Acadia Hike Pays Off with Spectacular Views [PHOTOS]

While on Mount Desert Island, we decided to go for a hike.  I was thinking that a nice little stroll along a gentle trail to the sea would be nice.  Things turned out a little differently.

Since my husband is a Southwest Harbor native, he picked the trail. Warning bells should have gone off when I saw the name of the trail is the Perpendicular Trail up the side of Mansell Mountain. It starts off easily and then the climbing up granite steps begins.

At one point, I saying, "Really?!?" The steps seemed endless and around every turn there was another steep set of stairs to face.

At that point, we were committed to reaching the top. And there was a huge pay off at the peak.

It was well worth every step. It was an "ahhhh" moment! At the overlook, we could view Southwest Harbor and the nearby islands.

Looking to the right, we sighted Bass Harbor. Back to our left, Somes Sound was visible. The hike down the other side of the mountain was a bit different and we had to slide down rock formations on our butts and through the woods. We made it! We headed to a big lunch at a local diner and learned that the trail was considered "strenuous." I'm picking the next hike.

What do you think about this story? Do you have a favorite hike?  Have you hiked Acadia?Share your comments here on our web site and on our Facebook and Twitter pages under the hashtag #AcadiaHike