Hike Sargent Mountain

This has been one of my favorite winter adventures that I have had in a long time. There were gorgeous views of Somes Sound, we saw three snowy owls and there is a gorgeous  frozen waterfall on the way up to the summit!

Because much of the Park Loop Road is closed in winter, we started our hike from a Parking area off of Route 3 (It's the one just north of Upper Hadlock Pond and you have to cross route 3 to actually get to the trail). Follow the trail back until you hit a junction where you will then go to the right to avoid Parkman Mtn Trail. At a second junction go right again to avoid Bald Peak Trail. At the 3rd junction go left. And then finally at the 4th junction you will go right onto Hadlock Brook Trail! It definitely helps to have a map during this hike, but it isn't as confusing as it seems. Once turning onto Hadlock Brook Trail, you will begin to slowly gain elevation. You will cross under Waterfall Bridge (part of the Carriage roads) where you will see an unnamed but beautiful waterfall! After this is where you get most of the elevation gain. Continue up Hadlock Brook Trail until it intersects with Sargent South Ridge Trail (you turn left onto this). At this point you are about 0.7 miles from the summit and the trees start to disappear. This is when you start keeping your eyes peeled for the owls. We didn't see any before hitting the summit. And a few other hikers ended up pointing them out to us. Look to the edges of the large granite faces. When done enjoying the view, just make your way back down the same way you came up!

Note: the best time to see snowy owls is November to early January. Acadia is a perfect place for them because the flat granite covered peaks resemble an open, frozen tundra for hunting. 

Your goal is for the owl to ignore you. If it makes eye contact with you, sits up like it is about to fly away or actually flies away, you are too close. Give it the space it deserves. 

We stopped in Bar Harbor and got delicious sandwiches and hot beverages at Chocolatte after our hike. Highly recommend!