Hike Location: Acadia National Park
Geographic Location: south of Bar Harbor, ME (44.32004, -68.25303)
Length: 3.5 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: July 2019
Overview: A nearly flat circumnavigation of Jordan Pond with
great views of the surrounding mountains.
Park Information: https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=760411
Photo Highlight:
Directions to the trailhead: This trailhead is most
easily accessed using the Island Explorer shuttle bus. From the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, ride the
Jordan Pond route to the Jordan Pond House shuttle stop, which is the trailhead
for this hike.
The hike: For
my introduction to Acadia National Park, see my hike at the park’s Beech Mountain. The
Jordan Pond Loop Trail described here is my favorite short hike in Acadia
National Park. The hike features scenic
views across Jordan Pond to the rocky mountains that surround it, and the
pondside route passes through a variety of environments including some meadows,
a wetland with a long boardwalk, some shady dry forest, and even a rugged sunny
boulder field. Indeed, this hike provides
a sample of all the great sights Acadia’s interior ponds have to offer.
 |
| Trailhead near Jordan Pond House |
From the Jordan Pond House shuttle
stop, walk to the left (west) of Jordan Pond House, and then angle right to
head for Jordan Pond. A gradual descent
through a sunny meadow brings you to the south corner of Jordan Pond. The view across the pond to the bare rock mountains
called the Bubbles may be the best view on this hike, so make sure you do not
miss it.
|
| The Bubbles across Jordan Pond |
Upon reaching the pond’s shore, turn
left to begin a clockwise journey around the Jordan Pond Loop Trail. Next you pass a small concrete dam called
Water Company Dam. Owned by the Seal
Harbor Water Company, Water Company Dam dates to 1920, and it combined with
glacial debris constrain the water in Jordan Pond. The Jordan Pond Loop Trail briefly joins a
carriage road to cross Jordan Pond’s main outlet stream on the carriage road
bridge. After crossing the bridge, turn
right to leave the wide two-track carriage road and return to the single-track
Jordan Pond Loop Trail.
 |
| Hiking the boardwalk |
The trail heads north along the
heavily forested west bank of Jordan Pond. Soon you reach the start of a long two-plank
boardwalk that carries you over an extensive seasonal wetland along the pond’s
west bank. This boardwalk was in the
process of being reconstructed on my visit, and the new sections had some nice
wide passing areas where you could step to the side and let oncoming hikers
pass. These passing zones come in handy
due to the narrowness of the boardwalk and the high traffic volume this trail
receives.
 |
| Clambering through a boulder field |
Just past 1 mile, you finish the
boardwalk and begin a rocky section that forms the hardest part of the
loop. Although the elevation change on
this loop is minimal, you will probably need to use your hands to clamber over
the boulders on this section of trail.
As you approach the end of the rocky section, nice views emerge down the
length of Jordan Pond with massive Pemetic Mountain across the pond to the
left.
 |
| Pemetic Mountain across Jordan Pond |
At 1.5 miles, the trail to Penobscot
and Sargent Mountains exits left. Stay
right to cross one of Jordan Pond’s main feeder streams on an interesting
wooden bridge. When I passed through
here, a common loon was nesting in the wetlands along this stream, and I saw
several frogs poking their eyes above the water.
 |
| Bridge at north end of Jordan Pond |
Where the trail to the Bubbles exits
left, stay right to round the north end of Jordan Pond. Now heading south along the pond’s east
shore, views of rocky Penobscot Mountain to the west appear across the pond. Most of the trail on this side of the pond is
paved with gravel, and these areas are wide and smooth enough for a stroller to
cross. However, a few small streams are
crossed on rough stepping stones.
 |
| Rocky Penobscot Mountain |
3 miles into the hike, you reach a
trail intersection where the trail to The Triad and Pemetic Mountain exits
left. Turn right to cross an inlet of
Jordan Pond on a stone dam-like structure.
Where the trail splits after crossing the inlet, you can go either
way: the left route provides a slightly
shorter route back to the trailhead, but the right route stays along the shore
of Jordan Pond. Both routes return to
the Jordan Pond House, where the park shuttle bus and perhaps a nice lunch or dinner
in the House’s restaurant await you after your hike.
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