Winter Hikes in Acadia National Park
Pemetic Mountain in Acadia National Park is an excellent hike to do in winter because of the exposed ridge line! It is a great hike to do in all seasons, of course, but it’s especially nice to have the mountain all to yourself in the winter.
Trail Stats for Pemetic Mountain
Trails: Pemetic South Ridge (Out and back)
Miles: Approx. 3.4 miles total (?)
Elevation Gain – Approx. 900 feet (?)
Level: Moderate
Pets: Yes
Kids: Yes, if they aren’t afraid of a challenge
Parking:Jordan Pond Parking and then road walk to trailhead on the Park Loop Road
Winter: Yes
in the winter, the Park Loop Road is closed, so you’ll need to access the Jordan Pond Parking area by the Jordan Pond Road in Seal Harbor. Try putting the Mount Desert Fire Department address in your GPS and that should take you to the Jordan Pond Road. When you hit the Park Loop road, go left!
Don’t leave home without your Kahtoola Microspkes! You can get your own by clicking the link on the photo to the right. Make sure you get the appropriate size, winter boots are often larger than summer hiking shoes. For example, I get a medium even though my feet are small. I pull them tight around my shoes!
About Pemetic Mountain
Pemetic Moutain is the fourth highest peak in Acadia National Park at 1,248 feet. According to Oh, Ranger, “The trail gets its name from the Wabanaki Indians who knew Mount Desert Island as Pemetic, “the sloping land.” Pemetic Mountain is Mount Desert’s fourth highest point offering views of more than two dozen points of interest including Schoodic Mountain on Schoodic Peninsula, Mt. Champlain on Isle au Haut, Cranberry Isles, Frenchman Bay and much more”
Hiking Pemetic Mountain in the Winter
The South Ridge of Pemetic Mountain is a gentle climb. It’s very gradual, and enjoyable the whole way up. According to The Hiking Project, “The hike starts in the piney forests on the lower part of Pemetic and eventually pops out onto the southern rocky ridge of the mountain. The climb is fairly gradual over roughly the first 0.25 miles, then you’ll come to a steep area for approximately the next 0.2 miles until the trail eventually becomes more gradual once again. At 0.6 miles up the path, the Pemetic East Cliff Trail will link-up with the path coming in from the southeast. From there it’s another 0.5 miles northward to the summit, where you’ll have a fantastic 360-degree view of several of the park’s key bodies of water (including Jordan Pond, Eagle Lake and Bubble Pond), as well as some terrific looks at several of the park’s other key mountains (including Cadillac, Penobscot, The Bubbles, and Sargent).”
You start with a road walk on the Park Loop Road until you hit the trailhead – it’s not a long walk at all. One you hit the trailhead, you walk through the woods for a short jaunt, and you hit the South Ridge cut off pretty quickly.
Apres hike at Side Street Cafe
We love Side Street Cafe! make sure that you look up winter hours on their Facebook page, because they are closed for a bit of time around the holidays! (Usually after Christmas – March 15)
Learn more about hiking Pemetic Mountain in all seasons
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Happy Trails!
DD
@danielledorrie
