Winter Hiking in Acadia National Park

Lindsay, Allison and I decided to hike Dorr Mountain in Acadia National Park on a cold day in February! The temps outside were around 17 degrees, which is pretty chilly, but there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear! We geared up (looking for tips on what to gear up with? Check out this post!) and headed out to check out our favorite park – Acadia National Park!

Getting There

Parking

As you might be aware, parking in the winter in Acadia to get to trailheads can often be a challenge. The roads are blocked off once it snows, so you can’t drive in like you would be able to during the summer. We parked off Great Meadow Drive, and walked into the Park Loop Road.

Trail

Hemlock Trail up the mountain to the Dorr Mountain North Ridge Trail. See more on All Trails.

Stats

Distance: About 2.8 miles RT with an out and back

Level: Experienced

Dogs & Kids: Experiences

We started out taking the Park Loop Road from Great Meadow Drive, where we picked up the Hemlock Trail. We started off flat, and then started ascending up some stairs. The entire trail was covered in ice and snow, so our Microspikes were a non-negotiable item. If you haven’t purchased them yet, what are you waiting for?!?! Use our link here –Kahtoola MICROspikes Traction System – Red Large

The climb isn’t bad, because you get views pretty quickly. Be prepared to sweat though! And remember to layer up with your wool or spandex base layers. No cotton!

There were a few times when we thought we might be close to the top, but it was a false summit. Lindsay was the keeper of the GPS and had her AllTrails open the entire time to track our location and the hike (Safety first!) so we were aware of how long we had. We definitely recommend doing this! You can purchase AllTrailsPro for a great price. Do it!!!

Our group hiked up the icy trails using our microspikes, even though we had to get on our hands for some of the ascent.

The Summit

We made it to the top around noon. Ali, Lindsay and I took some summit photos, and enjoyed the beauty our surroundings because it wasn’t very windy on this day. Some of us had a celebratory cider (no more beer, since I found out I am super allergic to gluten) and then we started our decent.

The trail required a little butt sliding on the way down, but that’s just part of the fun. Make sure to wear waterproof pants during the winter for butt sliding. We were initially going to do the loop trail, but when we discovered that the trail wasn’t broken out, we talked about the logistics of heading down that way. We determined it was not safe to proceed, and made a decision to head back down the way we came up, because we had margaritas on the brain!

We made it back down the mountain in about an hour, mostly because we basically slid down it. Also, we were super motivated by lunch and margaritas at our favorite spot, Side Street Cafe! If you haven’t been, add it to your list.

Want to learn more about George Dorr, the Father of Acadia National Park, and the namesake of this mountain? Head over here!

We really enjoyed our time on this hike – if you’re into winter hiking, we definitely recommend adding it to yout list. And don’t forget, share your photos with us on social media using #lovemaineadventures!