beachcroft path

We walked this trail on October 19th, 2024 (Saturday). I wanted to post it because I might want to look it up in the future.

We’ve walked it before. Maybe four times? I would venture to say it’s our favorite trail. But not easy. It starts out steep, with lots of switchbacks. And only gets steeper, with rock scrambling and traversing granite faces. Sam reminded me that one time we hiked it and I refused to go all the way up and waited for him to summit and return. I think that was when we tried to view the sunrise from that location. Another time, we were defeated early in our hike by thick ice across the switchbacks, with no way to get around it. I believe that was during a Thanksgiving visit. So maybe I’ve completed this summit twice.

We can always remember the location of this trailhead because it’s across from The Tarn. The Tarn is a body of water that is rapidly disappearing as it fills with silt and vegetation. Here’s a view of it from early on the mountain.

This rock precariously balances on the edge of the trail. It is a visceral thrill to lean against it, even slightly, with the thought that it might dislodge and go tumbling down the mountain. The rocky “sidewalk” was all laid at some point by trail builders. It’s hard to believe they were able to fit the rocks together so neatly without major excavation equipment.

I was able to find this elevation map online. The shoulders show the brief respite at Huguenot Head, which is much appreciated.

It’s only 1058 feet, but still. It’s the summit of Champlain Mountain!

The Precipice Trail (second to lowest marker) is the most frightening trail I’ve ever been on. I made the mistake of thinking it would be something fun for my son and nephew to do when I was visiting my sister in Maine. They were young, maybe 8 and 10, and I was a lot younger than I am now! They enjoyed it tremendously, but I was a nervous wreck. There are ladders and metal bars installed in rock to use to pull yourself up with – WHHAA? There are skinny ledges to walk (or crawl!) strewn with loose gravel. I refused to go back down the way we came up. Luckily there was an alternate route back to our parking spot. I was rewarded with my nephew saying “This is the best trail I’ve ever been on!”

The easterly view from the top – Schoodic Peninsula, the other side of Acadia National Park.