Hiking the Ship Harbor Nature Trail in Acadia National Park

While visiting Acadia National Park, we decided on taking a hike through the Ship Harbor Nature Trail. The trail is located along Route 102A, southeast of Bass Harbor on Mount Desert Island. The Ship Harbor Trail is a short and fairly easy 1.3-mile hike that forms a figure-8 loop. Taking a right at each intersection will lead back to the parking lot. Along the well-groomed trail, we enjoyed the diverse terrain, the rocky coast and picturesque views of the cove.

It was a good thing that this was a short hike, because the sun was setting quickly. We wanted a chance to see and experience as much as possible of this beautiful area that hugs Ship Harbor. It was well worth the stop and I think the light from the setting sun allowed for that extra something in order for me to create mood in my photographs.

An Acadia National Park road sign.

Information about the Ship Harbor Trail.

The bright red berries of mountain ash growing along the trail. (Rosaceae)

A wooden Ship Harbor Trail sign.

A few different views of the diverse terrain on the trail.

A sign displaying information about a few species that can be found in the area.

A boardwalk section of the trail.

Species of animals and birds that can be found in the diverse woods along the harbor.

During low tide, the rocky headland has numerous tidepools with a variety of tenants. The park asks visitors to mind where they walk on the rocks in order to protect these tenants and minimize their impact on the area. We took a few photographs in this area on the rocks and then we were back on our way along the trail.