when wet or wearing trail runners with minimal grip.
Start by mid-morning at the latest in summer. The gorge section stays cool and shaded, but the exposed upper scramble and summit bake in afternoon sun. An early start also means you'll hit the summit before the auto road traffic peaks.
At the top of the gorge scramble, before the final push to Cadillac's summit, pause and look back down into the gorge itself — this is the most photogenic angle on the entire route, with the narrow granite slot framing the forest below. Most hikers blow right past it.
Photos
Photo be Ashley L. Conti, Friends of Acadia
