Great Head Trail

To begin the Great Head Trail hike, you'll want to park at the parking lot for Sand Beach located on the Park Loop Road. From the parking lot, you will cross the beach entirely, which is a nice morning walk in itself, especially on the foggy days Acadia is famous for.

When you reach the end of the beach, the Beehive (small mountain beyond the tidal pools) will be to your left. There is a sign and some rock stairs that lead up the cliffs directly in front of you at the end of the beach. This is where the Great Head Trail begins. 

The beginning of this trail is the most difficult part as you climb the cliffside, but it will soon level out once you're on top of the headland and it becomes more of a walking trail.

Eventually you will come to the end of the point and see a sign to the right leading to the end of the Great Head. If you take this turn to the right, you'll come to some rocky shore/cliffs that you can walk out on to for a really unique view of Mt. Desert Island, Thunder Hole, Sand Beach and the Beehive. Be careful on the cliffs and watch out for waves (they can sneak in and crash quickly here).

As you continue on the trail heading back towards the mainland, you will walk through a beautiful section of birch trees and eventually come to a split in the path. Stay to the left following the markers to return to Sand Beach. If you go towards the right, you will end up on Schooner Head Road (probably not where you want to be) unless you don't want to return to the lot at Sand Beach. 

One of the best things about this trail is it's not very popular and even in the summer/busy months you may find yourself entirely alone the whole time while hiking.