Jordan Pond Path | Acadia National Park

Jordan Pond Path is a 3.2 mile hike in Acadia National Park. It is flat and easy with boardwalks for much of the distance, but wheels would not be able to complete this hike. This trail walks along the edge of Jordan Pond, and has fun bridges and beautiful views of the pond. Jordan Pond Path is a definite must do hike in Acadia, and there are other great things to do in this area, too.

You can see why this area is so popular.

Jordan Pond Area

The real problem with this hike is parking. Jordan Pond is the most popular place in Acadia with its restaurant and famous popovers. The parking area is large, but it is still usually filled during the majority of the day. That’s because there are a variety of other hikes in this area like the Jordan Stream Path, and several carriage roads.

If you do find parking, find your way to the lower parking lot by the boat dock. There are many signs to get you there. The loop goes entirely around the lake, so wherever you can find shore access is a good place to start. The boat dock is the recommend hiking start, but you can also access the Jordan Pond Path from the Jordan Pond House, if you park near there. We recommend hiking this trail counter-clockwise, so turn right when you hit the shoreline, but either directions works.

You walk through the trees to get to the boat access area.

This is what it looks like from the start.

The Hike

The east side of the lake is a long wide path. Our boys enjoyed spotting frogs along the edge in June. This side is a dirt path, and it is quite busy. The trail hugs the lake pretty closely, and though there is a little up and down, it is barely noticeable except when you see the lake drop gradually away from you.

There are lots of fun water crossings along this trail.

The path stays right along the edge of the water.

We also saw plenty of actual frogs, too!

As you round the far north end, there are a few really cool bridges. These lie right next to the loon nesting area, so you may be lucky enough to see or hear this odd-looking bird. The Jordan Pond Path is mostly in the trees and shade, which makes hiking around the pond really nice.

Walking along the Jordan Pond Path was a perfect afternoon hike.

This is the bridge at the far end of Jordan Pond.

As the trail starts to head back toward the parking area, it gets pretty rocky. Still easy, but definitely different than the flatter side you just hiked on. There is a little bit more scrambling over or around the large rocks.

Part way back on the west side of the lake, you step up on a makeshift boardwalk. It is actually a lot of logs cut in half and braced from below. This makes it only about shoulder width. Every 50 yards or so, there is an extra log placed alongside the other two. This is to allow you to pass people coming from the opposite directions. Be a good citizen and keep your eyes up. If you see someone coming, step on to a side log and wait for them to pass. Since this boardwalk runs for more than a mile, you’ll pass a lot of folks. We also moved very fast as it is slightly downhill and very smooth.

There is a little bit of scrambling around the rocks.

Then a boardwalk shows up and you follow it for a very long time.

Make sure to let others pass by using these “pull outs.”

When you get back to your starting point and complete your 3.2 mile loop, you can head back to your parking spot. We liked our walk on the Jordan Pond Path, and we especially appreciate a hike that wasn’t up a mountain since many of the Acadia trails are steep climbs. For our other Acadia Hike recommendations, check out our family friendly hikes in Acadia post.